OM, a most sacred symbol in Hinduism, embodies the essence of the cosmos and connects to the absolute Supreme. This monosyllabic sound is believed to reverberate at the core of the universe. Recently, India inaugurated a grand temple which resembles the Sanskrit version of OM from a certain height. Constructed over 29 years after its foundation was laid in 1995, the world’s first OM-shaped temple is a must visit in Rajasthan.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple may have incurred a total cost equal to or a little lesser than the cost of the Radhika-Anant Ambani wedding in India’s richest business family. The first-of-its-kind OM mandir is located in Pali near Jodhpur, the Blue City. It is also 140km away from Nathdwara that homes the Ambanis’ family deity, Shrinathji and the world’s tallest Shiva statue – the Statue of Belief.
PC: Omashram.com
The OM Temple of Rajasthan is an architectural masterpiece sprawling 250 acres of land in an idyllic village called Jadan. It houses as many as 1008 idols of Lord Shiva and 12 Shivlings resembling the 12 divya Jyotirlingas spread across India, thereby giving devotees a rare opportunity holy darshan of all the 12 Jyotirlingas at one place. The Shivling installed at the topmost part of the temple building is made of a special rhinestone.
India’s first OM-shaped temple layout and architecture
The monumental temple supported by a whopping 2000 pillars stands tall at 135 feet. It comprises of 108 residential compartments laid out like the ॐ design with imposing structures at the end points. A serene crescent-shaped lake and a 108-ft tower make up the chandrabindu (diacritic sign) at the top of OM as written in the Devanagari script. The tower has 12 temples, one of which is dedicated to the Sun God.
Built in the Nagara style of architecture, the temple adheres to the age-old architectural traditions of the region, such as the use of iconic pink sandstone and hand-crafted sculptures. The pink sandstone construction of modern times beautifully echoes the architectural splendor of age-old monuments such as Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, City Palace, and Jaigarh Fort among the historical landmarks in Jaipur, a UNESCO World Heritage city.
The 108 compartments are symbolic of 108 rudraksha beads of a rosary thread (japamala) – this sacred number is believed to attract cosmic energy of the universe. The vastu-complaint temple complex houses a school, a college, a library, a star-shaped hospital, and a Swastika-shaped hostel to facilitate residential learning programs for students from different parts of the country and abroad. Also called OM Ashram in Pali, the temple is a monumental initiative for uplifting individuals and society at large to spiritual heights.
Other than the newly inaugurated OM Ashram, Pali is largely known for its beautiful Jain temples; the most prominent being Ranakpur Jain Temple, a significant pilgrimage site for Jains from across the world. Once part of the Marwar kingdom in the erstwhile princely state of Jodhpur, Pali has ancient forts standing tall to this day and narrating stories of the city’s glorious past. Interestingly, Kumbhalgarh Fort known for the Great Wall of India, where bravest Rajput warrior Maharana Pratap was born is an ideal road trip from Pali.
Pali is only a one-hour drive from Jodhpur Airport served by regular flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Jaipur airports. You can book your flight tickets to Delhi and then take a domestic flight or train to Jodhpur. Several other important landmarks such as Ranakpur Sun Temple, Parshuram Mahadev Temple, Nimbo ka Nath Temple are within the religious and spiritual circuit of Pali.