Twelve Jyotirlingas
The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana (Śatarudra Saṁhitā,Ch.42/2-4). These shrines are:
| # | Jyotirlinga | Image | State | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somnath | Gujarat | Prabhas Patan, Saurashtra | Somnath is the first amongst the holy shrines and traditionally, the Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple. It is the prime abode of Lord Shiva and is considered to be holiest of all the Jyotirlingas. The temple was destroyed and re-built sixteen times, is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan (Somnath - Veraval) in Saurashtra in Gujarat. | |
| 2 | Mallikārjuna | Andhra Pradesh | Srisailam | Mallikārjuna, also called Śrīśaila, is located on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, in Kurnool District in Andhra Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich.It is one place where Shakti peeta and Jyotirlingam are together. Adi Shankara composed his Sivananda Lahiri here. | |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Ujjain | Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south and also the temple to have a Shree Yantra perched upside down at the ceiling of the Garbhagriha (where the Shiv Lingam sits).It is one place where Shakti peeta and Jyotirlingam are together | |
| 4 | Omkareshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Island in the Narmada River, Omkareshwar | Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada River is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Mamaleshwar temple. | |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Uttarakhand | Kedarnath | Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is 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 by foot, and only for six months a year. | |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Maharashtra | Bhimashankar | Bhimashankar is very much debated. There is a Bhimashankara temple near Pune (pictured) in Maharastra, which was referred to as Daakini country, but Kashipur in Uttarakhand was also referred to as Daakini country in ancient days and a Bhimashkar Temple known as Shree Moteshwar Mahadev is present there. Another Bhimashankar is in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra. The Bhimashankar temple near Guwahati, Assam is the jyotirlinga according to Sivapuran.
According to "LINGA PURAN", Bhimasankar temple in Bhimpur near Gunupur of Rayagada district in South Orissa is also believed as Bhimasankar Jyotirlinga, which is situated at the western part of the holy Mahendragiri mountains and at the river bank of Mahendratanaya(which is also believed as the Daakini area by many historian), was excavated in the year 1974, having quadrangular Shakti around the Linga and decorated by a Upavita as per the puran. |
|
| 7 | Kashi Vishwanath | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga shrine, which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu shrines. | |
| 8 | Trimbakeshwar | Maharashtra | Trimbakeshwar, Near Nashik | Trimbakeshwar Temple, near Nasik in Maharashtra, is a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari river. | |
| 9 | Vaidyanath | Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deogarh | [[Deoghar Vaijyanath Dham also associated with Ravana. It is also called "Chita Bhoomi". Babadham is located in north-eastern Jharkhand, four miles from Jasidih railway station on the main line of the Eastern Railway from Howrah to Delhi. There is a small railway branch line from Jasidih to Babadham. The railway station at Babadham is called Baidyanath Dham.
Babadham stands near the G.T. Road connecting Calcutta with Delhi. From the G.T. Road, you can take a turn to the state road at Bagodar or at Dumri. Devotees coming down from Kolkata or other parts of West Bengal can take the route via Jamtara. In the North-East Dumka, Rajmahal and Bhagalpur; in the North-West Munger; in the West Hazaribag and in the South Giridih district border the region. |
||
| 10 | Nageshvara Jyotirlinga | Gujarat | near Dwaraka | ||
| 11 | Rameshwar | Tamil Nadu | Rameswaram | Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameśvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar. | |
| 12 | Grishneshwar | Maharashtra | Near Ellora, Aurangabad district | Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora. This shrine is also known as Ghushmeshwar. |
Read more about this topic: Jyotirlinga
Famous quotes containing the word twelve:
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had to hailbomb, for twelve hours, and when it was all over I walked up.... We didn’t find one of ‘em, not one stinking dink
body. That smell, you know, that gasoline smell. The whole hill. It smelled like ... victory.”
—John Milius, U.S. screenwriter, Francis Ford Coppola (b. 1939)