Shrines known as Jyotirlingas, Jyotirlings, or Jyotirlingams are places of worship where Lord Shiva is revered as a Jyotirlingam. The words "Jyothi" and "Lingam" refer to the Shiva Lingam, which is also known as "the mark or sign" of the Almighty or the phallus symbol. The term "Jyotir Lingam" refers to the Almighty's radiant symbol. In India, there are twelve Jyotirlinga shrines that follow tradition. The Jyotirlingas are especially revered because it was on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra when Lord Shiva initially appeared as one of them. Nothing distinguishes the look, but if one reaches a higher level of spiritual accomplishment, it is said that one can perceive these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the soil. India is home to twelve Jyotirlingas, which are dispersed around the country..

 

Somnath Temple, Gujarat  :  One of the most significant spiritual locations on the Hindu circuit is the Somnath Temple, which is devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple, which is thought to be the first of the nation's twelve jyotirlingas (devotional shrines of Lord Shiva), receives a lot of visitors each year. The temple, which is surrounded by the Arabian Sea, offers a breathtaking view of the Saurashtra peninsula. With its impressive 50-meter-tall shikhara (spire), the Somnath Temple features majestic Chalukyan architecture. Building majesty is enhanced with silver doors, fine carvings, a shivling, and a Nandi statue (bull god). The main shrine, whose arches tower over the entire temple complex, and an equally vast mandapa (hall) are located in the temple's enormous courtyard. Following the obeisance, devotees can slip through a side door to find an ethereal view of sunlight tripping over the sea waves. In the month of November, the Kartik Purnima fair organised here attracts a large number of pilgrims.

 

How to Reach: Jamnagar /Rajkot /Diu airport

 

 

Nageshwar Shiva Temple, Gujarat :  Lord Shiva is the subject of the Nageshwar Shiva Temple, one of the nation's oldest and referenced in the Shiva Purana. Swayambhu, or the self-existent idol of the Lord, is claimed to be present in one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. A statue of Lord Shiva seated at a height of 25 meters is used to worship the deity. The temple has remarkable architecture and is a picturesque location with well-kept, lush green gardens all around.According to legend, Lord Shiva was worshipped in Darukavana by a group of dwarf sages. To test their patience and devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before them as a naked ascetic with only snakes on his body..  The sages were enraged when, upon viewing the saint, their women became attracted to him and abandoned their husbands. They could take no more and cursed the ascetic for misplacing his linga. The planet was rocked as a shivling landed to Earth. In response to Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu's plea to rescue the planet and retrieve his linga, Lord Shiva granted their wish and vowed to remain a jyotirlinga in Darukavana forever.


Mahakaleshwar Temple, Madhya Pradesh :  Lord Shiva is the subject of the Mahakaleshwar Temple, one of the most well-known temples in Ujjain and one of the nation's twelve Jyotirlingas. The Mahakaleshwar lingam, a symbolic image of Lord Shiva, is thought to be swayambhu, or self-manifested, and it is housed in a subterranean chamber. The current temple was built halfway through the 18th century and has five stories. The temple is a wonder of construction, constructed in the Bhumija, Chalukya, and Maratha styles. Its marble pathways, which the Scindias renovated in the last part of the 1800s, are noteworthy. The lingams of Mahakalesvara, Omkaresvara, and Nagachandresvara occupy three floors of the edifice, respectively. .  Only on Naga Panchami is the Nagachandresvara lingam available to devotees. Additionally, Koti Tirtha, a kunda (tank) constructed in the sarvatobhadra style, is located on the property. There are several pictures of the temple's original construction that show its splendor during the Paramara era (9th and 14th centuries) along the walkway that leads from the kunda stairs to the temple. Devotees congregate at the temple, which is close to Rudra Sagar, as early as 4 am for a special Bhasma Arti. The atmosphere is exuberant, and the sight of the illuminated diyas is breathtaking.

 

How To Reach -  Indore airport or railway station or Train station Ujjain. 

 

 

Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple (Rameshwaram ) , Tamil Nadu : Tamil Nadu's Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple: The Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most visited site in Rameswaram, drawing tourists from all over the world. One of the twelve jyotirlingas (special devotional shrines of Lord Shiva) is housed there. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The term "Ramanathaswamy," which translates to "the master of Rama," alludes to Lord Shiva, to whom Lord Rama prayed prior to departing for Lanka in order to rescue Goddess Sita from Ravana's grasp.

The temple's architecture is renowned for its elaborate carvings, towering sculptured pillars along the hallways, and majestic towers. The temple contains up to 1,212 pillars. There are twenty-two theerthams, or sacred baths, in the temple. It is believed that a plunge in these baths wipes away one's sins. Every day of the week, the temple is open from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

How To Reach - ex. Madurai 4 hours drive one way

 

Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh : One of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples in the world is located in Omkareshwar. The temple, which honors Lord Shiva, is tucked away on the island of Omkar Mountain in the middle of the Narmada River. The spacious prayer hall, known as the sabha mandap, is supported by sixty enormous brown stone pillars. The temple has three worship services every day and has several deities on each of its five stories. The priests of the states of Holkar and Scindia lead the other two prayer gatherings, while the temple trust leads the morning prayer. Many pilgrims who also visit the neighboring Mamleshwar temple are drawn to the temple. It is believed to be lucky to take a plunge in the Narmada River before entering the temple. 

How to Reach - Nearest airport is  Indore

Vishwanath Mandir, Uttar Pradesh :  Lord Shiva, the city's ruling deity, is the subject of Varanasi's most well-liked attraction, the Vishwanath Mandir, also called the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Due to its gold plating, this temple is also known as the "golden temple" and is particularly sacred to Hindu believers. The temple was given its current form in 1780 by queen Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. In 1839, Ranjeet Singh, the ruler of Punjab, donated its famous 15.5-meter-tall gold spire and dome. The temple is surrounded by a labyrinth of other shrines and tiny galis, or passageways, that are lined with stores that sell trinkets, handicrafts, sweetmeats, and paan (betel leaf). Darshan, or general visitation, is available from 4 a.m. until 11 p.m.   

The similarly famed Dundiraj Vinayak, dedicated to Lord Ganesha, and Annapurna Temple, devoted to the goddess of food, are located next to the temple. The jyotirlinga, or sacred shrine of Lord Shiva, situated within the temple is thought to be the 12th jyotirlinga. The temple is situated on the banks of the Ganges River. There is a well on the temple grounds known as Jnana Vapi, or the wisdom well. Many people think that the chief saint of the temple dove into the well to keep attackers away from the jyotirlinga, which was stored there for protection. Hindu mythology places significant importance on the temple since numerous revered saints are said to have come here to get the jyotirlinga's darshan.

How to Reach - Varanasi airport is the nearest. 

Trimbakeshwar Temple, Maharashtra : Situated outside of Nashik, the historic Trimbakeshwar Temple was built on the site of an earlier older temple by the third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao (1740–1760). It is surrounded by the hills of Nilagiri and Kalagiri and is located at the base of Brahmagiri Hill. Constructed completely of black stone, it is a stunning Hindu pilgrimage site devoted to Lord Shiva. It is situated close to Trimbak, the place where the River Godavari rises. The holy river's starting location is represented by Kusavarta, a pond located on the temple grounds.

Because it holds one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the temple is one of the most significant in the area. The three faces on this shivling, which represent Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva, serve as its main feature. A crown set with emeralds, diamonds, and other priceless stones adorns the linga. Every Monday for an hour in the evening, the crown is on display.
Other gods and goddesses like Goddess Gangadevi, Lord Jaleswara, Lord Rameswara, Lord Gautameswara, Lord Kedarnath, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Parasurama, and Lord Lakshmi Narayana are also depicted in the temple.. While you're here, you should also visit the nearby temple of Gangadwar and the magnificent Brahmagiri Fort.  

 

 

Bhimashankar Temple, Maharashtra :  The Bhimashankar Temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and ranks sixth out of India's twelve jyotirlingas, or sanctuaries dedicated to Lord Shiva. The garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum) and shikahara (tower) of the temple are built in the Nagara (or Indo-Aryan) architectural style, which is distinctly influenced by Rajasthani and Gujarati architecture. The sanctum's exterior walls display scenes from Indian epics such as the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Krishna Leela, and Shiv Leela. The records of donations made to the temple are etched into the walls of the courtyard

 

This temple, which was built in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis, also has a sabhamandap. The shrine and the Bhimarathi river are mentioned in literature from as early as the 13th century, despite the fact that the building itself is very recent. The river Bhima, which empties into the Krishna river close to Raichur, is likewise sourced from Bhimashankar.

 

Grishneshwar Temple, Maharashtra :   Also known as Ghushmeswara or Grishneswara, this jyotirlinga is located between the Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Aurangabad. Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore built the temple in the Maratha architectural style. It has beautiful engravings and designs and is constructed of red and black stones.  

 

 

 

Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand  :  The Kedarnath Temple, one of the char dhams, receives millions of pilgrims each year. The pilgrims travel a long, yet spiritually fulfilling, distance to get at this 3,584-meter-high shrine to Lord Shiva. Being one of the nation's twelve Jyotirlingas—devotional shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva—the temple is revered especially. A conical rock structure known as the sanctum sanctorum is revered as Lord Shiva's Sadashiva (ever auspicious) form. The massive stone slabs that make up this 1,000-year-old temple are set on a rectangular platform. The steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum have inscriptions in Pali.  

 

Hindu mythological motifs and a variety of gods are sculpted on the inner walls. According to legend, the scholar Adi Shankaracharya constructed the temple in the eighth century, and it has since undergone a number of restorations. Since the whole Kedarnath shrine is buried in snow during the winter, the idol of Lord Shiva is moved from the shrine to Ukhimath every year in November.

 

Baba Baidyanath Dham, Jharkhand :  The most well-known temple in the community, the Baba Baidyanath Temple, is visited by thousands of worshippers each year and is recognized as both a shaktipeeth (a sacred shrine where the severed bodily parts of Goddess Shakti landed) and a jyotirlinga (a devotional portrayal of Lord Shiva). The temple is devoted to Lord Shiva and is one of the nation's twelve holiest jyotirlingas. It also contains idols of the goddess Parvati and the god Ganesha. At four in the morning, the head priest leads shodashopachar, or sixteen services, in worship. After then, worship of the Lord is permitted for devotees. According to legend, Lord Shiva received the ten heads that the king of Lanka, Ravana, offered as sacrifices here. When the Lord saw this, he came to earth.   and healed Ravana's injuries

 

Shiva is so referred to as a "vaidhya," which means physician or healer. Although this sacred land is linked to many such traditions, history also attests to its significance. The temple is mentioned as early as the eighth century AD, when Adityasena Gupta, the final Gupta king, was in power. The pond here is called Mansarovar, and it is supposed to have been constructed by Amber's Mughal king, Raja Man Singh. The temple is a simple stone building with a 72-foot-tall pyramidal tower facing east. On top of it are three small gold containers and a punchshula (five trident-shaped knives). Chandrakanta Mani, an eight-petaled lotus,

 

 

Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisalam Andhra Pradesh :  This temple, sometimes referred to as the "Kailash of the South," is located on the banks of the Krishna River. Goddess Parvati is worshiped as Bhramaramba, and Lord Shiva is worshipped as Mallikarjuna. According to a story found in the Shiva Purana, Lord Kartikeya was enraged when his brother, Lord Ganesha, was married before him. Then he moved to a secluded mountain and stopped talking to anyone, not even his parents. When Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati saw how ill their son was, they became very upset. Shiva took on the appearance of a jyotirlinga and took up residence in the mountain known as Mallikarujna. These days, followers think they will be absolved of all their sins if they even catch a glimpse of the mountain's peak.