14 hours ago
1-hr travel to Omkareshwar & Mahakaleshwar by mid-2026
Indore: In a major boost for religious tourism and regional connectivity, Indore, strategically located between the Omkareshwar and Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlingas, is set to offer an unprecedented one-hour travel time to both revered destinations by the next year.
This significant reduction in travel duration is largely due to the nearing completion of Madhya Pradesh's first two road tunnels on the Indore-Khandwa road and the upgrade of the Indore-Ujjain four-lane highway to a six-lane expressway.
According to Sumesh Banjhal, NHAI Indore project director, approximately 80% of the work on the state's pioneering road tunnels in Choral, part of the Indore-Icchapur highway, was completed.
"We are confident to open the tunnel for traffic by June 2026, while the Mortakka bridge over the Narmada River is also expected to be completed by December 2025," Banjhal stated. He added that the Public Works Department (PWD) is simultaneously working to complete a 12 km-long four-lane road connecting the Mortakka Bridge directly to Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir.
Indore-Ujjain four-lane highway is being upgraded to a six-lane expressway by the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPMRDC), with completion also anticipated within the next year, senior officials confirmed.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Currently, the 60 km journey from Indore airport to Ujjain's Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir takes between 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Traveling the approximately 90 km to Khandwa's Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir via the existing route takes around 3 hours.
"As both major roads leading to Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir and Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir, situated to the left and right of Indore, are expected to be completed in the next year, the journey time to either major religious destination from MP's commercial city will be drastically reduced to one hour," Banjhal explainedwhile talking to TOI.
He provided an illustrative example, saying, "People arriving at Indore airport from Delhi or Mumbai will soon be able to reach Ujjain's Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir, return to Indore, then go to Khandwa's Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Mandir, and still return to Indore airport to catch a flight for their respective city, all within the same day."
Indore collector Asheesh Singh, who also holds the charge of 'Ujjain Kumbh Mela Kshetra,' emphasised the critical role these upgraded highways will play, especially in view of Ujjain's Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2028, which is expected to attract millions of devotees. He affirmed that efforts are underway to complete these two highways, along with other major road projects, within their stipulated deadlines.
