| 1. Somnath | 7. Visheakarmeshwar |
| 2. Mallikarjuna | 8. Trimbakeshwar |
| 3. Mahakaleshwar | 9. Baidhyanath Jyotirlinga |
| 4. Omkareshwar | 10. Nageshvara Jyotirlinga |
| 5. Kedarnath | 11. Rameshwar |
| 6. Bimashankar | 12. Grishneshwar |
1. Somnath
The Somnath temple located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat, is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is an important pilgrimage and tourist spot of Gujarat.Reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by several Muslim invaders and Portuguese the present temple was reconstructed in Chaulukya style of Hindu temple architecture and completed in May 1951.
The reconstruction was completed by Vallabhbhai Patel. The site of Somnath has been a pilgrimage site from ancient times on account of being a Triveni sangam (the confluence of three rivers — Kapila, Hiran and Sarasvati. SomaMoon god, is believed to have lost his lustre due to a curse, and he bathed in the Sarasvati River at this site to regain it. The result is the waxing and waning of the moon, no doubt an allusion to the waxing and waning of the tides at this sea shore location.
2. Mallikarjuna
The Mallikarjuna temple is located in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, at the sacred site of Srisailam. It is devoted to Lord Shiva’s Jyotirlinga and Parvati Devi’s Shakti peeth. The temple is one of the most magnificent in the nation due to its large size and elaborate decoration on both the interior and outer walls. The entrances to the temple are the different dwaralu, siddavatam, alampuram, trupuranthakam, and umamaheswaram. sacred springs and sacred precincts are two more noteworthy aspects.
So for the finest time, be sure to include this amazing site on your schedule. The story of Mallikarjuna temple jyotirlinga all started when Silada Maharshi did Tapasya to appease Lord Shiva. When Lord Shiva was pleased with his worship, he granted Silada the wish to have two sons. Silada Maharshi named his two sons Nandi and Parvat. Both children extensively studied Lord Shiva to possess all the knowledge they could about him.
Parvat did intense Tapasya to please Lord Shiva due to which Lord Bhola Sankara appeared before him one day. Parvat then prayed and asked Lord Shiva to turn him into a mountain so that all things holy can reside in him just like in Kailasa. Lord Shiva was surprised by his wish and taken aback because none of his previous devotees ever asked for such a wish. Lord Shiva allowed Parvat to reside in Srisailam as a mountain. This is when Lord Shiva became a jyotirlinga in Srisailam.
3. Mahakaleshwar
The Mallikarjuna temple is located in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, at the sacred site of Srisailam. It is devoted to Lord Shiva’s Jyotirlinga and Parvati Devi’s Shakti peeth. The temple is one of the most magnificent in the nation due to its large size and elaborate decoration on both the interior and outer walls. The entrances to the temple are the different dwaralu, siddavatam, alampuram, trupuranthakam, and umamaheswaram.
Sacred springs and sacred precincts are two more noteworthy aspects. So for the finest time, be sure to include this amazing site on your schedule. In addition to being a site of breathtaking architecture, the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain is also a hive of religious activity and rituals. The morning “Bhasma Aarti” is the most cherished and engaging rite, however the temple is open to devotees all day.
4. Omkareshwar
The Jyotirlinga of Omkareshwar is located in Madhya Pradesh along the banks of the Narmada River. The eminent ‘Shikhara of Omkareshwar’ stands tall and proud in the sky as if overlooking the entire earth. The temple is mentioned in sacred Hindu texts like the Vedas and Puranas. The island of Omkareshwar has a total of 6 pilgrimages and 33 deities making it a must-visit place for spiritual seekers.
A symbolic manifestation of “Om” formed by the curves of Narmada makes the sacred site even more ethereal. Omkareshwar is an epitome of the years-old Hindu traditions and timeless religious influence of Shiva on his devotees. This temple is the only place where Lord Shiva appeared in an Omkara Swaroopa.
5. Kedarnath
The legend has it that after the battle of Kurukshetra, Pandavas of Mahabharata’s went on a journey to Varanasi to seek blessings from the Lord as they were guilty of killing their own kith and kin. However, Lord Shiva avoided meeting them, thus hiding himself in Guptakashi. When Pandavas found him, Lord Shiva decided to take the form of buffalo so that they couldn’t recognize him.
Seeing them coming closer Lord made a decision to become invisible by going underground. While doing that one of the five Pandavas, Bhima made a great effort in stopping him by holding on to the legs and tail of the bull. Unfortunately, the Lord dived and evaporated at that place leaving behind his hump which is now worshipped at Kedarnath Temple.
6. Bimashankar
Hindu mythical writings recount a number of stories related to the Bhimshankar temple. One such legend states that during the Treta Yuga, Kumbhkaran, the brother of the villainous King Ravana in the Ramayana, had a son named Bhima who desired to get revenge on Lord Rama for killing his father.
Driven by retaliation, Bhima began penance in the worship of the creator god, Lord Brahma, and obtained from him a boon of great power. Bhima’s conceit increased once he was bestowed with such immense authority. Additionally, he threatened to have Kamarupehsvar, the then-king, cease worshiping Lord Shiva.
7. Visheakarmeshwar
A famous place of worship is the Visheakarmeshwar Temple which is dedicated to Lord Vishwakarma, the celestial designer and god in charge of arts and crafts in Hindu worship. The temple is located in a peaceful place and it holds great significance to the engineers, designers and artists who visit the site in order to seek their blessings before their work. The temple’s construction is a reference to the artistic and engineering genius of Vishwakarma.
For the regional devotees, this temple sees heavy footfalls during weekdays and especially during the much awaited festival of Vishwakarma Jayanti. There are lots of positive energies and a calm environment which makes it an ideal place for prayer and contemplation. Over the years, the temple has transformed into a cultural pole, embodying both sculptural creativity and high spirituality.
8. Trimbakeshwar
Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is located in Trimbak, which is about 28 km from Nashik, Maharashtra, India. The Godavari River originates near Trimbak. There are three hills surrounding this temple – Brahmagiri, Nilagiri and Kalagiri. This Shiva temple was built by Prime Minister of the Maratha Empire, Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, also known as Nana Saheb, in the mid-18th century.
The entire temple is built with black stone. The main feature of Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is that the jyotirlinga has three faces representing the gods – Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. They all exist within the hollow space within the Shivalinga. Hence the name Trimbakeshwara (Three Lords). They are covered by a jewelled crown that is believed to date to the era of the Pandavas.
You will also find images of Rama, Krishna, Ganga, Parasurama and Kedarnath among others. There are also monasteries of saints in this temple. The temple has a well called Amritavarshini. It also has a Kushavarta or sacred pond, which is believed to be the source of the Godavari.
9. Baidhyanath Jyotirlinga
Vaidyanath finds mention in many Hindu texts like Shivapurana, Matsyapurana, and Ramayana along with contemporary history books. Set in a spectacular location near the Mayurkashi River, the temple is cherished by religious travelers.
A beautiful Shaktipeeth shrine of Goddess Parvati is located next to the main temple. Vaidyanath is a testament to the sacred bond of Shiva and Shakti, which is believed to be the foundation of the world. Millions of pilgrims flock to Vaidyanath for blessings in the auspicious month of Shravan.
In the town of Deoghar, there are numerous folktales relating to the origin of Vaidyanath. The most widely accepted legend is that during the Treta Yuga, King Ravana of Lanka prayed to Lord Shiva nonstop. Ravana sought to convince Mahadev to remain in Lanka for the city’s security. Shiva granted him permission to take his “Atmalingam” to Sri Lanka because of his devotion.
10. Nageshvara Jyotirlinga
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Nageshwar Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples of Lord Shiva, and among the oldest temples mentioned in the Shiva Purana. The Jyotirlinga has a special significance in Nageshwar as this is believed to be the first of all 12 Jyotirlingas. The swayambhu lingam enshrined in the underground chamber at Nageshwar Temple is known as Nageshwar Mahadev and attracts thousands of pilgrims all-round the year.
This powerful Jyotirlinga symbolizes protection from all poisons and is believed that one who prays here obtains freedom from all kinds of poison including snake poison. In the ancient Rudra Samhita slokas, Nageshwar is called ‘Daarukaavane Naagesham’. Legend has it that there once lived a monster named Daruka who tormented humans and was incredibly nasty.
Along with numerous others, he once captured Supriya, a devotee of Shiva. Sea snakes prowled the undersea metropolis where the detainees were housed. Reciting the Shiva mantra ‘Aum Namaha Shivayay’ is Supriya’s recommendation for protecting all inmates. Daruka rushed to kill Supriya as soon as he learned of this. The monster was vanquished in an instant by Lord Shiva, who then took up residence in the potent Jyotirlinga.
11. Rameshwar
One of the most important shrines in India, the Ramathaswamy Temple, is located in the center of Rameswaram. Additionally, Daiwik Hotel and the shrine are only 3 km apart.After the battle in Lanka ended, the temple’s tale started. Once he returned to Rameswaram, Lord Rama chose to carry out the most extreme austerities as a penance for the people he had killed in the fight, including the Brahmin Ravana.
In order to placate Lord Shiva, who was incensed about the killing of his devotee Ravana, he also desired to worship him. It is believed that the location of this antyeshti and prayaschitta yagya is the Ramanathaswamy Temple. The Skanda Purana says the yagya took place in the month of Jyeshtha, the Tamil month of Ani; sukla paksha, dasam tithi.
For the ceremony Rama needed a Shivalingam and he sent Hanuman to Mount Kailash to get a crystal lingam. However, at the auspicious hour Hanuman had still not returned and so Sita created a lingam with sand and Shiva was worshipped as Ramanatha, the lord of Rama. This is the Ramalingam that stands in the garbha griha of the temple.
12. Grishneshwar
The Grishneshwar temple is situated in the tiny village of Verul in the Aurangabad district. Less than a kilometer away from the world-renowned Ellora Caves, the temple is easily accessible to tourists. Needless to say, it is among the most-visited places in Aurangabad. The term ‘Grishneshwara’ holds immense significance as it means ‘Lord of Compassion’.
Holy water is said to spring from inside the temple. Devotees halt at the small shrine to Kokila Mata on entering the Grishneshwar Temple. This ancient temple showcases the pre-historic South Indian architectural style and structure. Story has it that in the village of Shivalaya, there lived a brahmin devotee of Shiva named Grishna.
She would carve 101 lingas every day and immerse them in the nearby lake in the hopes of bearing a child. After she gave birth to a baby boy, her childless sister proceeded to throw the baby boy in the lake out of jealousy. Despite the grief of losing her child, she continued to carve lingas and worship Shiva.