Lord Shiva’s divine places, where he resides in many incarnations, are known as Jyotirlingas. This word’s meaning is similar to that of the previous one. ‘Jyoti’ means ‘light,’ also known as ‘radiance,’ and lingam or linga means sign,’ or ‘picture.’ Jyotir-linga means “Radiant Signs of Lord Shiva.” There are currently 12 Jyotirlingas in India, each with its own story of how they came to be.
The Legend of Jyotirlinga’s Inception
You will learn about an incident that occurred thousands of years ago in the Shiv Purana. When Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma were debating who was the highest being, their discussion devolved into a quarrel. Then Lord Shiva appears to put an end to their quarrel. He manifested an infinite pillar of light there, which pierced all three realms when it appeared.
Lord Shiva then told them both that whoever found the light first would be the ultimate God.
They both headed in the other way, and after a while, neither of them could discover the pillar’s end. So Lord confessed defeat and informed Lord Shiva he couldn’t find the end of the pillar, while Lord Brahma lied and said he did. Lord Shiva became enraged when he saw him lying and cursed Lord Brahma.
No one will worship Lord Brahma, even though he is the creator of the universe.
In his rage, Lord Shiva manifested himself as Lingodbhava, an infinite pillar of light that appeared on the earth in 64 locations.
Only 12 of the 64 locations are major, and they are today recognized as India’s 12 principal Jyotirlingas. Lord Shiva resides in some sort of deity in each Jyotirlinga and blesses all the people.
India’s 12 Jyotirlinga
Jyotirlinga Somnath
Gujarat
Near Somnath railway station
God Somnath
Time: from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
In Gujarat, the Somnath Jyotirlinga is in Prabhas-Kshetra. Because it is the first Jyotirlinga, it has the most pilgrimage locations on the list. There is a legend surrounding the formation of this Jyotirlinga. Lord Brahma’s son, Prajapati Daksha, had 27 daughters, all wedded to the moon.
The moon was focused on Rohini, the most beautiful daughter among them all.
After witnessing the Moon’s lack of devotion to his other daughters, Prajapati Daksha decided to take action. He became enraged and cursed him, saying that the light and beauty that he is so proud of would be lost. So, to lift the curse, the Moon worshipped Lord Shiva here for a long time and implored him to erase the curse. Lord Shiva has been residing here in the avatar of Lord Somnath since that time.
Nageshwar
Dwarka
Near Dwarka railway station
Lord Nageshwar
Every day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This Jyotirlinga is in Dwarka, a beautiful city.
It is also known for being the residence of Lord Krishna.
Every year, hundreds of people flock to Dwarka to see the Jyotirlinga. They come to witness Lord Shiva’s 25-meter-tall monument, the garden, and, most importantly, the view of the Arabian Sea from there.
Lord Shiva, in the guise of Nageshwar, lives in this temple.
Bhimashankar
Pune
Near Karjat station
Deity Bhimashankar
Time: from 4:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Lord Shiva’s sanctuary, where he resides in the avatar of Bhimashankar. It is on the banks of the Bhima River, and there’s a structure or sculpture of Lord Shiva there. Thousands of people flocked to see the sculpture.
Bhima, the son of Kumbhakarna, constructed this lovely shrine.
During Maha Shivratri, everyone in this place celebrates with great vigor and excitement. The finest part about this location is that it demonstrates the relationship between Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati, as there is a Parvati temple nearby.
Trimbakeshwar
Maharashtra
Near Igatpuri railway station
God Trimbakeshwar
Time: 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day
This temple is on Brahmagiri Mountain, near the source of the Godavari River.
Gautami Ganga was named after Gautami Rishi, who pleaded to Lord Shiva to allow him to reside here.
Afterward, Lord Shiva appears in the shape of Trimbakeshwar and takes up residence there.
The most appealing aspect of this shrine is its internal structure and creation.
Inside this sacred sanctuary, three pillars represent the three divinities of the universe: Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva.
Grishneshwar
Aurangabad
Near Daulatabad Train Station
God Grishneshwar
Time: from 5:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
Near the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, this celestial sanctuary can be found.
The temple’s architecture is large and impressive, which is one of the things you’ll notice in this shrine. The building of this red stone temple is adorned with many Gods and Goddesses.
Ahilyabai Holkar built this temple in the past. Locals now refer to it as Gru Someswara and Kusum Eswarar. There are many additional things you might learn about by visiting the area and speaking with the residents.
Vaidyanath
Jharkhand
near Jasidih Junction
Deity Vaidyanath
time: from 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This heavenly temple in Jharkhand has a fascinating backstory.
Ravana, the greatest ‘Gyani Pandit,’ had spent his entire life worshipping Lord Shiva and had once asked Shiva to accompany him to Lanka.
Then Lord Shiva instructed him to take this Shiv-Linga and not to drop or place it anyplace.
Only if you can do that will I accompany you to your Lanka.
Lord Vishnu used many magics and ingenious methods to get him to put the Shiv-Linga down while he was carrying it.
Lord Shiva has been residing there in the avatar of Vaidyanath since that time.
Mahakaleshwar
Madhya Pradesh
Near Ujjain Junction
God Mahakal
time: from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Lord Shiva’s divine shrine in Mahakaleshwar was built by a 5-year-old boy named Shikar.
The King of Ujjain influenced that young man.
Since then, Lord Shiva has resided here in the guise of Mahakal, and this is one of India’s seven Mukti-Sthals.
Mukti refers to the separation of your spirits from your body.
So this is the place to go if you want to feel the nerve endings of eternity.
Omkareshwar
Madhya Pradesh
Near Omkareshwar road train station
Deity Omkareshwar
From 5 a.m. until 10 p.m., every day.
Omkareshwar, which also means ‘the sound of Lord Shiva, which is Om,’ is a shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Om is a common mantra, and meditative term used all around the world.
This shrine is on an island called Shivapuri in Madhya Pradesh.
Thousands of years ago, a battle between Gods and Demons is said to have raged at this location.
As a result, all of the Gods prayed to Lord Shiva for assistance in winning this battle.
So, in the shape of Omkareshwar, Lord Shiva came to their aid.
He has been known as Omkareshwar since that time.
Vishwanath Kashi
Uttar Pradesh
near Varanasi Junction
God Vishwanath.
Time: from 2:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.
This holy temple, popularly known as Varanasi’s Golden Temple, is located in the city of Varanasi. It is the lovely state of Uttar Pradesh. Ahilyabai Holkar was the one who built the temple.
Devotees thought that this was one of the first Jyotirlingas where God’s presence was felt.
Lord Shiva is adored and lives in the guise of Kashi Vishwanath in this temple. This temple is said to be where God bestows his blessings, allowing you to live a happy and liberated life.
Kedarnath
Uttarakhand
Near the railway station is Rishikesh, from whence you would need to change multiple buses and eventually walk.
Lord Kedarnath
May to June is the best time to visit.
This beautiful shrine of Lord Kedarnath is located 1200 feet in the Himalayan Range. This shrine is also a component of the Four Dhams, and getting here requires a lot of walking and some considerations.
The temple is only open from May to June since the weather makes it difficult to visit during the other months. To reach here, you must cross both the Ganga and the Yamuna rivers in India.
It is thought that bathing the Shiv-Linga here with Ganga and Yamuna water will help you overcome your worries and provide you with inner peace.
Rameshwaram
Tamil Nadu
God Ramanathswamy.
near Rameswaram railway station
Time from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
This wonderful temple with an even more astounding narrative may be found in the city of Rameswaram. It is one of the most popular temples in India’s southern region. It is said that when Lord Rama had to cross the ocean to reach Lanka by building the Rama Setu bridge, he worshipped Lord Shiva by erecting a Shiv-Linga and worshipped him until he rested in this temple.
That Shiv-Linga is still standing and is named after Lord Rama.
This celestial sanctuary is also regarded as one of India’s four Dhams.
Mallikarjuna
Andhra Pradesh
near Markapur railway station
Shiva, Parvati, and Bhramaramba are the deities.
Every day from 4:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.
This sacred sanctuary of Lord Shiva is on the top of the Shri Sails Mountain in Andhra Pradesh.
Once you arrive, the architecture and sculpture of this holy site will captivate you. This shrine is also included in India’s list of 52 Shakti Peethas. Shiva, Parvati, and Bhramaramba are among the deities who reside in this temple.
So, in my opinion, this is unquestionably one of India’s 12 Jyotirlinga.
