MANDHATA, an island in the Nerbadda, be longing to the Nimar district, containing numerous temples, ancient and modern, including the great shrine of Clinker, a form of Siva. It is cleft in two by a deep ravine running nearly north and south, the eastern end containing about one-third of the whole area. The southern bank of the Nerbadda opposite Mandhata (called Godarpura) is as precipitous as Mandhata, and between them the river forms an exceedingly deep and silent pool, full of crocodiles and large fish, many of which are so tame as to take grain off the lower steps of tho sacred ghats. The worship of Siva was established here at an early age. On Man dhata the shrine of Omkar, and on the southern bank that of Ainareswar (lord of the immortals), are two of the twelve great lingams which existed in India when Mahmud of Ghazni demolished the temple of Somnath in A.D. 1024. The name Omkar is from the syllable Om, which, says Pro fessor Wilson, is a combination of letters invested by Hindu mysticism with peculiar sanctity, em ployed in the beginning of all prayers. It
comprehends all the gods, the Vedas, the three spheres of the world, etc. The Brahmans who now officiate at the shrine wish to exclude Omkar from the twelve lingams, and it is usually called A' di, or first, as something above and before them all. Tho Narmada Khand supports them in this assertion, but as it contains a prophecy of the time when India shall 'be ruled by Whlecha (non-llindus) and other modern allusions, its antiquity is certainly a good deal open to doubt. The evidence of the Kasi Khatal and other Saivite writings is against them, and the pilgrims who have vowed to visit the Bars jyoti lingam pay their adorations both to Omkar and Amareswar. The raja of 1fandhata, who is hereditary custodian of all the modern temples, is a Bhilala, claiming descent from a Chauhan Rajput named Bharat Singh, who is stated in the family genealogy to have taken Mandhata front a 13hil chief 41 the year A.D. 1165.-24 tk.