Jyotirlinga

Somnath

Mallikarjunaswamy

Mahakaleshwar

Omkareshwar

Vaidyanath

Bhimashankar

Rameshwaram

Nageshwar

Vishwanath

Triambkeshwar

Kedarnath

Ghrishneswar

Location of 12 Jyotirlinga Temples.

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A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam (Sanskrit: ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग) is a shrine where Lord Shiva, an aspect of God in Hinduism is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam (pillar) of light." There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.

It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the, Aridra Nakshatra thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment. There are twelve Jyotirlingas in India and they are spread all over India.

Legend

As per Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the Hindu God of creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu God of Preservation) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation. To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either directions. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The jyothirlinga shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Originally there were believed to be 64 jyothirlingas while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy. Each of the twelve jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva. The twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharastra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharastra, Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga at Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra, Nageswar at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Ghrishneswar at Ellora in Maharastra.

Sanskrit Sloka

The following sanskrit sloka describes about the 12 Jyotirlingas -

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्। उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥

परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्। सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥

वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे। हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥

एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥

एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति। कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥:

द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्

English Translation(Literal).

Somanath in Saurashtra and Mallikarjunam in Shri-Shail. (सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्).

Mahakaal in Ujjain and Amleshwar in Omkareshwar. (उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्).

Vaidyanath in Paralya and Bhimashankaram in Dakniya. (परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्).

Rameshem (Rameshwaram) in Sethubandh and Nageshem (Nageshwar) in Darauka-Vana. (सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने).

Vishwa-Isham (Vishvanath) in Vanarasi and Triambakam at bank of Gautami River. (वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे)).

Kedar (Kedarnath) in Himalayas and Gushmesh (Gushmeshwar) in Shivalaya (Shiwar). (। हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये).

One who recites these Jyotirlingas every evening and morning. (एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः।).

He is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives.(सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति)

One who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled (एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति)

(कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः)

Source: Twelve Jyotirlinga ( द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग स्तोत्रम्)

Twelve Jyotirlingas

The most important and revered lingam for hindus all over the world lies at Pashupatinath Temple, at Nepal. The names and the locations of 12 other '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.[citation needed]
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 (a)	Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga		Jharkhand	Deoghar
9 (b)	Parli Vaijnath Temple		Maharashtra	Parli	Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga temple is very much debated. There is a Baidyanath temple also called Baba dham and Baidyanath dham is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand. Another Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga temple is in Parli, Maharashtra (as per above picture of “Location of 12 Jyotirlinga Temples”. Parli According to Twelve Jyotirlinga sanskrit sloka (द्वादशं ज्योतिर्लिंग़ स्तोत्रम्) mentioned above "परल्यां वैद्यनाथं" Vaidyanath in Paralya (Meaning: Vaidyanath residing in Parli).
9 (c)	Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga		Himachal Pradesh	at Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh	While another temple at Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh also claims to be the jyotilinga mentioned in shloka.
10 (a)	Nageshvara Jyotirlinga		Gujarat	near Dwarka	There are dispute regarding Nagnath Jyotirlinga with one near Dwarka and another below at Aundha Nagnath and one more at Uttarakhand.
10 (b)	Aundha Nagnath Temple		Maharashtra	at Aundha Nagnath
10 (c)	Nageshvara Jyotirlinga		Uttarakhand	at Almora district	The temple here known as Jageshwar also claims to be Nageshwara jyotilinga mentioned in shloka.
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	100px	Maharashtra	Aurangabad	Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, at Aurangabad Maharashtra . more information http://www.jyotirlingas.com/grishneshwar-jyotirlinga.html

Rajasthan

It is located near Ellora cave Aurangabad District, Maharashtra

plz correct it Vaidyanath jotirling is in parli vaijnath district beed maharahstra 350 km from mumbai and 225 from pune and also nagesh daruka van is also at aundha nagnath in disrict hingoli maharashtra 400 km from mumbai

References

• Chakravarti, Mahadev (1994), The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages (Second Revised ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0053-2 
• Chaturvedi, B. K. (2006), Shiv Purana (First ed.), New Delhi: Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd, ISBN 81-7182-721-7 
• Eck, Diana L. (1999), Banaras, city of light (First ed.), New York: Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-11447-8 
• Gwynne, Paul (2009), World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction, Oxford: Blackwell Publication, ISBN 978-1-4051-6702-4 .
• Harding, Elizabeth U. (1998). "God, the Father". Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 156–157. ISBN 978-81-208-1450-9. 
• Lochtefeld, James G. (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M, Rosen Publishing Group, p. 122, ISBN 0-8239-3179-X 
• R., Venugopalam (2003), Meditation: Any Time Any Where (First ed.), Delhi: B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd., ISBN 81-8056-373-1 
• Vivekananda, Swami. "The Paris Congress of the History of Religions". The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Vol.4. 

External links

• About Jyotirlingas and Other Shiva temples
• About Bhimasankar Jyotirlinga
• Baidyanath Dham Deoghar
• Details of 12 Jyotirlingas
• Learn about the Jyotirlingams
• The 12 Jyotirlingas with the story Lord Shiva
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• Jyotirlingas on Google Maps
• Shortest round trip to all Jyothirlingas