Introduction:-
Originally, there were believed to have been 64 JYOTRININGAS in India, out of which there are 12 Jyotirlingas that are considered very auspicious and holy. The twelve jyotJyotirlingaes are famous in the world.
They take the names of their respective presiding deity Mahadeva.. Each jyotirlinga is considered a different manifestation of Shiva. The primary image is a lingam, representing an endless stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.
World famous list of the 12 Jyotirlingas with names & images:-
1.Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga-Gujarat
Lord Somnath is the first Jyotrilinga in India among the rest of the Jyotrilinga temples. The Somanath temple is built in the time of Chalukya style of temple architecture. The pious temple is built at the shore of the Arabian Ocean on the western corner of the Indian subcontinent. Somnath is among the most revered pilgrimage sites in the country. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
According to Hindu mythology, the temple was primarily created by the moon in poor gold and later rebuilt by Ravana in silver later it was built by Krishna in sandalwood and lastly by Bhimadeva in stone.
As per the Shiva Purana, Soma married the 27 daughters of Daksha but neglected them. His father-in-law, Daksha thus , cursed him that he would lose and beauty. To get rid of the curse, Soma worshipped Shiva, and his prayer was granted. Since then it is been called Somnath, the “lord of the moon”.
Mahmud Ghazani a ruler of the Turkic dynasty, invaded the temple 17 times to loot the Gold of Somnath temple.
How to reach Somnath temple:-
To reach Somanath temple , The nearest railway station to Somnath is the Veraval Railway Station, which is about 6 km. away from the temple. On arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Diu Airport to reach the temple. You also can hire a taxi at the airport to reach the somanath temple.
2.Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga –-Andhra Pradesh
Kashi of south is Lord Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. In Shiva Purana, the Malilikarjuna jyotirlinga is the united form of both Shiva and Parvati.
The word Mallika introduced Goddess Parvati, whereas Arjuna refers to God Shiv. It is located in the Nallamula hill forests along the banks of the Krishna River. This temple is one of the most popular jyotirlingas in India among the twelve jyotirlingas.This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
The temple is also called Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple. The temple’s beautiful architecture is marked with carvings, the colored pillars known as gopurams, and Mukha Mandapa Hall.
How to reach Mallikarjuna Jyoptrilinga:-
The nearest railway station to Mallikakarjuna Jyotrilinga is Markapur Road, which is about 84 km away from the temple. You can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, which is about 200 km. away from the temple. You can hire a taxi at the airport to reach the temple.
3.Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga- Madhya Pradesh:-
This Jyotirlinga has located banks of the Kshipra River, and the Mahakaleswar in Ujjain. It is the most powerful jyotirlinga and divine among the 12 Jyotirlinga.
Mahalkaleswar Jyotirlinga is also among the seven Mukti-Sthal places in India. According to Hindu mythology, Mahakkal is an avatar of Lord Shiva, and devotees from various regions of India, visit here to praise the Lord Shiva-Mahakaleswar. This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
The word Mahakaal combines the word Maha(virtue of Lord Shiva) and Kaal means time. The power of Lord Shiva is considered more prominent than the time itself and the theory of morality and time does not affect him. It is believed that the Mahakaleswar shrine was established by a five-year-old boy named Srikar.
The temple has the only Swayambhu Jyotirlinga(Shiva is the immortal soul who has no reach, Mahabaleshwar Temple.
How to reach MahakaleswMahabaleshwarga:-
The nearest railway station to Somnath is Ujjain Junction, which is about 2 km. away from the temple. You can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest Airport is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, which is 57 km from the temple. You can hire a taxi at the airport to reach the temple Mahakaleswar Jyotrilinga.
4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga- Madhya Pradesh:-
This Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh resided on an Om-shaped island called Shivapuri on the banks of the Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh. It is denoting the Lord of the Om sound.
Omkareswar Jyotirlinga is a reversed Hindu temple, which is the center of intense faith. Omkareswar JyJyotirlingaemple is a magnificent three-storied temple supported by large pillars made up of carved granite stone.
There are two main temples of Lord Shiva here, one to Omkareswar located on the island, and one to Mahakaleswar located on the south bank of the Narmada River on the mainland.
Mahabaleshwar here is linked to the lord of the immortals. Everyevotee are considered both temples as equally divine jyotirlinga and visits both as these temples are not far away from each other.
How to reach Omkareswar Temple:-
The nearest railway station to Omkareswar is the Khandwa junction, which is about 70 km. away from the temple. After arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Devi Ahilybai Holkar Airport. It is about 85 km away from the temple. You can hire a taxi at the airport to reach the temple.
5. Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga- Jharkhand:-
VaidyanathDham temple is one of the most famous Jyotirlingas in India .t is also known as Baba Dham. This temple is located in Deoghar, Jharkhand, India.
As per Hindu mythology, once Ravana praised Shiva and asked him to visit Lanka. Shiva showed himself in the form of a shilling and ordered Ravana not to put it down anywhere until he reached Lanka.This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
This temple complex consists of the main temple of Baba Baidanath and the other 21 other temples. During the Shravana month, numerous devotees partake annual pilgrimage known as Kanwar Yatra, carrying holy water from Gaga to pour it on the jyotirlinga at Baba Dham.
How to reach Vaidyanath Temple:-
If you want to go to Baid idanath temple, the nearest railway station to Baidanath is the Jasidih Junction, which is about 8 km. On arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Airport, which is about 8 km away from the temple.
6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga- Maharashtra:-
Bhimashankar is the sixth jyotirlinga among the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is located on the banks of river Bhima, this black rock structure temple holds a major religious significance among the Hindus.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva became angry and destroyed the brutal devil Bhima to ashes, and resided here in the form of a Jyotirlinga. The temple has a Nagra architectural pattern, which belongs to the Martha style of architecture.This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
How to reach Bhimashankar Temple:-
The nearest railway station to the Bhimashankara temple is the Karjat junction, which is about 147 km. away from the temple. On arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Pune International Airport which is about 1405 km. away from the temple.
7. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga -Tamil Nadu
Rameshwaram is the 7th position among the sequence of 12 Jyotirlingas. The temple has magnificent Dravidian-style architecture. Rameshwaram temple is located in a small town, which is situated on Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu. The special thing about the Rameshwaram temple is that there are twenty-two water bodies present in the temple complex.This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
According to the common belief to show respect to Lord Shiva, devotees take a holy bath in these water bodies before Darshan. The temple has two Jyotirlingas, one made by Lord Rama and another brought by Hanuman from Kashi. It is said that the Jyotirlinga brought by Hanuman is a replica of the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga.
How to reach Rameshwaram Temple:
The nearest railway station to the temple is the Rameswaram Railway Station, which is about 1.5 km. away from the temple. On arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Madurai Airport, which is also about 177 km. from the temple.
8.Nageshwar Jyotirlinga-GUJARAT
On the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat, between Gomati Dwaraka and Bet Dwaraka Nageswar is one of India’s most famous Jyotirlinga temples as it signifies the power of protection from all types of poisons.
The temple Nageswar is built with pink stone and the idol is Dakshinamurti. Only Hindu devotees are allowed to visit the Sanctorum to worship or perform Abhishek.
The permission to a devotee is given by the local priests in traditional attire. According to Shiva Purana, Lord Shiva smeared a demon named Daruka and his army to rescue thus named Nageswar. There is also a large statue of Shiva in a sitting position which can be seen from far away.
How to reach Nageshwar Temple:
The railway station to the temple is the Dwaraka Junction, which is about 16 km away from the temple. On arrival, you can hire a taxi to reach the temple. The nearest airport is Jamnagar Airport, which is about 127 km away from the temple.
9.Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga- Varanasi-Uttar Pradesh:-
Kasi Vishwanath is one of the most important Jyotirlinga in India. It is situated on the western bank of the holy river Ganga in Varanasi, Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The main deity of Kashi Vishwanath Temple is Lord Shiva, also known as Vishwanath. Its meaning is the ruler of the Universe. The city of Varanasi is the cultural capital of India. It is known as the City of Lord Shiva. The temple has 800 kg. Gold plating tower.
How to reach Kashi Vishwanath Temple:
The temple is around 3 km away from Varanasi Cantt railway station. The Maudualiah railway station is 2.5 km. away and Kashi station is 2 km away. The closest airport to the temple is the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Badatpur. The temple is around 25 km from Airport.
10.Kedarnath Jyotirlinga – Uttarakhand:-
Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu when ararguingbout who was the supreme God, Lord Shiva appeared as a column of light and asked each one to find the end. It is believed that the places where these columns of light fell are where the jyotirlingas are located.
Kedarnath means Lord of the field or Kedar Khand region, the historical name of the region. Set amid scenic snowy mountains and valleys covered with grassy meadows, the Kedarnath temple is on the must-see list of sightseers all over the world.This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
Kedarnath is one of the four major pilgrimages sites-the Chota Chor Dham, along with Gangotri, Yamunotri, and Badrinath-that devotees have on their bucket list of places to visit.
Kedar Nath is situated at an altitude of over 3500m above sea level in Uttarakhand, this temple is the highest of 12 Jyotirlingas in India. It is located at the head of the Mandakini and mythical Saraswati River in the Garhwal Himalayas.
This temple is built with huge slabs over a rectangular platform. There are figures of various deities and scenes from Hindu mythology on the inner walls. A large statue of the Nandi Bull, Shiva’s mount stands as a guard at the entrance.
The Jyotirlinga is in the shape of a conical rock formation inside the temple-Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.
How to reach Kedarnath Temple:-
Kedarnath does not have an airport of its own which makes Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun the nearest civil airhead. It is located 250km. from Kedarnath. Jolly Grant Airport is connected to the major cities of India including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, and Chennai.
Kedarnath is well connected to New Delhi and Dehradun by bus network. If you land in New Delhi, the best way is to take a bus to reach Dehradun which is about 260 km from the Indian capital.
11.Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra:-
Shri Trimbakeshwar Temple is located at a distance of about 28 km. from Nashik, Maharashtra near the mountain named Brahamagiri from which the river Godavari flows. It was constructed third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao(1740-1760) on the site of the old temple.
Trimbakeshwar Temple is a religious center having one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. The city Trimbakeswar is located at the foot of Brahamagiri hill, the height of which is 3000 feet above the sea.
How to reach Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga:-
The best way is to take a taxi from Igatpuri to Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple. You can go to Nashik to take a bus from there to Trimbakeshwar.
For this purpose, take a train from Nashik as regular trains are available for Nashik from Igatpuri. From the Nashik Mela bus stand, take a bus to Trimbakeshwar.
12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra:-
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, referred to as the Ghrneshwar or Ghushmeshwar Temple, is one of the shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva that is referred to in the Shiva Purana and 12 Jyotirlingas.
Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is located in Elora, it is less than a kilometer from Ellora Caves-a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 30 kilometers north west of the city of Aurangabad and about 300 kilometers north east from Mumbai in India.This temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga in India.
This 240 ftx185 ft temple is the smallest Jyotirlinga temple in India.
How to reach Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga
There are regular flight services available from Aurangabad Airport which is the nearest airport, at a distance of 29 km from Grishneswar to Jaipur, Mumbai, Udaipur, and Delhi.
The nearest y station is Aurangabad, which is not on the main route. The nearest major railway station is Manmad at a distance of 140 km. Railway station near
Grishneshwar.Aurangabad is 22 km. from Grisheneswar &Manmad junction is 86 km. from Grisheneswar.
Conclusion:-
The Indian saint Adi Shankaracharya who revived Hinduism in 800 CE has mentioned the 12 most important Jyotirlinga in his Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stortam situated in different locations of India.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, shrines which are said to be the most sacred abodes of Shiva.
