12 Jyotirlinga - Name, significance, and Story

India is a country full of religious beliefs and holy temples, where people worship God. There are many ancient and holy temples here, among them the number of temples of Lord Bholenath is immense. Every year, lakhs of devotees come to visit these temples and Shivalayas of Lord Shiva. Among these holy Shivalayas, there are also 12 famous Jyotirlingas of Bholenath. These Jyotirlingas have the highest importance.

According to religious beliefs, Lord Shiva himself is present in the form of Jyoti in the 12 Jyotirlingas of Bholenath. If you want to visit these Jyotirlingas, then you should know what is the names of these 12 Jyotirlingas and where they are located. Most Jyotirlingas are located in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

12 Jyotirlinga Names With Place

The 12 Jyotirlingas in India are counted among the most sacred and important pilgrimage sites of Lord Shiva. They are spread across the Americas. And each one has a special spiritual, historical, and mythological significance. The first Jyotirlinga is Somnath in Gujarat, which was built by the Moon and is positioned on the beach. The second, Mallikarjuna, is in Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, where both Shiva and Parvati are worshipped.

The second one is Mahakaleshwar, it is in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and is the best south-facing Jyotirlinga. The fourth, Omkareshwar, is located on an island in the Narmada River, which is shaped like Omkar (ॐ). The fifth, Kedarnath, is positioned within the Himalayas of Uttarakhand and is one of the 4 Dhams. The sixth temple is Bhimashankar, located in the Sahyadri Mountains in Maharashtra, and is associated with the slaying of the demon Bhima.

The 7th, Kashi Vishwanath, is located in Varanasi and is taken into consideration to be a Mokshadayak. The eighth is Trimbakeshwar, which is located at the origin of the Godavari River, and Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are worshipped here. The 9th is Vaidyanath in Deoghar, Jharkhand, wherein Ravana finished penance to please Shiva. The 10th is Nageshwar, which is located near Dwarka and is dedicated to the protector form of Shiva.

The 11th is Rameswaram, which is located in Tamil Nadu, and here Lord Rama established the Shivalinga. The last and 12th Jyotirlinga, Grishneshwar, is near Ellora in Maharashtra and is considered the smallest Jyotirlinga. All these Jyotirlingas are the center of great reverence and faith for Shiva devotees, and their darshan is considered to be liberation from the sins of life and the direction of salvation.

Somnath Jyotirlinga

Somnath Jyotirlinga, positioned in Saurashtra, Gujarat, is considered to be the oldest Jyotirlinga on the planet. Somnath Jyotirlinga became established through Chandradev himself. There is also a holy pond built by the gods here, which is called Somkund or Papanashak-Tirth.

Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga

Mallikarjuna is the second among the 12 Jyotirlingas. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga is located on a mountain called Srishaila on the banks of the Krishna River in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. This temple is also called the Kailash of the South. There is also a belief that the devotee who comes and worships in this temple gets the same amount of virtue as the virtue obtained by performing Ashwamedha Yagya.

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is located in the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. Therefore, Ujjain is also called the city of Mahakal. Mahakaleshwar is the only south-facing Jyotirlinga. Here, Lord Shiva's aarti is performed 6 times a day. It starts with Bhasma Aarti. Morning Aarti in Mahakaleshwar is also called Mangala Aarti. This is the only south-facing Jyotirlinga. The Bhasma Aarti performed here every day is famous all over the world.

Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga

Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is placed in the Malwa region close to Indore in Madhya Pradesh. The mountains and the river flowing around Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga shape the form of Om (ॐ) here. This is the best temple placed to the north of the Narmada River. Here, Lord Shiva is located on both banks of the river. Mahadev is worshipped here as Mamleshwar and Amaleshwar.

Kedarnath Jyotirlinga

Kedarnath temple is one of the holy pilgrimage sites of North India, which is located on the banks of the Mandakini River at an altitude of 3584 meters above sea level. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga is located on the peak known as Kedar of the Himalayas in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is located on a mountain called Sahyadri, 110 km away from Pune in Maharashtra. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is considered to be the sixth Jyotirlinga among the 12 Jyotirlingas of Bholenath. The local people here also know this temple as Moteshwar Mahadev.

Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga

Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is located on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is also known as Vishweshwara. This word means 'ब्रह्मांड का शासक'. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga of Baba Vishwanath (Lord Shiva) is placed within the city of Varanasi. That is taken into consideration, the religious capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is positioned in the Nashik district of Maharashtra. Near Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is a mountain named Brahmagiri. The Godavari River originates from Brahmagiri Mountain. The river Godavari in the south is taken into consideration to be the same as the sin-destroyer river Ganga in North India. Just as the credit for the descent of Ganga goes to the great ascetic Bhagirath, the flow of Godavari is the result of the great penance of the great sage Gautam.

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga is located near Santhal Pargana in the state of Jharkhand. This Baidyanath Dham of Lord Shiva is known as Chita Bhoomi. Baidyanath Dham is important among all the 12 Shiva Jyotirlinga sites because it is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas of India. The heart of Mata Sati had fallen here, so it is also called Hriday Peeth.

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is located in the Dwarka region of Gujarat. In Rudra Samhita, Shiva is described as 'Darukavan Nagesham'. Nageshwar means the god of snakes. People who have a snake defect in their horoscope are offered snakes and serpents made of metals here. The distance of Nageshwar Jyotirlinga from Dwarka Puri is 17 miles.

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is placed in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu. This Jyotirlinga was made by using Lord Shri Ram himself with his own hands. It is believed that just by seeing the Shivalinga located here, one gets relief from all diseases. Since it was established by Lord Shri Ram, Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga has been named Rameshwaram after Lord Ram.

Ghushneshwar Jyotirlinga

This Jyotirlinga is located near Daulatabad in Maharashtra. Ghushneshwar Jyotirlinga is considered a symbol of devotion of a devotee of Bholenath named Ghushma. This Shivling was named Ghushmeshwar after him. Ghushmeshwar Jyotirlinga is placed close to Daulatabad, close to Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.

Significance of 12 Jyotirlinga

Worshipping the 12 Jyotirlingas holds special significance in Hinduism. The Shivlingas located at the 12 places where Lord Shiva has appeared are worshipped as holy Jyotirlingas. By touring the twelve Jyotirlingas during the month of Sawan, someone is freed from the cycle of birth and loss of life and attains a place in Shivaloka. On the other hand, the person who takes the name of the twelve Jyotirlingas every day or praises the twelve Jyotirlingas, all his troubles are removed, and happiness and prosperity remain in life.

Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stuti

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्।

उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोंकारं ममलेश्वरम् ॥

परल्यां वैजनाथं च डाकियन्यां भीमशंकरम्|

सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥

वारणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमी तटे।

हिमालये तु केदारं ध्रुष्णेशं च शिवालये ॥

एतानि ज्योतिर्लिंगानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः।

सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरेण विनश्यति ॥

Saurashtra Somnath Cha Srishaile Mallikarjunam.

Ujjayinyan Mahakalmonkaran Mamleshwaram.

Paralyam Vaijanatham Cha Dakiyanya Bhimashankaram.

Setubandhe tu Ramesh Nageshan Darukavane.

Varanasyaan tu Visvesham Trimbakam Gautami Taate.

Himalayas tu Kedaram Dhrushneshan cha Shivalayas.

Etani Jyotirlingani sayam pratah Pathennaar.

Saptajanmakrtan Paapan Smaren Vinashyati.

Conclusion

The compassionate incarnation of Lord Mahadev is described in the Shiva Purana. Lord Shiva, who is self-existent, eternal, supreme power, is the world consciousness and is considered the basis of cosmic existence. Not only this, but the mystery, glory, and worship of Lord Shiva have been fully described. In the Shiva Purana, together with the distinction and devotion of Lord Shiva, the technique of worship, many knowledgeable stories, and instructive memories have been defined, and the grand personality of Lord Shiva has been praised. If you want to know more about the 12 Jyotirlingas, then an Online Jyotish Consultation.