12 Jyotirlingas in India

Mahadev. Bholenath. Shankar. The Supreme. You might have heard these names of Lord Shiva, but in India, most people also come across the term ‘Jyotirlinga’. You might have also heard about the 12 Maha Jyotirlingas in India. Before knowing about all 12 Jyotirlingas in India, let us first understand what is Jyotirlinga and what’s the story behind it. 

In most places, Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of Jyotirlingam. When you break the word “Jyotirlinga”, it becomes ‘Jyothi’, which means ‘radiance’ and ‘linga, which means phallus. Originally there were 64 Jyotirlingas out of which 12 are considered to be highly auspicious and holy. It is believed that one who recites these jyotirlingas is relieved of all sins committed in the past seven lives. Moreover, devotees from around the country often take up pilgrimages and spiritual trips to visit these holy places to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and his many forms. 

 Legend

The Legend of the “Jyotirlinga” is mentioned in the Shiv Purana. When Lord Vishu and Lord Bramha were debating over who is supreme. Consequently, Lord Shiva produced a vast pillar of light which is referred to as Jyotirlinga. Further, he asked both of them to find the end of the light in both directions. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu started moving in the opposite direction to find the end but both of them failed. Lord Vishnu accepted his defeat but Lord Brahma lied that he found the end. Shiva then cursed Lord Brahma in rage that even though he is the creator of the Universe, he won’t be worshipped.

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. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

1. Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gujarat

This Jyotirlinga is considered to be the first Jyotirlingas in India. The architecture of the temple is inspired by the Chalukya- style. Somnath Temple was destroyed and rebuilt almost 16 times.

According to the mythologies, Soma (the moon) married 27 daughters of Prajapati Daksh, out of which he loved Rohini the most. Seeing this negligence, Daksh curses the moon that he will lose his radiance and luster. Hence, to get rid of this curse, the moon worshiped Lord Shiva at this place. Impressed with his devotion, Lord Shiva granted him his shine for 15 days in a month. Lord Shiva resided here as Somnath (Lord Of Moon).

Temple opening hours: Temple is open every day from 6 AM to 9 PM. Aarti takes place at 7 AM, 12 noon, and 7 PM. The famous light and sound show; ‘Joy Somnath’ takes place every day between 8 to 9 in the evening.

 How to reach: The nearest railway station to Somnath is Veraval Railway station which is just 5 Km away from Somnath. 

2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Andhra Pradesh

The Mallikarjuna Temple is situated on the banks of the Krishna River, on the Shri Shaila Mountain, in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh. It is often referred to as ‘Kailash Of The South’. It is also among the 52 Shakti Peeths of Sati. 

According to Shiva Puran, Lord Shiva married his son Ganesh before his elder brother Kartikeya. This left Kartikeya in rage and went to the Krauncha mountains. All the deities consoled him and ask him to come back. Ultimately, Shiva and Parvati themselves traveled to the mountains but were turned away by their son. This made them hurt, Lord Shiva then took the form of Lingam and resided in Shrishailam. Moreover, the temple constitutes the deities of Mallikarjuna (God Shiva) and Bhramarambha (Goddess Parvati). Also, this is the only temple where pilgrims can touch the idols, which is not allowed in any other Shiva temple.

Temple opening hours: The temple is open from 4:30 AM to 10 pm every day. Darshan is between 6:30 am to 1 pm and 6:30 pm to 9 pm.

 How to reach: You can reach Mallikarjuna by road from the nearby towns including Doranala, Markarpur, and Kurichedu. The nearest railway station to Mallikarjuna is the Markapur railway station.

3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh

Nestled amid the Mahakal forest in Ujjain and on the banks of the Kshipra River, this jyotirlinga is considered to be the most important pilgrimage site in central India.  Also, the Upper Lip of Sati Devi is said to have fallen here and the Shakti is called Mahakali.

It is believed that this temple is built by a 5-year-old boy Srikar, who was inspired by the devotion of King Chandrasen of Ujjain. Further, the kingdom of Chandrasen was attacked by the neighboring kingdoms with the help of the demon Dushan. Hence, Srikar and sage Vridhi pleased Lord Shiva to help them. Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Mahakal and destroyed the enemies of Chandrasen and reside there. Moreover, it is the only temple facing the south and is often referred to as Dakshina Mukhi.

Temple opening hours: 4 AM to 11 PM. Devotees can experience darshan 8 AM to 10 AM,10:30 AM to 5 PM, 6 PM to 7 PM, and 8 PM to 11 PM.

 How to reach: The nearest airport to Mahakaleshwar is Indore (51 Km). Ujjain Junction, Chintaman, Vikram Nagar, and Pingleshwa are the four nearest railway stations to Mahakaleshwar. 

4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh

Omkareshwar Temple is located on an island called Shivapuri in the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh. The island is in the shape of Om. This temple has immense significance in mythology.

As per mythology, there are 3 stories related to this temple. First, Vindya, the deity of the Vindyachal mountain range was worshipping Shiva to propitiate himself from the sins committed. He created Lingam made of sand and clay. Consequently, Shiva appeared in two forms, namely Omkareshwar and Amaleswara. According to the second tale, King Mandhata worshipped Lord Shiva until the Lord appeared as Linga. The last tale says that Lord Shiva took the form of Omkareshwar to protect Devas from Asuras.

Temple opening hours: Open on all days of the week from 5 in the morning to 10 in the night. Darshan is between 5:30 AM to 12:20 PM and 4 pm to 8:30 PM.

 How to reach: Indore (77km) and Ujjain (133km) are the nearest airports to Omkareshwar. The nearest major railway station is 77 Km away, in Indore.

5. Baidyanath Jyotirlinga, Jharkhand

Baidyanath Jyotirlinga is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand. Famous as Baba Dham it is also believed that one attains moksha after praying here. 

It is believed that Ravana worshipped Lord Shiva to come to Lanka and make it invincible. Lord Shiva appeared as Jyotirlinga and asked him to not put it down until he reaches Lanka. If placed on the ground the Linga will root itself to that spot till eternity. While transporting it to Lanka, lord Vishnu interrupted and ask him to take a rest. Further, as a form of penance, Ravana cut off his head. Finally, Lord Shiva revived him and treated him in the form of Vaidya (Doctor).

Temple opening hours: 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.

6. Bhimashankar, Maharashtra

Bhimashankar is the 6th Jyotirlinga in India. Located in the Sahyadri region of Pune, the existence of this Jyotirlinga is related to Kumbhakarna’s son Bhima.

When Bhima learned that his father was killed by Lord Vishnu in his Rama avatar, he vowed to take revenge. He pleased Lord Brahma who then granted him immense powers. Eventually, he started creating havoc in all the Loks. This angered Lord Shiva and he turned the demon into ashes. He then sat on the Sahyadri Mountain to take a rest. It is then that the sweat from his body started flowing as Bhima River.

Temple opening hours: 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: The nearest railway station to Bhimashankar is the Karjat station (168 Km). The remaining distance can be covered in a bus or a rickshaw

7. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga, Tamil Nadu

This temple is also recognized as the Kashi of South. It is also one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites. One of the key features of the temple is that there are 22 water bodies present in the temple. Devotees also visit Dhanushkodi beach, from where Lord Rama had built Ram Setu up to Lanka, to save his wife. 

According to tales, Lord Rama while returning from Lanka stopped at Rameshwaram. Ravana was a Brahmin and to get absolved from the sin worshipped Lord Shiva. Rama wanted a Lingam to please Lord Shiva. He then ordered Lord Hanuman to bring a Lingam from the Himalayas. Since Hanuman got delayed, goddess Sita built a Lingam from the sand.

Temple opening hours: 5 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 9 PM. Darshan is permitted till 8 PM.

 How to reach: The nearest airport to Rameshwaram is in Madurai (163 Km). It is also connected by railway from several major South Indian cities including Chennai. 

8. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Gujarat

Nageshwar temple is located on the route between Gomati Dwarka and Bait Dwarka. This is one of the most powerful pilgrimage sites. Moreover, it is said that those who worship this temple get protection from all the poisons.

A demon named Daruka was blessed by Goddess Parvati. Daruka misused his powers and started tyrannizing the local people. The demon captured Supriya, a devotee of Lord Shiva. Further, on the advice of Supriya, all the prisoners started chanting Om Namah Shivaya. Daruka raged in anger ran to kill Supriya but was protected by Lord Shiva.

Temple opening hours: 5 AM to 9 PM, on all days of the week. Devotees can go for darshan between 6 AM to 12:30 PM and 5 PM to 9 pm.

 How to reach: The nearest railway stations for Nageshwar are Dwarka station and Veraval station. Jamnagar Airport (45 Km) is the nearest airport to Dwarka

9. Kashi Vishwanath, Uttar Pradesh

Kashi Temple is one of the famous temples in India dedicated to Lord Shiva. The deity here is known as Vishwanath which means Lord Of The Universe. This ancient temple was demolished and rebuilt several times between 1194 to 1777. Moreover, the present structure of the temple was built by the Queen Of Indore, Ahilyabai Holkar, and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who offered 1000 kgs of Gold for its dome.

According to the tales, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a pillar of fire to stop Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma from their ongoing battle of supremacy.

Temple opening hours: The temple opens every day from 2:30 AM to 11 PM. Read below for the daily puja rituals and darshan timings.

•  Mangala Aarti: 3 AM to 4 PM
•  Sarva Darshan: 4 AM to 11 AM
•  Bhog Aarti: 11:15 AM to 12:20 PM
•  Sarva Darshan: 12:20 PM to 7 PM
•  Sandhya Aarti: 7 PM to 8:15 PM
•  Shringara Aarti: 9 PM to 10:15 PM
•  Shayana Aarti: 10:30 PM to 11:00 PM

 How to reach: Varanasi Junction is the nearest railway station and there are several other stations in the city.

10. Trimbakeshwar Temple, Maharashtra

Trimbakeshwar temple is considered to be the source of the Godavari River which is also known as Gautami Ganga. It is located near the Brahmagiri Mountain of Nasik. Moreover, there are 3 pillars placed inside the temple that represent the three powerful and supreme Gods, namely, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh.

According to mythologies, Gautam Rishi and his wife had a boom to not suffer from famine. This made other Rishis jealous and hence they planned a conspiracy against him. Hence, they sent a cow to his barn that died after a few hours. To get free from this sin he worshiped Lord Shiva and asked him to let the river Ganga flow so that he can purify it. Lord Shiva also resided there in the form of Lingam.

Temple opening hours: 5:30 AM to 9 PM, all days of the week.

 How to reach: Nearest airport to Trimbakeshwar is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The nearest railway station is Igatpuri Railway station. Located in Nashik, Trimbakeshwar can be reached by road too.

11. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Uttarakhand

It is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in India. Located on the Rudra Himalaya range, this temple opens only for 6 months a year. Also, it is believed that it was built by the Pandavas of Mahabharata.

After defeating the Kauravas, the Pandavas wished to get free from the sin of Gotrahatya (killing Family) and Bramhahatya (Killing Brahmins). As a result, they left their kingdom to seek blessings from Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva wanted to avoid them and he took the form of Bull. Bhima recognized him and grabbed his tail. But the bull disappeared into the ground and appeared in parts. Eventually, the hump was raised in the Kedarnath, arms in the Tungnath, face at Rudrantha, navel at Madhyamaheshwar, and the hair appearing in Kalpeshwar. The Pandavas built a temple in these 5 places.

Temple opening hours: 4 AM to 12 Noon and 3 PM to 9 PM

 How to reach: Jolly Grant is the nearest airport and Rishikesh is the nearest railway station to Kedarnath. The nearest road connectivity is to Gaurkund from where you can trek to Kedarnath.

12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra

The temple Grishneshawar which means lord of compassion is located near the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves. The temple is believed to be built by Ahilyabai Holkar. Moreover, it is completely constructed with red and black stones.

There was a lady named Ghushma, whose son was killed by her sister. Ghushma started praying to Lord Shiva in grief. Pleased with her devotion, Lord Shiva returned her son and resided here.

Temple opening hours: For darshan and puja, visit the temple between 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM. During Shravan, darshan is between 3 PM to 11 PM. 

 How to reach: You can reach Aurangabad by train or flight from other parts of India. Aurangabad is 30 Km away from Grishneshwar.

It is believed that a trip to these holy pilgrimages, will help devotees attain peace, health, and happiness. The architecture of these temples is amazing to marvel at.

With this we come to an end of the blog, keep chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’.