12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties have a special place in all the world’s spiritual places. The 12 Jyotirlingas are the most sacred pilgrimage sites dedicated to Lord Shiva. These self-manifested lingas hold great spiritual significance for Hindus. Pilgrims visit these holy shrines to seek blessings.
According to beliefs, devotees can attain salvation and spiritual awakening from this site. The 12 Jyotirlingas are powerful symbols of devotion, faith, and cosmic energy in the Hindu tradition. The 12 Jyotirlingas have special significance for Hindus all over the world. Let us now know about 12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties.
12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties
There are many Shiva temples and Shiva Dhams in the world including India. But the 12 Jyotirlingas have the highest and divine importance.
According to religious beliefs, Lord Shiva is present in these 12 Jyotirlingas in the form of divine light. Lord Shiva is also called Mahadev. All the pains and sins of life are removed by just seeing them.
One attains salvation after death. It is said in the Puranas that until you do not see these 12 Jyotirlingas of Mahadev, your spiritual life cannot be complete.
So let us now go on the divine darshan of these 12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties. Which you will find very enjoyable in devotion. I will discuss the 12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties along with Dwadash Jyotirling Stotram.
Somnath Jyotirlinga Gujarat
सौराष्ट्रदेशे विशदेऽतिरम्ये ज्योतिर्मयं चन्द्रकलावतंसम् ।
भक्तिप्रदानाय कृपावतीर्णं तं सोमनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
Location: Saurashtra, Gujarat
Open Timings: The temple is open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
Specialties: Somnath is the eternal shrine. It is considered the first Jyotirlinga. Here Lord Shiva was pleased by Chandradev by doing penance. According to Shiva Purana, Chandradev himself established this Jyotirlinga. There is a holy pond built by the gods near the Somnath temple. It is called Somkund or Papanashak-tirtha.
Foreign invaders including Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked the Somnath temple many times. Due to this, it has been destroyed 17 times. Every time it has been destroyed and rebuilt.
Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Andhra Pradesh
श्रीशैलशृङ्गे विबुधातिसङ्गे तुलाद्रितुङ्गेऽपि मुदा वसन्तम् ।
तमर्जुनं मल्लिकपूर्वमेकं नमामि संसारसमुद्रसेतुम् ॥
Location: Srisailam on the banks of the Krishna river, Andhra Pradesh
Open Timings: The temple is open from 5:00 AM to 3:30 PM and then from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
Specialties: Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati reside here. It is also called Kailash of the South. Mallikarjuna is the Lord of Jasmine. According to the mythological story, this Jyotirlinga is situated on this mountain.
By coming to that mountain and worshipping Shiva, a person gets the same virtuous results as performing Ashwamedha Yagna. The importance of Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga temple is equal to Lord Shiva’s Mount Kailash.
Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Madhya Pradesh
अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम् ।
अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम् ॥
Location: Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
Open Timings: The temple is open from 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Specialties: Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is famous by the name of Mahakal. He is the lord of time. Mahakaleshwar is the timeless form. He is considered the god of death. This is the only south-facing Jyotirlinga in the world.
The Bhasma Aarti held in Mahakal temple is famous all over the world. According to the people of Ujjain, Lord Mahakaleshwar is their king. Lord Mahakaleshwar is protecting Ujjain.
Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Madhya Pradesh
कावेरिकानर्मदयोः पवित्रे समागमे सज्जनतारणाय ।
सदैवमान्धातृपुरे वसन्तमोङ्कारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे ॥
Location: Mandhata Island, Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh
Open Timings: The temple is open from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Specialties: It is situated on Omkar Mountain. Where Lord Shiva is revered in the form of Omkar. Omkareshwar is the Mandala of divinity. The Narmada River flows near Indore, a famous city of Madhya Pradesh. The river flowing around this hill forms the shape of Om here.
This Jyotirlinga is in the shape of Omkar i.e. Om. This is why it is known as Omkareshwar. Let me tell you that the word Om originated from the mouth of Brahma. Thus any religious work is done with Om.
Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga Jharkhand
पूर्वोत्तरे प्रज्वलिकानिधाने सदा वसन्तं गिरिजासमेतम् ।
सुरासुराराधितपादपद्मं श्रीवैद्यनाथं तमहं नमामि ॥
Location: Deoghar, Jharkhand
Open Timings: The temple is open from 4:00 AM to 09:00 PM.
Specialties: It is also called Ravanaeshwar Jyotirlinga. Because Ravana worshipped Lord Shiva here. He was taking the Shivling with him to Lanka after luring Lord Shiva from Mount Kailash. However due to some reasons, Ravana could not do so. Vaidyanath is the Lord of Physicians.
There is some disagreement about the location of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga. Which points it to 2 places in India.
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Gujarat
याम्ये सदङ्गे नगरेऽतिरम्ये विभूषिताङ्गं विविधैश्च भोगैः ।
सद्भक्तिमुक्तिप्रदमीशमेकं श्रीनागनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
Location: Dwarka, Gujarat
Open Timings: The temple is open from 6:00 AM to 09:00 PM.
Specialties: Nageshwar is the Lord of Snakes. It is situated on the sea coast and Lord Shiva is worshipped as the god of snakes. Lord Shiva is called the God of snakes. The full meaning of Nageshwar is the God of snakes.
Another name of Lord Shiva is Nageshwar. Hence the name of this Jyotirlinga is Nageshwar Jyotirlinga. This temple is located in Dwarka place in the outskirts of Gujarat.
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Uttarakhand
महाद्रिपार्श्वे च तटे रमन्तं सम्पूज्यमानं सततं मुनीन्द्रैः ।
सुरासुरैर्यक्ष महोरगाढ्यैः केदारमीशं शिवमेकमीडे ॥
Location: Kedarnath, Uttarakhand
Open Timings: The temple is open from 4:00 AM to 09:00 PM.
Specialties: It is located in the Himalayas and is an important site of the Char Dham Yatra. Kedarnath is the celestial abode. Kedarnath is also mentioned in Skanda Purana and Shiva Purana.
This temple is situated on a peak named Kedar on the banks of the Alaknanda and Mandakini rivers in Uttarakhand. According to religious beliefs. The journey to Badrinath is incomplete without visiting Lord Kedarnath.
Tryambakeshwar Jyotirlinga Maharashtra
सह्याद्रिशीर्षे विमले वसन्तं गोदावरितीरपवित्रदेशे ।
यद्धर्शनात्पातकमाशु नाशं प्रयाति तं त्र्यम्बकमीशमीडे ॥
Location: Nashik, Maharashtra
Open Timings: The temple is open from 5:30 AM to 09:00 PM.
Specialties: It is situated on the banks of the Godavari River and Lord Shiva is worshipped here in the form of Tryambaka (three-eyed). Trimbakeshwar is the source of the Godavari.
This temple is situated on the Godavari river in Nasik district of Maharashtra. Near it is a mountain named Brahmagiri. Lord Shiva had to stay here in the form of Jyotirlinga at the request of Gautam Rishi and Godavari River.
Rameswaram Jyotirlinga Tamil Nadu
सुताम्रपर्णीजलराशियोगे निबध्य सेतुं विशिखैरसंख्यैः ।
श्रीरामचन्द्रेण समर्पितं तं रामेश्वराख्यं नियतं नमामि ॥
Location: Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Open Timings: The temple is open from 5:00 AM to 09:00 PM.
Specialties: This place is considered holy because of the establishment of Shivlinga by Lord Rama. Rameshwar temple is considered the Bridge to Lanka. It was established by Lord Shri Ram himself. Hence this temple is named Rameswaram. This Jyotirlinga is located in a place called Ramanathapuram in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Maharashtra
यं डाकिनिशाकिनिकासमाजे निषेव्यमाणं पिशिताशनैश्च ।
सदैव भीमादिपदप्रसिद्दं तं शङ्करं भक्तहितं नमामि ॥
Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Open Timings: The temple is open from 4:30 AM to 09:30 PM.
Specialties: It is located in the Sahyadri mountain range and is believed to be near the source of the Bhima River. Bhimashankar is the Destroyer of Fear. This Jyotirlinga is also known as Moteshwar Mahadev. This temple is located on a mountain called Sahyadri in Pune, Maharashtra.
Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Uttar Pradesh
सानन्दमानन्दवने वसन्तमानन्दकन्दं हतपापवृन्दम् ।
वाराणसीनाथमनाथनाथं श्रीविश्वनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ॥
Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Open Timings: The temple is open from 3:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
Specialties: This Jyotirlinga is located in Varanasi, which is considered the city of Lord Shiva. Kashi Vishwanath is the center of the Universe. Kashi of Uttar Pradesh holds the highest importance among all the religious places.
Thus, Kashi is said to have the highest importance among all the religious places. It is believed that this place will remain even if there is a doomsday. To protect it, Lord Shiva will hold this place on his trident. After the apocalypse is over, he will put Kashi back in its place.
Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga Maharashtra
इलापुरे रम्यविशालकेऽस्मिन् समुल्लसन्तं च जगद्वरेण्यम् ।
वन्दे महोदारतरस्वभावं घृष्णेश्वराख्यं शरणम् प्रपद्ये ॥
Location: Aurangabad, Maharashtra
Open Timings: The temple is open from 5:30 AM to 09:30 PM.
Specialties: It is located near the Ellora Caves and is also known as ‘Dhushmeshwar’. Grishneshwar is the Lord of Compassion. This temple is located near Daulatabad near Aurangabad city.
ज्योतिर्मयद्वादशलिङ्गकानां शिवात्मनां प्रोक्तमिदं क्रमेण ।
स्तोत्रं पठित्वा मनुजोऽतिभक्त्या फलं तदालोक्य निजं भजेच्च ॥
If a person recites the stotrasm of these 12 jyotirmay Shiv Lingas with devotion, then he can get the benefits of seeing them.
All these Jyotirlingas have their own historical and religious significance. The 12 Jyotirlingas are among the important pilgrimage sites of Hinduism. The ‘Pashupatinath Temple‘ located in Kathmandu, Nepal is considered equal to Jyotirlinga. Hindus around the world call it the thirteenth Jyotirlinga.
Conclusion: 12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties
Conclusion: In this article, you learned about the 12 Jyotirlingas and their specialties. In this article, I told the location and opening hours of all the temples. If you want to visit India, then you must visit all these temples.
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