Jyotirlingas: Representations of Lord Shiva

As per Shiv Mahapuran, once God Brahma (the God of creation) and God Vishnu (the  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 Jyotirlingas are considered the most sacred shrines of Lord Shiva. Each Jyotirlinga represents a different manifestation of Shiva and holds a unique place in Hindu spirituality.

1. Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gujarat

• Somnath is believed to be the first among the twelve Jyotirlingas.

  There is a story behind how this Jyotirlinga formed. The son of Lord Brahma Prajapati Daksha had 27 daughters that married the moon. The moon was paying attention to the most beautiful daughter of them all named Rohini. Prajapati Daksha after seeing the lack of affection from the Moon towards his other daughters. He got angry and cursed him that his light and the beauty that he is so proud of will get lost. 

  It is said that the Moon God, Chandra, worshipped Lord Shiva here to regain his lost light. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout history.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM

  • Aarti: 7:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 7:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ सोमनाथाय नमः

2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Andhra Pradesh

• Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh is known as Kashi of the South. According to the Shiv Puran, the Mallikarjuna jyotirlinga is the united form of both Shiva and Parvati. The word Mallika introduces Goddess Parvati, whereas Arjun refers to God Shiv. Located in the Nallamala hill forests along the banks of the Krishna River, this temple is one of the most popular Jyotirlingas in India among twelve.

  One time, Shiva and Parvati could not decide which son to marry first, Ganesh or Kartikeya. To solve this, they asked their sons to go around the world, and whosoever came first will be married to Riddhi and Siddhi. While Kartikeya went to take the round around the world, Ganesha started encircling Parvati and Ganesha as they were his world for him. This gesture was loved by both Lord Shiva and Parvati, and they decided to marry Ganesha first. Out of frustration, Kartikeya went far to a mountain named ‘Kravunja’ and resided there. Knowing this, Shiva and Parvati decided to pay a visit to their son Kartikeya and Jyotirlings came into existence as the spot where they met Kartikeya. Mallikarjuna represents the combined form of Shiva and Parvati. It is believed that visiting this Jyotirlinga blesses devotees with Mukti.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 4:30 AM to 10:00 PM

  • Aarti: 5:30 AM, 1:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ मल्लिकार्जुनाय नमः

3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh

• Located in Ujjain, Mahakaleshwar is unique because the Shivalinga here is south-facing. It is believed to have appeared on its own and is considered the king of all Jyotirlingas. Chandrasena was an ardent devotee of Shiva and ruled a kingdom. One day, king Ripudamana attacked the kingdom with the help of a demon named Dushan, who has the power to become invisible. Chandrasena feared defeat and prayed to Lord Shiva for help. Shiva appeared and promised to stay at the kingdom of Mahakaleshwar to protect it from Dushan and other demons. People still believe that Lord Shiva resides here. It is believed that the Mahakaleshwar shrine was established by a five-year-old boy named Srikar. 

• Timings:

  • Morning: 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM

  • Bhasma Aarti: 4:00 AM

• Mantra:

  ॐ महाकालेश्वराय नमः

4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh

• Omkareshwar is situated on an island shaped like the sacred symbol Om in the Narmada River. The temple is dedicated to both Omkareshwar (the Lord of Omkara) and Mamleshwar (the Immortal Lord). There are two main temples of Lord Shiva here, one to Omkareshwar located on the island and one to Mamleshwar located on the south bank of Narmada River on the mainland. Mamleshwar here is linked to the lord of the immortals. Almost every devotee considers both the temples as equally divine jyotirlinga and visit both as these temples are not far away from each other. Demons attacked the kingdom of king Mandhata once and a mighty mountain requested Lord Shiva to help the people. Mandhata also worshiped Shiva a lot. So, Shiva helped them and due to the king’s devotion got pleased and decided to stay at Omkareshwar forever.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM

  • Aarti: 5:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 8:30 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ ओंकारेश्वराय नमः

5. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Uttarakhand

• Located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini River in Uttarakhand, Kedarnath is important among all the Jyotirlingas. It is also one of the major Dham in Chardham Gangotri Yamutori and Badrinath. It is believed that it was built by the five Pandava brothers of the Mahabharata. In the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, the Pandavas (5 brothers) wanted to let go of all their sins to go to heaven and started their journey to find such a place. They worshiped Lord Shiva and found the shrine, which we call Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Shiva Temple today. Soon, they found Shiva in a vast triangular-shaped ‘Jyotirlinga’. There is no confirmation about the temple in ancient literature when it was built, but it is believed to be 3,000 years old. The temple remains closed for 6 months as it is located at a high altitude and suffers from severe climatic conditions. The famous Hindu saint Adi Shankaracharya’s Samadhi is located just behind the main Kedarnath temple.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM (open only from April to November due to severe weather conditions)

  • Aarti: 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ केदारनाथाय नमः

6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra

• Bhimashankar, located near Pune, is associated with the story of Lord Shiva slaying the demon Tripurasura. The Bhima River, originating here, adds to the sacredness of the place.

  Once Lord Shiva became angry and destroyed the brutal devil Bhima to ashes, and resided here in the form of a jyotirlinga. The temple has a Nagara architectural pattern, which belongs to the Maratha style of architecture. Apart from its religious significance the area also offers several spectacular views.

  Karkati once told his little boy, Bhima that his father, Kumbharakhan (the brother of Ravana) was killed by an avatar (reincarnation) of Rama. He raged with anger and decided to take revenge for his father’s death. He worshiped Brahma to gain worldly powers but instead misused to harm people and also ask them to worship him. He took Shiva’s devotee Kamarupeshwar into his custody and was about to kill him when Lord Shiva appeared and killed Bhima, taking away all his powers. Gods asked Shiva to stay here to protect people and empower them against the demons like Bhima.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM

  • Aarti: 4:30 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:30 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ भीमाशंकराय नमः

7. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, Uttar Pradesh

• Located in the holy city of Varanasi, Kashi Vishwanath is considered the most revered Jyotirlinga. It is believed that a single visit to Kashi Vishwanath ensures liberation (Moksha). Kashi is known to be the oldest place on earth. Also, it is the abode of all the lords – Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Shiva). People believe Kashi to be the place to get rid of all your sins and attain salvation. Thus, it is believed that Shiva created this place and the city that can never be destroyed.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 3:00 AM to 11:00 PM

  • Mangala Aarti: 3:00 AM

• Mantra:

  ॐ विश्वेश्वराय नमः

8. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra

• Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik, is located at the source of the Godavari River. The unique feature of this Jyotirlinga is that it has three faces symbolizing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Once there was a sadhu named Gautam Rishi who lived with his wife, Ahilya. His devotion pleased Shiva, who blessed Gautam with a pit to create as much food and grains as he wanted. His rivals got jealous of him and sent a dead cow to the pit in anger. In sadness and agony, Gautam called Lord Shiva, who appeared and blessed the place with the Ganga River to wash away the sins and eventually started living there.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 5:30 AM to 9:00 PM

  • Aarti: 5:30 AM, 7:00 AM, and 8:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ त्र्यंबकेश्वराय नमः

9. Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Jharkhand

• Also known as Baidyanath, this Jyotirlinga is associated with the legend of Ravana worshipping Shiva to gain invincibility. It is believed that Lord Shiva himself acted as a doctor (Vaidya) to cure Ravana's injuries.

  Ravana was Shiva’s ardent devotee but as he lived in Lanka, he knew Shiva doesn’t reside here. So, to protect his kingdom, he started praying to Lord Shiva. One day, Shiva appeared and asked him his wish to which Ravana asked a lingam to be placed in his kingdom. Shiva warned him that if he kept the lingam once on the ground, it would stay there forever. He agreed and on his way back asked a local shepherd to hold it and not place it on the ground until he returned. The shepherd said if he does not come on time, he will leave it. Ravan failed and the shepherd kept the lingam on the ground where the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple is situated today.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM

  • Aarti: 4:00 AM, 2:00 PM, and 8:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ वैद्यनाथाय नमः

10. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Gujarat

• Located near Dwarka, Nageshwar Jyotirlinga symbolizes protection from all poisons. It is believed that those who pray to Nageshwar gain freedom from all types of poisons. Supriya, a devotee of Lord Shiva resided in Dwarka. She was attacked by a demon called Daaruka and eventually, started praying to Shiva. He appeared, killed Daaruka, and freed Supriya from him. Thus, this place became the abode of Lord Shiva.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM

  • Aarti: 6:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 6:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ नागेश्वराय नमः

11. Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga, Tamil Nadu

• Situated on Rameswaram Island, this Jyotirlinga is associated with Lord Rama. It is believed that Rama worshipped Shiva here to absolve himself of the sin of killing Ravana, a Brahmin. The special thing about the Rameshwaram temple is that there are twenty-two water bodies present in the temple complex. According to the common belief, to show respect to Lord Shiva, devotees take a holy bath at these water bodies before Darshan. The Temple has two jyotirlingas, one made by Lord Rama and another brought by Hanuman from Kashi. It is said that the jyotirlinga brought by Hanuman is a replica of the Kashi Vishwanath jyotirlinga.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM

  • Aarti: 5:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 6:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ रामनाथाय नमः

12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra

• The temple has beautiful carvings of Vishnu’s Dashavatar on the walls of the temple. In the main court hall of the temple, there is a huge Nandi Bull, which signifies purity and justice. The temple is close to Ellora caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple is also called Dhushmeshwar Temple. A woman named Kusum worshiped Lord Shiva by immersing him in the water tank. This unique style of worship was not understood by her husband, who also had other wives. She was rejected by the people of her village too. In agony, her husband killed her son, but Kusum continued with her prayers. One day, Lord Shiva appeared in front of her and her son out of the water tank; therefore, the Jyotirlinga stayed here forever.

• Timings:

  • Morning: 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM

  • Aarti: 5:30 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 8:00 PM

• Mantra:

  ॐ घृष्णेश्वराय नमः

Some of the other major Shiva temples that are not listed as Jyotirlingas are Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir, India , Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Mantra:

• त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।
  उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्॥

• ॐ नमो भगवते रुद्राय नमः 

• ॐ नमः शिवाय

• ओम तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे, महादेवाय धीमहि, तन्नो रुद्र: प्रचोदयात्

• कर्पूर गौरं करुणावतारं, संसार सारं भुजगेंद्र हरं, सदा वसंतं हृदयारविंदे, भवं भवानी सहितं नमामि।

• ऊँ महादेवाय नम:

Q: Which is the most powerful Jyotirlinga?

Ans. Out of all 12, Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is the most powerful Jyotirlinga. It is considered to be the most sacred abode of Lord Shiva.

Q: Which Jyotirling should I visit first?

Ans. 12 Jyotirlinga Darshan usually starts from the Somnath Jyotirlinga located in Gujarat.

Q: What is the difference between Jyotirlinga and Shivling?

Ans. Jyotirlinga and Shivling are both worshiped as Lord Shiva. The only difference is that Shivling can be made and placed in temples by humans, but Jyotirlinga cannot. It is believed to have emerged from the earth itself.

12 Jyotirlingas in India with Their Location:

• Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat

• Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

• Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

• Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh

• Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand

• Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra

• Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

• Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat

• Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

• Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra

• Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand

• Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

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The twelve Jyotirlingas represent the most revered and ancient abodes of Lord Shiva. Each Jyotirlinga has its unique history, significance, and rituals, making them powerful centers of worship and pilgrimage. Devotees believe that visiting and worshipping at these sacred sites brings immense spiritual benefits, including liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The mantras associated with each Jyotirlinga are powerful invocations that help devotees connect with the divine energy of Lord Shiva.