There are 10 Jyotirlinga temples in India that every Hindu must visit once in a lifetime. These temples are spread across different regions of India and are considered highly auspicious and holy. The 10 Jyotirlinga temples in India take the name of the presiding deity. Each is considered a different manifestation of Lord Shiva. The primary image of all these lingas is the “lingam” representing the beginning and end stambh pillar or the infinite nature of Lord Shiva1. Here are the names and locations of the 10 Jyotirlinga temples:
Somnath – Gir Somnath In Gujarat1
Somnath Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus and is believed to be first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva1. The temple was reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by multiple Muslim invaders and rulers, notably starting from an attack by Mahmud Ghazni in the 11th century2. The temple is located on the western coast of Gujarat and is considered sacred due to the various legends connected to it. Somnath means “Lord of the Soma”, an epithet of Shiva. The temple is intricately carved and painted a creamy color. A large, black Shiva lingam at its heart is one of the 12 most sacred Shiva shrines, known as jyotirlinga. A one-hour sound-and-light show in Amitabh Bachchan’s baritone highlights the temple nightly at 7.45pm3. If you’re planning a pilgrimage tour, Somnath Jyotirlinga should definitely be on your list! 😊
Nageshwar – Daarukavanam In Gujarat1
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple located in Daarukavanam between Gomti and Dwarka on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat, India1. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and is considered to be the first among them2. The temple has a unique pastime ascribed to it just like the appearance of the other Jyotirlinga temples. A demon by the name Daruk and his wife Daruka used to live in the forest now known as Daarukavanam. The demon was blessed by Goddess Parvati but he misused the blessings and terrorized the local folks. One such time, he imprisoned a local woman, Supriya. Supriya told her fellow inmates to take the name of Lord Shiva and no harm would come to them. When Daruk heard this, he was enraged. He rushed to kill her but Lord Shiva appeared to protect her. As Daruk was blessed by his own wife, the Lord could not kill him so instead he took the form of a lingam and promised to protect Supriya and the local folks forever in Dwarka3. If you’re planning a pilgrimage tour, Nageshwar Jyotirlinga should definitely be on your list! 😊
Bhimashankar – Pune In Maharashtra1
Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple located in the village of Bhorgiri, 50 km northwest of Khed, near Pune in Maharashtra, India1. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus1. The temple is situated in the Sahyadri hills and is surrounded by lush green forests and waterfalls. The temple’s Shiva lingam is one of the three Jyotirlingas of Maharashtra2. The Bhimashankar temple is a composite of old and new structures in the Nagara style of architecture. It shows the excellency of the skills achieved by ancient Vishwakarma sculptors. It is a modest yet graceful temple and it dates back to the 13th century while the sabhamandap was built in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis2. The temple has a unique pastime ascribed to it just like the appearance of the other Jyotirlinga temples. If you’re planning a pilgrimage tour, Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga should definitely be on your list! 😊
Trimbakeshwar – Nashik In Maharashtra1
Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple located in the town of Trimbak, in the Trimbakeshwar tehsil in the Nashik District of Maharashtra, India1. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus2. The temple is situated between three hills namely Brahmagiri, Nilagiri and Kalagiri. The temple has three lingas (an iconic form of Shiva) representing Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma1. The temple tank is called Amritavarshini, which measured 28 m (92 ft) by 30 m (98 ft)3. The origin of the sacred Godavari river is near Trimbak1. Kusavarta kunda (sacred pond) in the temple premises, built by Shrimant Sardar Raosaheb Parnerkar who was the Fadnavis of Indore State, is the source of the Godavari River, the second longest river in peninsular India3. A bust of Sardar Fadnavis and his wife can be seen on the edge of the kunda. The current temple was built by Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao after it was destroyed by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb1. If you’re planning a pilgrimage tour, Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga should definitely be on your list! 😊
Grishneshwar – Aurangabad In Maharashtra
Grishneshwar is a village located in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is home to the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva1. The temple is nearly 3000 years old and the Linga faces east. The sanctum sanctorum includes Lord Grishneshwar and his consort Grishneshwari. The temple is open from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM every day. It is located near the Ellora Caves, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Would you like me to find more information about Grishneshwar or Ellora Caves? 😊
Ujjain Omkareshwar
Ujjain is an ancient city located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the seven sacred cities of the Hindus and is known for its rich history, culture, and architecture. The city is home to several temples, including the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva1. Omkareshwar is another famous temple town located near Ujjain. It is situated on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river and is one of the 12 revered Jyotirling shrines of Shiva21. The distance between Ujjain and Omkareshwar is approximately 140 km and it takes around 3-4 hours to cover the distance by road3. Would you like me to find more information about Ujjain or Omkareshwar? 😊
Baidyanath Jyotirlinga
Baidyanath Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Deoghar, in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India1. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and considered to be the most revered places where Shiva lives12. The temple complex comprises the central shrine of Baba Baidyanath, housing the revered Dham, along with additional 21 other temples1. According to Hindu beliefs, it is said that the demon king Ravana worshipped Shiva at this location to gain divine blessings, which he used to cause chaos and destruction in the world. Ravana offered his ten heads as a symbol of sacrifice to Lord Shiva. Pleased with this gesture, Lord Shiva descended Ravana’s injuries. As Lord Shiva acted as a doctor, he is also referred to as Vaidya (“doctor”). The temple is named after this aspect of Shiva1. Would you like me to find more information about Baidyanath Jyotirlinga or any other topic? 😊
Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga
Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located on the Pamban Island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India12. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which are considered to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva1. The temple is situated on the eastern coast of India and is easily accessible by road and rail from nearby cities2. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama built a bridge from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana. Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva at this place to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against Ravana in Sri Lanka1. The temple has a 22 well-carved theerthams (water bodies) inside its premises, which are believed to have medicinal properties3. Would you like me to find more information about Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga or any other topic? 😊
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river, in the state of Uttarakhand, India1. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which are considered to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva2. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a Jyotirlinga at Kedarnath, in order to absolve the sins of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata2. The temple is not directly accessible by road and has to be reached by a 22 kilometres uphill trek from Gaurikund. Pony, mule and manchan service is available to reach the temple1. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open to the general public only between the months of April (Akshaya Tritiya) and November (Kartik Purnima, the autumn full moon). During winters, the vigraha (deity) of the temple is carried down to Ukhimath to be worshipped for the next six months1. Would you like me to find more information about Kedarnath Jyotirlinga or any other topic? 😊
Maharashtra 5 Jyotirlinga Tour
Pilgrimage Tour offers a 5 jyotirlinga in Maharashtra tour package that includes visits to five historic Shiva temples in Maharashtra. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Aundha Nagnath Jyotirlinga, BhimashankarJyotirlinga and Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga are the Jyotirlingas of Maharashtra. The tour package is for 03 Nights 05 Days and is customizable. The cities covered are Shirdi, Nanded, Ahmednagar and Maharashtra. The tour package includes travel by comfortable A/C or non A/C small cars or Tempo Travelers or Mini Buses or big buses depending on the respective tour group size, accommodation in comfortable hotels on twin/ double/triple sharing basis, all meals – morning tea/coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and water bottle (1 Litre) per person per day as per mention itinerary, toll taxes, parking, etc
Traveller Bhaiya 