NARMADA

The word nar means sweet as in fragrance and matha means mother. The holy river Narmada
is the embodiment of Goddess Narmada,who like Ganga removes the sins of those who bath in
her waters. So holy is Narmada that, to remove all sins of all lifetimes.
Legend states that, once Lord Shiva meditated so hard that he started perspiring. Shivas sweat
accumulated in a tank and started flowing in the form of a river the Narmada. Another legend
has it that two teardrops that fell from the eyes of Lord Brahma, yielded two rivers the Narmada
and the Sone. Legends have it that, even Ganga bathes in Narmada waters, in the shape of a black
cow. This event is witnessed as a holy day.
Myths have it that Naramada is the personified daughter of a Rishi Mekala as a daughter of the
moon, as a mind born daughter of the Somapas and as sister of the Nagas.
NARMADA RIVER: River Narmada is one of the most sacred of the seven holy rivers of India.
Its origin is a tiny reservoir named as Narmada Kund situated on the Amarkantak Hills. Also
known as Rewa, the Narmada River is associated with Amarkantak and Narmadakund. There is
less mention of the Narmada in Vedic literature but addressed in the Puranas, Ramayana,
Mahabaratha, Vashistha Samhita and Shatapatha Brahmana. It is said that the Puranic name of
Amarkantak was Riksh Parvat. About six thousand years ago the Suryavanshi samrat Mandhata
established a town in the Riksh parvat valley and called it Mandhata. The queen of samrat
Purukutsa apparently gave the title Narmada to the river.
The Narmada rises in the Maikala ranges of the Amarkantak Hills of Madhya Pradesh and flows
between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges before draining into the Arabian Sea. It is the fifth
largest river in the Indian sub-continent and flows completely within India just as the Ganges and
Godavari. Omkareshwar temple on the banks of Narmada river situated in the Khandwa district of
Madhya Pradesh. Here the Narmada branches into two and form the island Mandhata. In the
ancient times it was known as Shivpuri. The Krishna river joins Narmada and the confluence or
sangama is considered to be a very holy spot. It is said that the arial view of the island is shows a
Om symbol.
MAJOR TEMPLES: The banks of Narmada are dotted with favourite temples and pilgrimage
focus. Pilgrims perform a holy pilgrimage of a Parikrama or Circumambulation of the river. This
is called the Narmada Parikrama.
(a) The Amarkantak (Neck of Shiva in Sanskrit language) or Teerathraj (the King of Pilgrimages)
(b) Maheshwar, Omkareshwar,
(c) Mahadev Temple at Anusya.
(d) Siddeshwar Mandir in the central portion of the river all have derived their names from Lord
Shiva
(e) Surpaneshwar Shiva Temple.
(f) Chaubis Avatar temple
(g) Chausath Yogini (sixty four yoginis) with attendents of Durga

(h) Narmada Udagam or the sacred source housing a stone state of Goddess Narmada.
(i) Bhrigu Rishi temple and Bhojpur Shiva temple in Bharuch
(j) Shri Ram Janki temple
(k) Vangeshwar Temple
(l) Shiv Pariwar
(m) Sri Radha Krishna temple
(n) Guru Gorakhnath temple
(o) Kartikey temple and many many more.
SANCTITY: Four events are noted to have sanctified the Narmada River. Firstly, it is said that
the Narmada flowed through the ancient Kingdom of Ayodhya. Secondly the banks of Narmada
houses the ashrams of Bhirgu Rishi, Kapila Muni and Markandeya Rishi. Thirdly the Pandavas
also resided along the Narmada riverbanks and gained benefits during their exile. Some of these
details are found in the Mahabaratha. Fourthly, some three thousand years later, Adi Shankara
who was born in 788 AD sanctified on the banks of the Narmada River.
ADI SHANKARACHARYA: The Pataleshwar Mahadev in Amarkantak at the origin of Narmada
is attributed to Adi Shankaracharya. The bamboo bunches used by Shankara are said to be still in
existence in a place known as Surajkund.
Adi Shankara met his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada on the banks of river Narmada. He travelled
north from his village in search of a Brahman realised Guru. Having passed through several
hermitages, he came to the banks of Narmada after a two month ardous journey through
hazardous terrain. On one occassion, he found the Narmada gushing forth into floods. By using
his powers, he encapsulated the river in his Kamandal and released it in the banks of the river. In
his enlightened state Govinda knew that Lord Shiva had incarnated in human form.
Notwithstanding, Shankara went through the guru-shisya rules of discipline and spent some three
years to master Hatha, Raja and Jnana Yoga. After this spiritual yoga and a full understanding of
advaita, Govinda Bhagavatpada asks Shankara to proceed to Kashi. There Adi Shankara wrote his
famous commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, the Upanishads and the Gita. He also succesfully
meets criticisms levelled against his teachings.
To this day, Narmada River is considered the mother and giver of peace. Narmada is home to
many temples and spiritual bases, source of Hindu philosophy and a beautiful river in its own
right. The mere sight of it is said to be enough to cleanse ones soul as against a dip in the Ganga
or Yamuna. Legends have it that the great Ganga visits the Narmada once a year in the guise of a
black cow to cleanse herself of all her collected sins.
Amarkantaka The origin of Narmada River