Jyotirling(a)
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Jyotirlinga
The Jyotirlingas are believed to be manifestations of Lord Shiva's power. They are said to have been created by Lord Shiva himself to destroy evil and protect the world. Pilgrims who visit the Jyotirlingas are said to be blessed with good fortune and spiritual enlightenment.
The 12 Jyotirlingas
This poem mentions the 12 jyotirlings and their location.
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्। उज्जयिन्यां महाकालम्ॐकारममलेश्वरम्॥१॥
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमाशंकरम्। सेतुबंधे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥२॥
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यंबकं गौतमीतटे। हिमालये तु केदारम् घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥३॥
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥४॥
It is said that there are 64 Jyotirlingas but 12 of these are of utmost importance. Here let’s check out the important jyotirlingas temple in the country.
Omkareshwar in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
Fourth in line, Omkareshwar temple in Khandwa is one of the most revered places in India dedicated to Lord Shiva. Set on an island named Mandhata or Shivapuri by the Narmada River, the shape of the lingam here looks like ‘Om’. The place features two main Shiva Temples, one is Omkareshwar and the other is Amareshwar.
Somnath Temple, Gujarat
Located in Veraval, Somnath Temple is considered one of the most famous and revered Shiva shrines in the world as it is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga. There are a number of legends and stories associated with the temple and one among them is the story of Moon (Som) God. It is said that once moon lost it shine and lustre because of a curse. To get rid of the curse, he bathed here and got the lustre back. Since then, it’s called Somnath, meaning the ‘lord of the moon’.
Mallikarjuna in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
The second in line is Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh. The jyotirlinga here is named after Mallikarjuna Swamy. Legend has it that Shiva and Parvati came here to meet their angry elder son Kartikeya because his younger brother Ganesha was getting married before him. The mammoth fort like temple features Mallikarjuna Swamy and Bharmaramba Devi as its main deities.
Mahakaleswar in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
A temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain is third in line. Set on the banks of Rudra Sagar lake, the lingam here is consider to be Swayambhu and it derives its powers from Shakti within. The temple features more than a hundred little shrines within the temple complex and remains crowded on most of the days.
Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga, Tamil Nadu
It’s located in the southernmost of all the 12 Jyotirlingas, in the island of Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. Popularly known for its architecture, Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is closely associated with Lord Ram’s victorious return from Sri Lanka. As per legends, while Lord Ram was on his way to Sri Lanka, he took a halt at Rameshwaram and was drinking water on the seashore. Just then, there was a celestial edict, which stated “You are drinking water without worshipping me”. Hearing this, Lord Ram made a linga of sand, worshipped it and sought blessings to defeat Ravana. Lord Shiva gave him his blessings and then turned into a Jyotirlinga, which is now known as Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga.
Kedarnath in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
Next Jyotirlinga temple in India is Kedarnath in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand. This is one of the main Shiva temples and is considered quite revered. Devotees from across the country visit here to pray to the lord which is definitely a difficult journey. It is also a prime Chardham Yatra destination and remains close for six months due to extreme weather conditions.
Bhimashankar in Maharashtra
Bhimashankar in Maharashtra is around 100 km from Pune, situated on the hills of Sahyadri Range. The temple here enjoys gorgeous location and is a trekker’s paradise. This is also the place from where one of largest tributaries of Krishna River originates, called the Bhima River. Here you can also see Buddha style carvings of Amba-Ambika in the surroundings.
Vishwanath in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Situate on the banks of the holy river Ganga, Vishwanath Temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, which is considered the holiest. Vishveshvara, meaning Ruler of The Universe, the temple finds its mention in ancient Hindu scriptures. People from all over the world come here for darshan of Mahadev (another name of Lord Shiva).
Trimbakeshwar in Nashik, Maharashtra
Located on the banks of river Godavari, Trimbakeshwar or Tryambakeshwar in Nashik is one of the ancient Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. Nashik is also one of the four cities where holy Kumbha takes place every 12 years. There is also a Kusavarta, a holy kunda (sacred pond) inside the temple whose source of water is the Godavari River, which is also famous for being the longest river in peninsular India.
Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Aurangabad
This is located 20 km from Daulatabad, near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga is also popular because of its location, as it is near the famous tourist hotspot, i.e., Ajanta and Ellora caves. Legend has it that there once lived a very religious woman, named kusuma, who was a firm believer of Lord Shiva. She used to immerse Shiva’s lingam in a tank daily as part of her daily prayer. However, her husband’s second wife got jealous of her devotion and respect in the society. And in a fit of rage, she killed Kusuma’s son. Kusuma was heartbroken and depressed, yet she continued worshipped Lord Shiva. It is believed that when she immersed the lingan into the tank, i.e., after her son’s death, he became alive miraculously again. It is also believed that Shiva appeared before Kusuma and the villages at that time. And on Kusuma’s request, Shiva manifested Himself at that very site, in the form of Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga.
Vaidyanath or Baijnath in Deogarh, Jharkhand
Now this is one disputed jyotirlinga temples in India considering there are three destinations in the country whose natives claim that the jyotirlinga is there. These are Vaidyanath in Deogarh, Jharkhand, Baijnath in Himachal Pradesh and Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra. Also known as Baba Dham, devotees from all over come here to pour jal over Shivalinga here during the Hindu moth of savan every year.
Nageshvara in Dwarka, Gujarat
Around 18 km from Dwarka in Gujarat, is the Nageshwar temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple also finds its mention in Shiva Purana and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It is mentioned in the text that Shiva in Nageshwar form (meaning body full of serpants) once defeated a demon called Daruka and his army to rescue one of his ardent devotees named Supriya. Since then, it is called the Nageshwar Temple.
The other 52 Jyotirlingas
The names of the other 52 Jyotirlingas are not as well known. [Several searches made by Indpaedia.com, including through AI, yielded no results.] However, they are still considered to be sacred by Hindus. Some of the other Jyotirlingas are located in the following places:
Gujarat
Rajasthan
Madhya Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Jharkhand
Chhattisgarh
Odisha
Andhra Pradesh
Telangana
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Karnataka
Maharashtra
Goa
Gujarat
