The 12 Jyotirlings of Lord Shiva

A Jyotirlinga (Sanskrit: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग, romanized: Jyotirliṅga, lit. ’lingam of light’) or Jyotirlingam, is a devotional representation of the Hindu god Shiva. The word is a Sanskrit compound of jyotis (‘radiance’) and linga (‘sign’).

The Legend of the “Jyotirlinga” is mentioned in the Vishnu Purana. When Lord Vishu and Lord Shiva were debating over who is supreme, Lord Shiva had produced a vast pillar of light and asked both of them to find the end of the light in both directions. To which, Lord Brahma lied that he found the end, but Lord Vishnu accepted defeat. Lord Shiva then cursed Lord Brahma that even though he is the creator of the Universe, he won’t be worshipped. And the Jyotirlingas here are believed to have appeared from that infinite pillar of light produced by Lord Shiva.

The Śiva Mahāpurāṇam (also Shiva Purana) mentions 64 original jyotirlinga shrines in India, 12 of which are most sacred and they are called the Maha Jyotirlingam (The Great Jyotirlinga.)There are 12 Jyotirlinga in India. It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself on Earth on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is no unique appearance to mark the Jyotirlingas. Many people believe that you can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after you reach a high level of spiritual attainment.

List of 12 Jyotirlingas in India with Their Location:

1. Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat
2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
5. Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand
6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
7. Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
8. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat
9. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
10. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra
11. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
12. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

 

 

 

 

Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat

This is one of the most famous Jyotirlingas in India. Somnath is regarded as the first among the twelve aadi jyotirlingas and one of the most worshipped pilgrimage sites in the country. The temple architecture resembles Chalukya style and Lord Shiva is believed to have appeared in this shrine, as a sizzling column of light. Shiv Purana tales reveal that Moon married 27 daughters of Dakshin Prajapati.

But Moon was cursed by Prajapati for neglecting all his wives except one; Rohini. In order to get rid of the curse and regain his lost lustre and beauty, he worshipped Lord Shiva. The almighty granted his wish and resided here as Somnath eternally. Located in Kathiawad region.

Somnath jyotirlinga temple was destroyed and rebuilt almost sixteen times. There is no doubt in the fact that this temple comes on the top in the 12 Jyotirlingas’ list. The Somnath darshan timings are from 6 in the morning to 10 in the night.

How to reach : Somnath connects well to major cities in Gujarat like Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Dwarka and Chorwad by state roadways. The nearest railway station is Somnath (0.5 km). Regular train service is available from all major cities in Gujarat. There are no direct air routes to Somnath. The nearest airport is Diu, which is 85 km away.

 

Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

The Mallikarjuna Temple is situated on the Shri Shaila Mountain, on the banks of the Krishna River in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh. It is also known as “Kailash of the South” and is one of the greatest Shaivite shrines in India. The presiding deities at this temple are Mallikarjuna (Shiva) and Bhramaramba (Devi).

According to the Shiva Purana, Lord Ganesha was married off before Kartikeya which left Kartikeya angered. He went away to the Kraunch Mountain. All the Gods tried to console him but in vain. Ultimately Shiva-Parvati themselves travelled to the mountain but were turned away by Kartikeya. Seeing their son in such a state they were very hurt and Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided on the mountain by the name of Mallikarujna. Mallika means Parvati, while Arjuna is another name of Shiva.

This temple is also amongst the 275 Paadal Petra Shiva Sthangal. This temple is also one of the 18 Shakti Peethas of Goddess Parvati. It is the only temple in India which is both a Shakti Peetha and a Jyotirlinga. It is believed that the person who visits this temple attains moksha and all their desires are fulfilled.

It is believed by the people that just seeing the tip of this mountain one is emancipated of all sins and becomes free from the vicious cycle of life and death. The Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga timings are from 4:30am to 10pm.

How to reach : The Srisailam Temple is present just 1 km away from the Srisailam Bus Stand. There are no direct rail routes to Srisailam. The nearest Railway Station is Markapur which is 80 km away followed by Nandyal and Kurnool. There are no direct air routes to Srisailam. The nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International airport at Hyderabad. It is 202 km away from Srisailam.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Mahakaleshwar Temple is located on the banks of the Kshipra River, in the dense Mahakal forest in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. This Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh is an important pilgrimage site in Central India. There are a number of legends related to how this Jyotirlinga came into existence.

A tale from the Shiv Puranas states that the King of Ujjain, Chandrasena was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Once a five-year-old boy Shrikar overheard him while he was praying to the Lord. When he wanted to pray along with the King, he was forced by the guards to go to the river Kshipra and pray. Shrikar learned that the rivals of Ujjain, King Ripudamana and King Shinghaditya decided to attack Ujjain. Shrikar immediately started praying. The news soon spread and was heard by a priest called Vridhi who then started to pray as well. The Kings with the help of a Demon called Dushan were successful in attacking Ujjain. Dushan was blessed by Lord Brahma to be invisible. Lord Shiva on hearing the pleads of his devotees appeared in his Mahakaal form and defeated all the enemies. On the request of Shrikhar and Vridhi, he decided to reside in Ujjain as a form of light to protect the city and its people.

The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is also one of the ‘Mukti-Sthal’. It is believed that this place can liberate a human. One who worships the lingam is blessed by the Lord and is freed of diseases.

The Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga timings are from 4 in the morning to 11 in the night.

How to reach : Bus services are available from cities like Indore, Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Udaipur, Nasik and Mathura. Direct trains are available to Ujjain from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Banaras, Kochi as well as Jaipur. There are no direct air routes. The nearest airport is Indore, 53 km away from Ujjain.

Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh

Omkareshwar Temple is one of the highly revered Jyotirlinga and is located on an island called Shivapuri in the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh. The word Omkareshwar means “Lord of Omkara” or the Lord of the Om Sound.

The Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is situated in the Khandwa District of Madhya Pradesh. It is situated on an island called Shivpuri on the Narmada River.

There are various legends related to this place. . One of the stories from the Hindu Puranas states that once there happened a great war between the Gods and the Demons. The Devas or Goda started praying to Lord Shiva when they started to lose against the Demons. Pleased with the prayers, Lord Shiva emerged in the form of Omkareshwar and defeated the Demons.

Another legend states that Vindya, who controlled the Vindhyachal Mountain range was once worshipping the Lord. He created a sacred diagram and Lingam of sand and clay. Pleased, Lord Shiva appeared in two forms, Omkareshwar and Amaleshwar.

Amareshar means ‘Immortal Lord’ or ‘Lord of the devas or Immortals’. Amareshwar Temple is situated on the south bank of the River Narmada.

The timings of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga are from 5 in the morning to 9 in the night.

How to reach : Omkareshwar has its own railway station called Omkareshwar Railway Station which is connected to all major cities. There are well-connected roads to Omkareshwar from all major cities. The nearest airport is at Indore and Ujjain. You can drive from there to Omkareshwar.

 

Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand

A highly revered jyotirlinga among the 12 Jyotirlinga names in the country, Vaidyanath or Baidyanath or Vaijinath is also one among the 52 shakti pethas shrines of Sati of Hindu religion.

Mythological stories believe that Ravana revered Shiva for years and invited Shiva to Lanka. Shiva showed up as shivalinga and ordered Ravana to not to put down anywhere until he reaches Lanka. It is a popular Jyotirling in India.

Vishnu interrupted Ravana in between and influenced him to keep the shivalinga at rest for sometimes. Thus, Ravana disobeyed Shiva and since then he resides as Vaidyanath, here in Deoghar. The month of Shravana receives maximum footfall here as people believe worshipping this shrine of Shiva will help them to get rid of all miseries and attain moksha and salvation.

The temple is open on all seven days from 4 AM to 3:30 PM and from 6 PM to 9 PM. During special religious occasions like Maha Shivaratri, darshan timings are stretched.

How to reach : The nearest railway station to Vaidyanath is Jasidih Junction. This station can be reached from Ranchi. The temple is just 15 Km away from the station and can be reached in an auto or cab.

 

 

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra

On the banks of River Bhima there lies, Bhimashankar temple- a marvellous black rock structure, with Nagara architectural pattern. Surrounded by a wildlife sanctuary of the same name, the jyotirlinga here is believed to be built by Bheema- Kumbhakarna’s son.

When Bhima learned that he was the son of Kumbhakarana who was annihilated by Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Ram, he vowed to avenge Lord Vishnu. He performed penance to please Lord Brahma who granted him immense power. On achieving this power, he started creating havoc in the world. He defeated the staunch devotee of Lord Shiva- Kamrupeshwar and put him in the dungeons. This angered the Lords who requested Shiva to descend Earth and put an end to this tyranny.

A war ensued between the two and Shiva ultimately put the demon to ashes. All the Gods then requested Shiva to make that place his abode. Shiva then manifested himself in the form of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. It is believed that the sweat which poured from Shiva’s body after the battle is what formed the Bhima River.

Huge number of pilgrims visit this shrine, round the year, especially during Maha Shivratri. Devotees visiting Bhimashankar temple, also see Kamalaja temple- an incarnation of Parvati, located close by. This is one of the most popular jyotirlinga in India.

All days of the week from 4:30 AM to 12 noon and 4 PM to 9:30 PM. Darshan starts at 5 in the morning and continues till 9:30 in the night. In the afternoon, during Madhyan Aarti, darshan is closed for 45 minutes.

How to reach : There are no direct rail routes to Bhimashankar Temple. The nearest railway station is Pune, 120 km away from the Temple. Regular buses are available from Pune and also from Mumbai. There are no direct air routes to Bhimashankar. The nearest airport is Pune Airport.

Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

Rameshwar Temple, the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingas, is located on the island of Rameshwaram, off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu. This temple is popularly known for its architecture, more prominently the long ornate corridors, towers, and 36 theerthams.

A legend in Ramayana narrates that, Rama committed a sin of killing a Brahmin during his war against the Demon King Ravana. He prayed to Lord Shiva to absolve him of his sin. He asked Hanuman to bring a lingam from the Himalayas. Sita made a small lingam out of the sand and started praying when Hanumana was late. This is believed to be the lingam in the sanctum.

This Jyotirlinga is popularly called ‘Varanasi of the South’. Beside the temple is the Dhanushkodi beach. It is here that Rama built the Ram Setu to save his wife, Sita from the Demon, Ravana. This shrine is also amongst the holy Char Dhams.

Popular as ‘Varanasi of the south’, Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is also one of the most visited holy places in India, approached via Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

 5 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 8 PM. Darshan is permitted till 8 PM.

How to reach : Rameshwaram Railway station is the nearest railhead, 1 km away from the temple. This major pilgrim site is connected to all cities and towns in Tamil Nadu. Several state-run and private buses are available. The nearest airport is in Madurai, which is 174 km from Rameshwaram.

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat

The Nageshwar Temple also known as Nagnath Temple is located on the route between Gomati Dwarka and the Bait Dwarka Island on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat. This Jyotirlinga holds special significance as it symbolises protection from all types of poison. It is believed that those who worship at this temple become free of all poisons.

According to a legend in the Shiv Puranas, there was once a Demon called Daaruka who imprisoned Supriya, a Lord Shiva devotee. Daaruka took Supriya along with many other to his city called Darukavana. It was a city under the sea which had many demons and sea snakes. Supriya along with others started praying to Lord Shiva who appeared before them and vanquished the Demon. Since then, he resided there in the form of a Jyotirlinga.

Thousands of devotees visit the temple of Nagnath, round the year, to seek blessings from the holy shrine of Nageshwar Mahadev located in an underground sanctum. The 25-m tall statue of Lord Shiva, large garden and unobstructed views of the azure Arabian sea, fascinate the visitors. This is one of the most powerful Jyotirlingas in India.

The temple timings of Nageshwar are from morning 6 to night 9.

How to reach : There are trains which even connect the way down to south through Vadodara, Surat, Mumbai, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala. here are direct buses available from Jamnagar and Ahmedabad. here are no direct air routes to Nageshwar. The nearest airport is that of Jamnagar which is 137 km.

 

Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Renowned as Golden Temple in Varanasi, Kashi Vishwanath is a popular one on the Jyotirlinga temples list. Constructed in 1780 by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar- a Maratha Monarch, this Jyotirlinga is a significant religious place for the Hindus. Devotees believe that Lord Shiva resided here and offered liberation and happiness to all.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in the most revered site in the world- Kashi! It is situated amidst the crowded lanes of the holy city of Banaras (Varanasi). More than the Ghats and Ganga of Varanasi, the Shivalinga remains the devotional focus of the pilgrims.

It is believed that Banaras is the site at which the first Jyotirlinga manifested its supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth’s crust and flared towards heaven. This temple is said to be the dearest to Lord Shiva, and the people believe that those who die here achieve liberation. They are taken directly to Mout Kailash by messengers of Lord Shiva and not Yama after their death. It is also believed that Shiva himself says the mantra of salvation in the ears of the people who die naturally here.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple opens daily at 2:30 AM and closes at 11 PM. The Mangala Aarti is performed between 3 AM to 4 AM. The mid-day Bhog Aarti is performed between 11:30 AM to 12 PM. The Sapta Rishi Aarti is performed between 7 PM to 8:30 PM. The Shringar Bhog and Aarti are performed at 9 PM. The Shayan Aarti starts at 10:30 PM. The general darshan timings are 4 AM to 11 AM, 12 PM to 7 PM, and from 8:30 PM to 9 PM. After 9 PM, pilgrims are allowed to view the Lord from outside the sanctum.

How to reach : The nearest Railway Station is Varanasi Junction or the Mughal Sarai Junction. he nearest airport to the city is Babatpur which is 22 km from Varanasi. Direct flights are operated by Air India as well as other private airlines from cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Agra, Bhubaneswar and Lucknow. The city is located on NH2 highway linking Kolkata to New Delhi.

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra

The Trimbakeshwar Temple is located about 30kms from Nasik in Maharashtra near the mountain named Brahmagiri from the river Godavari flows. This temple is considered to be a source of the river Godavari which is known as “Gautami Ganga”- the most sacred river in South India.

According to the Shiva Purana, it is on the earnest request of River Godavari, Gautam Rishi and all the other Gods that Shiva decided to reside here and assumed the name Trimbakeshwar. Gautam Rishi earned a boon from Varuna in the form of a pit from which he received an inexhaustible supply of grains and food. The other Gods were rendered jealous by him and they send a cow to enter the granary. The cow was mistakenly killed by Gautam Rishi who then asked Lord Shiva to do something to purify the premises.

Shiva asked Ganga to flow through the land to make it pure. Everyone thus sang praise for the Lord who then resided beside Ganga in the form of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga.

Instead of a shrine, there is a void here with three pillars placed inside. The three pillars represent the three most powerful and authoritative Gods, namely, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar.

The temple timings of Trimbakeshwar are from 5:30 am to 9 pm.

 

 

How to reach : There is no direct rail route to Trimbakeshwar. The nearest rail station is at Nasik. It is also well connected with the Mumbai train station. Trimbakeshwar is well-connected with the major cities via road route. There is no direct flight route to Trimbakeshwar. The nearest flight route is at Mumbai, which is 200kms away from Trimbakeshwar.

Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand

Kedarnath is situated at the Rudra Himalayan Range on a mountain named Kedar, at a height of 12,000 feet. It is one of the 4 Dhams along with Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Badrinath. According to the legends, Lord Shiva dwelled here on Nara and Narayana’s request. Due to weather conditions and snowfalls, the shrine remains open to the pilgrims.

According to the legends, pleased by the severe penance of the Nara and Narayana – two incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva took up permanent abode in Kedarnath in the form of this Jyotirlinga. People believe that praying at this site one gets all his desire fulfilled.only for a period of 6 months.

People believe on visiting Kedarnath temple and bathing the jyotirlinga, one can get rid of all unhappiness, ill luck, and misfortunes. Trekking up to Kedarnath is moderately difficult and people use walking sticks or ride on mules or dolis. The Samadhi of Shankaracharya- the famous Hindu saint is located just behind the main Kedarnath temple.

The timings of Kedarnath are from 4 in the morning to 9 in the night.

How to reach : There are no direct rail routes to Kedarnath. The nearest railway station is Rishikesh, situated at a distance of 216 km from Kedarnath. One can board buses from Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Srinagar and Chamoli. There are no direct flight routes to Kedarnath. There is no airport at Kedarnath. The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun. It is 238 km away from the Temple town.

 

Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

The Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga is located in a village called Verul, which lies 20 km from Daulatabad, near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Located near this temple is the famous tourist site – Ajanta & Ellora caves. This temple was built by Ahilyabai Holkar who also rebuilt the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.

The Ghrishneshwar temple is also known by other names like Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara and Grishneswara. According to the Shiva Purana, a couple named Sudharm and Sudeha resided on the Devagiri Mountain. They were childless, and thus Sudeha got her sister Ghushma married to Sudharm. They bore a son who rendered Ghushma proud and Sudeha jealous of her sister. In her jealousy, Sudeha threw the son in the lake where Ghushma used to discharge 101 lingams. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva who ultimately returned her the son and told her of her sister’s deeds.

Sudharm asked Shiva to emancipate Sudeha which left Shiva pleased with his generosity. On Sudharm’s request, Shiva manifested himself in the form of the Jyotirlinga and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar.

Temple Opening Hours is 5:30 am to 9:30 pm daily.

How to reach : Grishneshwar Temple is well-connected with all major cities via road. From Pune. There are no rail stations at Grisheshwar Temple. Aurangabad is the nearest railway station.  The nearest airport is in Aurangabad.

It is not possible to cover all 12 Jyotirlinga in a single trip because of time constraints and long diatances. It is advisable to cover state by state. For instance you can cover all 5 jyotrilingas in maharashtra and then move on to cover two jyotirlingas in MP and then 2 jyotirlingas in Gujarat and so on.