We have 12 Jyotirling temples of the supreme god Shiva in India. But before moving forward let’s look at what is a Jyotirling and what is the divine story behind 12 Jyotirlings.
A Jyotirling is a devotional representation of Lord Shiva. As per the Shiv Mahapuran, once Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma did the war; to prove their supremacy over each other. Then, to settle the situation, Lord Shiva emerged and pierced the three worlds as a huge infinite pillar of light. In order the find the end of this pillar of light, Brahma went upwards and Vishnu went downwards. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu accepts his defeat. This lie of Brahma made Lord Shiva angry, and they cursed Brahma would not be worshipped till the end of eternity and blessed Vishnu for his sanctity.
This pillar of light is the Jyotirlinga (Jyotirling), which is the Supreme Lord Shiva himself, the one unbroken reality, from which Shiva appeared in another form, Lingodbhava.
The Jyotirling shrines are Temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Originally there were 64 Jyotirlings as many people believe, while people consider only 12 of them are the holiest site. Kedarnath is one of the Jyotirlings out of these 12 special Jyotirlings, which people believe is the holiest Jyotirling and it also counts among the Char Dham Yatra (4 Dham).
- Explore The Prehistoric Cave Paintings From Hundred Thousand Years Ago In Faridabad
- Top 10 Weekend Getaways From Delhi
- Top 10 Places To Visit On A Budget In India
- Top 10 Destinations To Visit In Winter In India
- Top 10 High-Altitude Treks In India
- The 12 Jyotirling Temples Of Lord Shiva In India
And here is a list of ’12 Jyotirling Temples of Lord Shiva’s name and place with images.
- Somnath Jyotirling, Gujarat
- Mallikarjuna Jyotirling, Andhra Pradesh
- Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling, Madhya Pradesh
- Omkareshwar Jyotirling, Madhya Pradesh
- Baidyanath Jyotirling, Jharkhand
- Bhimashankar Jyotirling, Maharashtra
- Rameshwaram Jyotirling, Tamil Nadu
- Nageshwar Jyotirling, Gujarat
- Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling, Varanasi
- Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling, Nasik
- Kedarnath Jyotirling, Uttarakhand
- Grishneshwar Jyotirling, Aurangabad
Somnath Jyotirling, Gujarat
Somnath is considered to be the first Jyotirlinga out of the 12 Jyotirling, the Somnath temple is located at Prabhas Patan, near Veraval in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in India. A legend, which tells about how this Jyotirling in Gujarat came into being.
According to the Shiv Puran, the moon married 27 daughters of Daksh Prajapati, from which he loved Rohini the most. Because of neglecting other wives, Prajapati cursed the moon that it would lose all its radiance. Then, the disturbed moon and Rohini came to Somnath and worshipped the Sparsa Lingam after which Lord Shiva blessed him with his lost beauty and shine.
Ever since the Somnath Jyotirling temple has destroyed and rebuilt 16 times.
How To Reach Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Somnath Jyotirling temple is Diu Airport in Gujarat, India.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Somnath Jyotirling is Somnath (SMNH) in Gujarat, India.
Through Road: The distance from Delhi to Somnath is 1,316 Km, which will take you at least 24 hours to cover. You can also take a bus from your local bus stand to the Somnath bus stand to reach the Somnath Jyotirling Temple.
Some other blog post:
- Top 10 places to visit during monsoon in India
- Top 10 highest peaks in India
- Best places to visit after a lockdown in India
Mallikarjuna Jyotirling, Andhra Pradesh
The Mallikarjuna Jyotirling Temple is situated on the Shri Shaila Mountain, near the Krishna River in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh.
According to Shiv Puran, Lord Ganesh married before Kartikeya which made Kartikeya angered. He went to the Kraunch mountain. All gods tried to console him but, everything went in vain. Ultimately, Lord shiv and Parvati came to the mountain Kartikeya turned them back.
They were hurt by seeing this state of their son, then shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirling and resided on the mountain by the name of Mallikarjuna.
Mallika means Parvati and Arjuna is another name of Lord Shiva. It is believed that by seeing the tip of this mountain, one is emancipated from all sins and becomes free from the vicious cycle of life and death.
How To Reach Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: There is no direct flight connectivity to Srisailam. The nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi Internation Airport which is in Hyderabad, which’s even 151 km away from Srisailam.
By Train: Again there is no direct connectivity to Srisailam. You need to take a train to Cumbum railway station, as it is the nearest to the Srisailam. Despite being nearest it is 60 km away from Srisailam.
Through Road: The total distance between Delhi to Mallikarjuna Jyotirling Temple is 1,816 km, which you can cover by taking a bus to the city of Srisailam from your local bus stand.
- Explore The Prehistoric Cave Paintings From Hundred Thousand Years Ago In Faridabad
- Top 10 Weekend Getaways From Delhi
- Top 10 Places To Visit On A Budget In India
- Top 10 Destinations To Visit In Winter In India
- Top 10 High-Altitude Treks In India
- The 12 Jyotirling Temples Of Lord Shiva In India
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling, Madhya Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar Shrine is located on the banks of the Kshipra River, in the Mahakal forest of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. It is an important holy site in Central India.
According to the sculptures, there was a five-year-old Shrikar boy who got fascinated by the devotion of King Chandrasen of Ujjain towards Lord Shiva. He took a stone and started worshipping it as Lord Shiva. Many people tried to dissuade him in many ways. His devotion was growing, as the people dissuaded him. Pleased by his devotion, Lord Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirling and resided in Mahakal Forest.
It is considered significant by Hindus for another reason, it is among one of the seven Mukti-Sthal, i.e. the place that can liberate a human.
How To Reach Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport is Indore Airport, 51 km away from Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling Temple.
By Train: The nearest railway station is the Ujjain railway station, only 1 km away from the temple.
Through Road: You can a take bus from Delhi, which is 776 km away from the Mahakalesh Jyotirling Temple.
Omkareshwar Jyotirling, Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar Jyotirling temple is located on an island called Shivapuri in the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh and it is one of the highly revered Jyotirling out of 12 Jyotirlings.
According to the Scriptures, there was a time when a great war endured between devs and danavs (Gods and Demons), in which the danavs won. After getting defeated, they prayed to Lord Shiva. Pleased with their prayer, lord shiva emerged in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirling and defeated the Danavs.
The word Omkareshwar means “Lord of Omkar” or the Lord of Om sound.
How To Reach Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Omkareshjwar Jyotirling Temple is Indore Airport which is 77 km away.
By Train: Here it has a railway station with its name as Omkareshwar railway station which is located at a distance of 12 km from the Omkareshwar Jyotirling Temple.
Through Road: Omkareshwar Jyotirling Temple is 935 km away from Delhi by road, though the city is well connected to the major cities by various transport services.
Baidyanath Jyotirling, Jharkhand
Baidyanath Jyotirling, also known as Vaidyanath or Vaijnath. It is located in Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand. People believe that one can attain Moksha by worshipping Baidyanath Jyotirling.
According to the legend, Ravan meditated and asked Lord Shiva to come over to Sri Lanka and make it Invincible. Ravana tried taking Mount Kailash with him, but Lord Shiva crushed it. Ravana asked for penance and in turn, he got one of the twelve Jyotirlings on the condition that if it had been placed on the ground it would remain rooted to the spot till eternity.
While taking it to Sri Lanka, Lord Varuna enter Ravan’s body and made Ravan feel relieved. Lord Vishnu manifested in the form of a lad and offered to hold the Jyotirling in the meantime. After taking the Jyotirling from Ravan, Vishnu places it on the ground and it got rooted to that spot.
As a form of penance, Ravan cut off his 9 heads. Lord Shiva revived him and joined his 9 heads to the body, like a Vaidya and hence this Jyotirling is Known as Vaidyanath.
How To Reach Baidnath Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to the Baidyanath Jyotirling Temple is Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport, Patna.
By Train: The nearest railway station is Baidyanath Dham Railway Station in Deoghar.
Through Road: It’s 1,321 km away from Delhi, which you can easily cover by taking bus services from your local bus stand.
Bhimashankar Jyotirling, Maharashtra
The Bhimashankar Jyotirling Temple is located on the banks of the Bhim River in the Sahyadri region of Pune, Maharashtra. It is considered to be the source of the Bhim river.
According to the Legend, when Bhima got to know that he was the son of Kumbhakarna who was annihilated by Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Ram, he vowed to avenge Lord Vishnu. He did penance to please Lord Brahma who granted him immense power. After achieving the powers, he started ravaging the world. After defeating Kamrupeshwar, he put him into dungeons. This made lords angered and asked lord shiv to descend on earth and put this tyranny to an end. A war happened between the two and ultimately shiva put the demon to ashes.
Then all the Gods requested Shiva to make that place his abode. And shiva manifested himself in the form of Bhimshankar Jyotirling. People believe that the Bhim river is formed from the sweat of Lord Shiva which poured after the battle.
How To Reach Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Bhimashankar Jyotirling Temple, is New Pune International Airport, which is 41 km away from the actual place. km
By Train: The nearest railway station to Bhimashankar Jyotirling Temple is Karjat station which is located at a distance of around 168 km.
Through Road: It is 1,449 km away from Delhi by road. Bhimashankar Jyotirling Temple is easily accessible by road, you can take any public transport to reach here.
Rameshwaram Jyotirling, Tamil Nadu
Rameshwaram Jyotirling is the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlings, is located on the island of Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. It was a time-honored pilgrimage center considered by many at par with Banaras. This Jyotirling associate with Ramayana and Lord Ram’s victorious return from Sri Lanka.
People believe that Lord Ram on his way to Sri Lanka stopped at Rameshwaram and drank some water on the seashore when there was a celestial proclamation: “You are drinking water without worshipping me”. After listening to this Lord Ram made a Jyotirling of sand and worshipped it and asked for blessings to defeat Ravan. He got the blessings from Lord Shiva, which turned into a Jyotirling and resided at the place for eternity.
How To Reach Rameshwar Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Rameshwaram Jyotirling Temple is Madurai Airport, which is 149 km away from the city.
By Train: The nearest railway station is the Rameshwaram railway station, which connects to all the major cities in the country.
Through Road: It will be a long tour if you choose to go by road. It’s approx. 2,782 km away from Delhi. You can take your car or maybe choose public transport to reach out.
Nageshwar Jyotirling, Gujarat
The Nageshwar Jyotirling Temple also known as, Nagnath temple, is located on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat. It symbolizes protection from all types of poison, people believe that those who worship at this temple become free of all poison.
According to the Shiv Puran, Demon Daruka captured Supriya who was a devotee of Lord Shiva. Several other people were also imprisoned by Daaruka in his capital Daarukavana. Supriya asked all the prisoners to chant ” Om Namah: Shivay” which enraged Daaruka who ran to kill Supriya. Lord Shiva manifested in front of the demon and put him to ashes. Thus the Nageshwar Jyotirling came into being.
How To Reach Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Nageshwar Jyotirling Temple is Jamnagar airport.
By Train: The nearest railway station is Veraval Station which is 7 km away from Dwarka. From Dwarka, you need to take a bus or cab to complete the rest route.
Through Road: Nageshwar Jyotirling is 1,303 km away from Delhi by road.
Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling, Varanasi
The Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling Temple is located in the most revered place in the world: Kashi. People believe that Varanasi is the place where the first Jyotirling has manifested its supremacy over other gods, broke through the earth’s crust, and flared to heaven.
This shrine is the dearest to Lord Shiva, and people believe that those who die here attain salvation. Many people believe that lord shiva itself resided here and is the giver of salvation and happiness.
How To Reach Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling Temple is Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport which is about 20-25 km away.
By Train: Varanasi Station lies only 2 km away from the temple.
Through Road: It is 819 km away from Delhi by road.
Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling, Nasik
The Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling Temple is located near the Brahmagiri mountain from the river Godavari flows, which is about 30 km away from Nasik in Maharashtra. This temple is the source of the Gautami Ganga.
According to Shiv Puran, it is on the solemn request of the Godavari river, Gautam Rishi, and all other deities that Shiva decided to reside here and assumed the name Trimbakeshwar. Rishi Gautam earned a boon from Varuna in the form of a pit, from which he received an inexhaustible supply of grain and food. The other gods were jealous of him and sent a cow to enter the granary. Rishi Gautam accidentally killed the cow, then asked Lord Shiva to do something to purify the premises. Shiva asked Ganga to flow through that land to purify the land.
Thus everyone praised the Lord, who then resided on the banks of the Ganges in the form of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga. Hindus believe that this Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra is the one that fulfills everyone’s desires.
How To Reach Trimbakeshwa Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling Temple is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling Temple is Nasik, which is 36 km away from it.
Through Road: Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling is 12,15 km away from Delhi by road. You can cover this distance by various public transport options.
Kedarnath Jyotirling, Uttarakhand
One of the popular and holiest Jyotirlings out of 12 Jyotirling in India, the Kedarnath Jyotirling Temple is located at a height of 12,000 feet on Kedar mountain in Rudra Himalaya Range. The temple only opens only six months a year. The tradition is that people first go to the Yamunotri and Gangotri to bring the holy water from there to offer at Kedarnath. Also because it is one of the Char Dham (4 Dham).
According to the legends, the two incarnations of Lord Vishnu – Nar and Narayan, were doing severe penance. Pleased by their penance Lord shiva took a permanent abode in Kedarnath in the form of Jyotirling. People believe that worshiping here fulfills their wishes.
How To Reach Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: The nearest airport to reach Kedarnath Jyotirling Temple is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is located around 250 km from Kedarnath.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Kedarnath Jyotiling Temple would be the Rishikesh railway station.
Through Road: The distance between Delhi to Kedarnath Jyotirling Temple is 452 km, which can covered by the local bus services.
Grishneshwar Jyotirling, Aurangabad
The Grishneshwar Jyotirling Temple is located in Verul village, which is near to Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Ahilyabai Holkar built this shrine, who also re-built the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling Temple in Varanasi. Grishneshwar Jyotirling also known as, Kusumeshwar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, and Grishneswara.
According to Shiv Puran, Sudharm and Sudeha named couple resided on the Devagiri mountain. They were childless, so Sudharm married Ghushma, who was the sister of Sudeha. They gave birth to a son who rendered Ghushma proud and Sudeha jealous of her sister. In jealousy, Sudeha threw her son in the lake where Ghushma used to discharge 101 Lingams. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva who eventually returned the son to her and told her about her sister’s deeds. Sudharm asks Shiva to free Sudeha. At the request of Sudharam, Shiva manifested himself as Jyotirlinga and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar.
How To Reach Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple?
By Air: Aurangabad Airport, which is 29 km away- is the nearest airport to Grishneshwar Jyotitling Temple.
By Train: Aurangabad railway station, which is again 29 km away from the Grishneshwar Temple is the nearest.
Through Road: The distance between Delhi to Ghrishneshwar Temple is 1,245 km that can covered by public transports.
