The 12 Jyotirlingas are sacred temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the major deities of Hinduism. “Jyotirlinga” means “pillar of light”, representing Shiva as an infinite, formless divine presence. Visiting these pilgrimage sites is considered highly auspicious and spiritually beneficial for the devotees. Each Jyotirlinga has deep spiritual power and is considered a gateway to divine blessings and liberation (moksha). For seekers seeking an uninterrupted, relaxing and deeply spiritual journey, the specially designed 12 Jyotirlinga packages provide the ideal way to explore these sacred sites.
Jyotirlinga is a devotional representation of Lord Shiva, in which the word ‘Jyotir’ means ‘light/shine’ and ‘Lingam’ means sign/sign, hence the word Jyotirlinga represents the bright sign of Lord Shiva. According to Shiva Purana, it is said that there are 64 Jyotirlinga temples, out of which 12 Jyotirlingas are the most sacred and are considered to be Swayambhu, which means they were created without human intervention when Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were arguing over who was superior, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a pillar of the Sun and asked both Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu to locate the end of the pillars, it is said that at the places where the light of these pillars fell, Jyotirlingas are believed to be located there.
It is believed that the Jyotirlingas represent twelve different forms of Lord Shiva, and visiting all 12 Jyotirlingas will help one attain moksha, or liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and each Jyotirlinga is a different form of Lord Shiva.
These 12 luminous incarnations of Lord Shiva are revered for their deep spiritual significance in Hinduism. The divine journey to these 12 Jyotirlingas across India is not just a travel experience but a path to spiritual awakening and salvation.
These Jyotirlingas are spread across various regions of India:
- Somnath Jyotirlinga – Gujrat
Somnath Temple is a Hindu temple located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites of Hindus and the first of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples of Shiva. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times, reflecting the unwavering spirit of Hindu faith.
Location:- Prabhas Patan, near Veraval, Saurashtra
- Nageshwar Jyotirlinga – Dwarka, Gujrat
Nageshwar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, located in Dwarka, Gujarat, India. One of the mythological temples mentioned in Shiva Purana and one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Shiv Purana states that Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is in ‘Darukavana’, which is the ancient name of a forest in India. ‘Darukavan’ is mentioned in Indian epics like Kamyakavan, Dwaitavan, Dandakavan.
Location:- Dwarka
- Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga – Pune, Maharashtra
Bhimashankar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Bhimashankar, a village of the same name in Pune district of Maharashtra. It is a major pilgrimage site and contains one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Bhima river originates from Bhimashankar village, and near it are present the hills of Manmad village, on these hills there are old rocks of Lord Bhimashankar, Bhootings and Amba-Ambika.
Location:- Sahyadri Hills, Pune Maharashtra
- Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga – Nasik, Maharashtra
Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is an ancient Hindu temple in Trimbak town of Trimbakeshwar tehsil in Nashik district of Maharashtra. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas where Hindu genealogical registers are kept in Trimbakeshwar, Maharashtra. The origin of the holy Godavari river is near Trimbak.
Location:- Nasik, Maharashtra
- Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga – Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Grushaneshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple of Shiva in Verul village in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. The temple is a nationally protected site, one and a half kilometers from the Ellora Caves, 30 kilometers (19 mi) northwest of Aurangabad city. Grishaneshwar is mentioned in Shiv Purana, Skanda Purana, Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Location:- Aurangabad, Maharashtra
- Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga – Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, considered to be the most sacred abode of Shiva. It is located in the ancient city of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. This temple is situated on the banks of the holy Shipra River. The presiding deity Shiva in the form of a Linga is believed to be Swayambhu, who emanates currents of power from within himself, unlike other images and Lingas, which are ritually installed and invested with mantra-power.
Location:- Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
- Omkareshwar Jyotilinga – Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located at Mandhata in Khandwa city near Khandwa district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga temples of Shiva. It is on an island called Mandhata near Khandwa city on the Narmada River in Khandwa district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is said that the shape of the island is like the Devanagari Om symbol.
Location:- Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
- Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga – Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is located in Vishwanath Gali in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. This temple is a Hindu pilgrimage site and is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. The presiding deity is known as Vishwanath and Vishveshwar which means Lord of the Universe.
Location:- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Baidyanath Jyotirlinga – Deoghar, Jharkhand
Baidyanath Temple also known as Baba Baidyanath Dham, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Pargana division of the Indian state of Jharkhand. The temple complex includes the central shrine of Baba Baidyanath along with 21 additional temples. It is important to Hindu sects of Shaivism as this temple is considered one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Location:- Deoghar Jharkhand
- Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga (Ramanathaswamy) – Rameshwaram Island, Tamil Nadu
Ramanathaswamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, located on Rameshwaram Island in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples. According to tradition, the Lingam (a unique form of Shiva) of the Ramanathaswamy temple was established and worshiped by Lord Rama before crossing the bridge called Rama Setu into Lanka, the island kingdom of Sri Lanka. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites.
Location:- Rameshwaram Island, Tamil Nadu
- Kedarnath Jyotirlinga – Kedarnath, Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
Kedarnath Temple is a Hindu temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. This temple is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini River in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Kedarnath Temple in the lap of Himalayan Mountains in Uttarakhand is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and also one of the Char Dham and Panch Kedar. Due to the adverse climate here, this temple remains open for darshan only between the months of April to November.
Location:- Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand
- Srisailam Mallikarjun Jyotirlinga – Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva, Srisailam Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati, located in Srisailam in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple or Srisailam Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati, located in Srisailam in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Shiva is worshiped in the form of Mallikarjuna and is represented by a lingam. His wife Parvati is depicted as Bhramaramba.
Location:- Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
