The Dwadasa Jyotirlinga shrines or
the 12 shrines enshrining Shiva in the form of a Jyotirlingam, have been held in reverence
since time immemorial in the Indian system of beliefs. The southernmost of these is
located at Rameswaram, while the northernmost is located in the snowy heights of the
Himalayas at Kedarnath. These temples are closely linked with legends from the puranas and
are rich in history and tradition.
Somnath is
the foremost of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva,
held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, traditions and history. It is
located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.
Sree Sailam
- Sree Sailam near Kurnool enshrines Mallikarjuna in an
ancient temple rich in architectural and sculptural wealth. Aadi Sankaracharya composed
his Sivanandalahiri here.
Ujjain -
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga shrine The ancient and historic city of Ujjain or
Avanti in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Jyotirlinga shrine of Mahakaleshwar.
Omkareshwar:
an island in the course of the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar
temple.
Kedarnath - the
Northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath,
nestled in the snow clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine rich in legend and tradition. It
is accessible only on foot, six months in a year.
Bhimashankar -
Jyotirlinga Shrine is associated with the legend of
Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is located in the Sahyadri hills of
Maharashtra, accessed from Pune.
Varanasi - The most
celebrated pilgrimage site in India The Vishwanath
temple in Benares in Uttar Pradesh is the goal of the thousands of pilgrims that
visit this ancient city. The Vishwanath shrine is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga
shrines of Shiva.
Tryambakeshwar
- The origin of the river Godavari is intimately linked with this Jyotirlinga shrine near Nasik in Maharashtra.
Vaidyanath temple at
Deogarh The ancient pilgrimage town of Deogarh
in the Santal Parganas area of Bihar is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.
Nageshwar
near Dwarka in Gujarat is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga
shrines of Shiva.
Rameswaram:
This vast temple in the island of Rameswaram, in
Southern Tamilnadu enshrines Ramalingeswarar, and is revered as the southernmost of the 12
Jyotirlinga shrines of India.
GrishneshwarJyotirlinga Shrine is a temple located in the
vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st
millennium CE.
Saurashtre Somanaatham Cha Sree Saile Mallikarjunam
Ujjayinyaam Mahaakaalam Omkaare Mamaleswaram
Himalaye to Kedaram Daakinyaam Bhimashankaram
Vaaranaasyaam cha Viswesam Trayambakam Gowtameethate
Paralyaam Vaidyanaatham cha Naagesam Daarukaavane
Setubandhe Ramesham Grushnesam cha Shivaalaye ||
