12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga
12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga
What is Jyotirlinga?
Before knowing about all the Jyotirlingas, you need to know what a Jyotirlinga is. A jyotirlinga or Jyotirlingam is a representation of Shiva. It is a Sanskrit word which means ” Radiance”. The Shiva Purana mentions as many as 64 Jyotirlingas. Out of these 12 are called Mahajyotirlingam or the Great Jyotirlingas. 12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga.
Mahadev, Shiva, The Destroyer of Evil. Called by different names but ultimately the Supreme Being. Being a Hindu, most people come across the term “Jyotirlinga” quite a few times while growing up. Shiva’s Jyotirlinga is highly revered among the Hindus. A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam.
A Jyotirlinga is a religious symbol of the supreme God Shiva. The word is a combination of Jyoti means a radiant ‘light’ and lingam the ‘icon or sign’ of Shiva.
A Shiva Linga consists of three parts, the lowest of which is the Brahma-Pitha, the middle one, the Vishnu-Pitha, and the uppermost one, the Siva-Pitha.
Legend of the Jyotirlinga
Story behind Jyotirlinga
In Shiv Purana you will hear an incident that took place thousands of years ago. When Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma are discussing who is supreme that discussion turns into an argument. Then lord Shiva appears there to settle their argument. He made the infinite pillar of light appear there and that pillar pierced all the three worlds when it appeared. Then lord Shiva told both of them that whoever finds the light first will be the supreme God.
They both went in the opposite direction and after a while, they both didn’t find the end of the pillar. So Lord admitted defeat and told Lord Shiva he couldn’t find the end while Lord Brahma lied saying he did find the end of the pillar. Seeing him lying, Lord Shiva got furious and cursed Lord Brahma. That no one is going to worship Lord Brahma even though he has created this entire universe.
In that anger, Lord Shiva’s infinite pillar of light appeared on the earth in 64 places in the form of Lingodbhava. From those 64 places, only 12 are majors, and they now are known as the 12 main Jyotirlingas of India. In each Jyotirlinga Lord Shiva resides in some form of deity and blesses all the people.
The 12 jyotirlingas are sacred to Lord Shiva’s devotees, who believe that the god has manifested in these places and will grant any wish made at the temples. The 12 jyotirlingas are Swayambhu Lingas, meaning they appeared independently and were not carved by humans.
Each Jyotirlinga holds its significance, associated myths, and historical events. Devotees undertake pilgrimages to these sacred sites, perform rituals, and offer prayers to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. The Jyotirlingas serve as powerful spiritual centers where devotees can experience the divine presence and deepen their connection with the Supreme Being. The 12 Jyotirlinga yatra is considered highly auspicious and is believed to bestow spiritual enlightenment, fulfillment of desires, and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
According to legend, on the night of Ardra Nakshatra, Lord Shiva, for the very first time manifested himself into the jyotirlinga, wherein a common man can only see and feel the presence of Lord Shiva through his radiant lights like fire emerging from the earth and it is only then, he can consider himself closer to his spiritual attainment and closer to the lord.
THESE ARE BEGINNINGLESS & ENDLESS PILLARS
Each of the twelve jyotirlinga sites takes the name of the presiding deity, each considered a 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.
What is the difference between Jyotirlinga and Shivling?
The meaning of ‘Linga’ means the symbol and gender which is associated with Lord Shiva. Jyotirlinga on the other hand is the manifestation of Lord Shiva which is ‘Swayambhu’ (the one occurring on its own). In other words, Jyotirlinga appears automatically while Shivling is created by humans.
Therefore, the 12 Jyotirlinga came into existence on their own. According to mythological stories in Shiva Purana wherever Lord Shiva appeared in the form of light and was pleased by his devotees, he manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga in that place. Hence, Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of Jyotirlinga at 12 different places in India. These 12 Jyotirlingas rule the 12 different zodiac signs. Whereas a Shivlinga is the mystic idol of Lord Shiva that is either man-made or appears on its own. There are numerous Shivlinga across the country and people worship them with utmost devotion.
JYOTIRLINGA ARE THE FIERY COLUMNS OF LIGHT
12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga – The jyotirlinga is the Supreme Shiva, a partless reality, out of which Shiva appeared in another form, Lingodbhava. The jyotirlinga shrines are temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.
DWADASA JYOTIRLINGA STOTRAM
laghu stōtram
saurāṣṭrē sōmanādhañcha śrīśailē mallikārjunam ।
ujjayinyāṃ mahākālaṃ ōṅkārētvamāmalēśvaram ॥
parlyāṃ vaidyanādhañcha ḍhākinyāṃ bhīma śaṅkaram ।
sētubandhētu rāmēśaṃ nāgēśaṃ dārukāvanē ॥
vāraṇāśyāntu viśvēśaṃ trayambakaṃ gautamītaṭē ।
himālayētu kēdāraṃ ghṛṣṇēśantu viśālakē ॥
ētāni jyōtirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhēnnaraḥ ।
sapta janma kṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇēna vinaśyati ॥
sampūrṇa stōtram
saurāṣṭradēśē viśadē’tiramyē jyōtirmayaṃ chandrakaḻāvataṃsam ।
bhaktapradānāya kṛpāvatīrṇaṃ taṃ sōmanāthaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadyē ॥ 1 ॥
śrīśailaśṛṅgē vividhaprasaṅgē śēṣādriśṛṅgē’pi sadā vasantam ।
tamarjunaṃ mallikapūrvamēnaṃ namāmi saṃsārasamudrasētum ॥ 2 ॥
avantikāyāṃ vihitāvatāraṃ muktipradānāya cha sajjanānām ।
akālamṛtyōḥ parirakṣaṇārthaṃ vandē mahākālamahāsurēśam ॥ 3 ॥
kāvērikānarmadayōḥ pavitrē samāgamē sajjanatāraṇāya ।
sadaiva māndhātṛpurē vasantaṃ ōṅkāramīśaṃ śivamēkamīḍē ॥ 4 ॥
pūrvōttarē prajvalikānidhānē sadā vasaṃ taṃ girijāsamētam ।
surāsurārādhitapādapadmaṃ śrīvaidyanāthaṃ tamahaṃ namāmi ॥ 5 ॥
yaṃ ḍākiniśākinikāsamājē niṣēvyamāṇaṃ piśitāśanaiścha ।
sadaiva bhīmādipadaprasiddhaṃ taṃ śaṅkaraṃ bhaktahitaṃ namāmi ॥ 6 ॥
śrītāmraparṇījalarāśiyōgē nibadhya sētuṃ viśikhairasaṅkhyaiḥ ।
śrīrāmachandrēṇa samarpitaṃ taṃ rāmēśvarākhyaṃ niyataṃ namāmi ॥ 7 ॥
yāmyē sadaṅgē nagarē’tiramyē vibhūṣitāṅgaṃ vividhaiścha bhōgaiḥ ।
sadbhaktimuktipradamīśamēkaṃ śrīnāganāthaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadyē ॥ 8 ॥
Shiva Ashtottara Shatanamavali – 108 Names of Shiva
sānandamānandavanē vasantaṃ ānandakandaṃ hatapāpabṛndam ।
vārāṇasīnāthamanāthanāthaṃ śrīviśvanāthaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadyē ॥ 9 ॥
sahyādriśīrṣē vimalē vasantaṃ gōdāvaritīrapavitradēśē ।
yaddarśanāt pātakaṃ pāśu nāśaṃ prayāti taṃ tryambakamīśamīḍē ॥ 10 ॥
mahādripārśvē cha taṭē ramantaṃ sampūjyamānaṃ satataṃ munīndraiḥ ।
surāsurairyakṣa mahōragāḍhyaiḥ kēdāramīśaṃ śivamēkamīḍē ॥ 11 ॥
ilāpurē ramyaviśālakē’smin samullasantaṃ cha jagadvarēṇyam ।
vandē mahōdāratarasvabhāvaṃ ghṛṣṇēśvarākhyaṃ śaraṇaṃ prapadyē ॥ 12 ॥
jyōtirmayadvādaśaliṅgakānāṃ śivātmanāṃ prōktamidaṃ kramēṇa ।
stōtraṃ paṭhitvā manujō’tibhaktyā phalaṃ tadālōkya nijaṃ bhajēchcha ॥
The All powerful Name-Mantras of Lord Shiva of 12 jyotirlinga
1. ॐ सोमनाथाय नमः। Om Somanathaya Namah। • 2. ॐ मल्लिकार्जुनाय नमः। Om Mallikarjunaya Namah। • 3. ॐ महाकालेश्वराय नमः। Om Mahakaleshwaraya Namah। • 4 ॐ ओम्कारेश्वराय नमः। Om Omkareshwaraya Namah।
5. ॐ वैद्यनाथाय नमः। Om Vaidyanathaya Namah। • 6. ॐ भीमाशङ्कराय नमः। Om Bhimashankaraya Namah। • 7 ॐ रामेश्वराय नमः। Om Rameshwaraya Namah। • 8 ॐ विश्वनाथाय नमः। Om Vishvanathaya Namah। 9 ॐ नागेश्वराय नमः। Om Nageshwaraya Namah। •
10 ॐ त्र्यम्बकेश्वराय नमः। Om Tryambakeshwaraya Namah। • 11 ॐ केदारनाथाय नमः। Om Kedaranathaya Namah। • 12 ॐ घृष्णेश्वराय नमः। Om Ghrishneshwaraya Namah। • ॥ इति श्री शिव द्वादशनामावलिः सम्पूर्णा ॥
What do the 12 Jyotirlingas indicate?
Do you know the 12 Jyotirlingas in India have been positioned in a progressive spiral? If you draw a line over the Jyotirlinga temples on the map, the final result is the shape of a conch shell or the Fibonacci pattern. They say this pattern is nature’s secret code.
The connection between the 12 Jyotirlingas of India and zodiac signs
12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga – The 12 Jyotirlingas of India, revered embodiments of Lord Shiva, hold immense spiritual power and are situated at locations of astronomical significance. Each Jyotirlinga is closely associated with a specific planet (Navagraha), offering unique benefits linked to that celestial body. Moreover, these sacred sites resonate with the energies of the 12 astrological signs. Ancient Vedic scriptures reveal the deep connection between these 12 Jyotirlingas of India and the energies of different zodiac signs. Thus, they are intricately linked with the lunar signs (Rashis) in Vedic astrology. The placement and the very essence of each Jyotirlinga are crafted to harness the natural forces, making their impact profoundly potent.
Aries aligns with Rameshwaram, enhancing marital harmony;
Taurus with Somnath, embodying stability;
Gemini with Nageshwar, offering protection;
Cancer with Omkareshwar, symbolizing wisdom;
Leo with Vaidyanath, focusing on vitality;
Virgo with Mallikarjun, enhancing intellect;
Libra with Mahakaleshwar, offering protection;
Scorpio with Grishneshwar, aiding in overcoming challenges;
Sagittarius with Kashi Vishwanath, guiding towards enlightenment;
Capricorn with Bhimashankar, for those with challenging Mars placements; Aquarius with Kedarnath, symbolizing spiritual growth;
and Pisces with Trimbakeshwar, bringing comfort and spiritual rebirth.
Each Jyotirlinga’s unique association with a zodiac sign underscores the deep astrological and spiritual connections in Hinduism. To delve deeper into the significance of astrology in Hindu tradition.
Shri Rudrashtakam & Rudrashtakam Benefits
There are interesting stories around each of the Jyotirlinga. Let’s see some below:-
1. Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat
- Location: Gujarat
- Deity: Somnath
- Timing: Every day from 6 am to 9 pm
- Nearest railway station: Somnath railway station
Daksha was the son of Brahma. He married his 27 daughters to Chandra, the moon god. Chandra loved one of the sisters Rohini very much. So much so that Chandra started ignoring his other wives and started spending all of his time with Rohini.
Naturally, this angered his remaining 26 wives. They all went to their father Daksha and complained. Daksha then talked to Chandra and reminded him that he had 27 wives and that he should take care of each one of them. Chandra agreed but later kept on spending all his time with Rohini only.
This angered Daksha too. He cursed Chandra that his body would perish. This impacted everyone since Chandra was the only source of light in the night sky.
Chandra and other gods went to Lord Brahma to get his help. Brahma asked Chandra to worship Lord Shiva and ask for his help.
As instructed, Chandra made a Shivlinga and started worshipping Shiva. This pleased Shiva, who appeared before him and told him to ask for a boon. Chandra asked Shiva to undo the curse upon him.
Shiva told him that the curse can not be undone, but he can minimize the effect. He blessed Chandra that once he perished, he would again start regaining his body. Shiva also let Chandra live on his head so that no one else could harm him in his weaker state.
Thus the moon waxes and wanes. Since then Shiva is also known as Chandrasekhar and Somnath (Som means moon or Chandra).
Chandra made a temple where he worshipped Lord Shiva. The Shivlinga that he made transformed into a Jyotirlinga when Lord Shiva agreed to leave a part of himself there.
The shrine hosts the famous Joy Somnath sound and light show daily between 8 PM and 9 PM.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform aarti, and offer flowers, coconut, and Bilva leaves to Lord Shiva. The Shivratri festival is celebrated here with great enthusiasm.
2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Andhra Pradesh
- Location: Andhra Pradesh
- Deity: Shiva, Parvati, and Bhramaramba
- Timing: Every day from 4:30 am to 10 pm
- Nearest railway station: Markapur railway station
Lord Shiva has his abode on Kailash where he lives with his wife Parvati and sons Kartikeya and Ganesha.
Once Lord Shiva and Parvati were trying to decide which of their sons would get married first. To resolve this they announced a competition that whoever goes around the world faster would get married first.
12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga – Kartikeya mounted his peacock and went off. Ganesha knew that he would not be able to overtake his brother while riding his mouse. So, Ganesha asked his parents to sit together, and he went around them saying that they were his entire world.
Shiva and Parvati were happy with this and decided to marry Ganesha. He got married to Riddhi and Siddhi before Kartikeya came back. When Kartikeya saw that Ganesha was already married, he was hurt and decided to go live elsewhere.
Kartikeya went to Mount Kraunja and made a home of himself there. Lord Shiva and Parvati missed their son a lot. So they decided to go and pacify him. Kartikeya got calmed, but he chose to live in his new home only. So, Shiva and Parvati too decided to leave a part of themselves to live near him.
They left a Jyotirlinga called Mallikarjuna there. Mallika another name of Parvati and Shiva is also known as Arjuna.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform Abhishekam (ritual bathing) of the lingam, and offer garlands and Bil leaves to Lord Shiva. The annual Brahmotsavam festival is a major celebration here.
Architectural Magnificence of the Temple
The Mallikarjuna Temple is not just a place of worship; it’s an architectural marvel. In this section, we’ll provide insights into the temple’s design, grandeur, and spiritual symbolism.
The Mallikarjuna Temple is not just a physical structure; it’s a reservoir of divine energy. Discover how the temple’s aura elevates the spiritual experience of pilgrims.
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3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh
- Location: Madhya Pradesh
- Deity: Mahakal
- Timing: Every day from 4 am to 11 pm
- Nearest railway station: Ujjain Junction
Once there was a demon called Dushana who built an army and was terrorizing everyone. One by one they were destroying the cities and villages.
When they were coming towards Ujjain, the sages who lived in the nearby forests saw the army. They started praying to Lord Shiva to come and save the city. Even when the demon army was destroying the forest and everything in their path, the sages kept praying.
Ultimately, Dushana and his army reached the sages and were about to kill them. Sages didn’t run away seeing the demons. They kept worshipping Lord Shiva. This pleased Lord Shiva and he appeared there himself.
Lord Shiva was angry and his wrath was directed towards the demon army. A bloody battle took place where Lord Shiva killed Dushana and his entire army.
A Jyotirlinga appeared in the place where Lord Shiva first appeared. His fierce form is known as Mahakal since he came as Lord of Death. This is the reason why the idol in this temple is facing south, unlike all other temples. It is said that only in death one faces south. Lord Shiva represents death itself and his idol is Dakshinmukhi facing south.
Rituals and Worship: The temple follows elaborate rituals, including five types of aartis throughout the day. The Bhasma Aarti, performed before dawn, is a major attraction. The month of Shravan and Mahashivaratri is celebrated with great enthusiasm. 12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga.
4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh
- Location: Madhya Pradesh
- Deity: Omkareshwar
- Timing: Every day from 5 am to 10 pm
- Nearest railway station: Omkareshwar Road train station
Once in the mountain range, Vindhya worshipped Lord Shiva to get his blessings. He made a Shivlinga from mud and started his worship. He kept worshipping for a long time. When Lord Shiva appeared before Vindhya, he asked Vindhya to ask for any boon.
Vindhya asked Lord Shiva to live on the mountain range. So, Lord Shiva created a Jyotirlinga where a part of him would live. This Jyotirlinga is situated on an island that is said to look like Om, and thus this Jyotirlinga is called Omkareshwar.
Soon the sages and other gods got to know about the visit of Lord Shiva. They too came and worshipped Lord Shiva. They also requested Lord Shiva to live on the mainland, and Lord Shiva agreed.
He split the Jyotirlinga into two parts: Omkareshwar and Amaleswara. In the form of Omkareshwar, Lord Shiva lives on the island and Amaleswara lives on the mainland.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees perform aarti, offer prayers, and take a holy dip in the Narmada River. The Narmada Jayanti and Mahashivaratri are celebrated with enthusiasm. 12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga.
5. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Uttrakhand
- Location: Uttarakhand
- Deity: Lord Kedarnath
- Timing: May to June
- The nearest railway station: is Rishikesh after that you need to change many buses and even walk at the end
After the war in Kurukshetra, the Pandavas went looking for Lord Shiva to seek his forgiveness for killing their kin and causing so much destruction.
They found Lord Shiva in Kedarnath. Lord Shiva was not ready to forgive the Pandavas, so he transformed into a bull and hid among the cattle. Pandavas still located him. Then Lord Shiva tried to hide underground. But Bhima pulled him out.
Later parts of Lord Shiva appeared in four other places. Together these five places are called Panch Kedar. It is said that Pandas made temples in all these five locations.
Kedarnath was the place where Lord Shiva first appeared. A Jyotirlinga containing a part of him appeared in Kedarnath.
Rituals and Worship: The Kedarnath Yatra is a significant pilgrimage for Hindus. Every year, pilgrims trek through a challenging route to reach the temple and offer prayers to Lord Shiva. It is said that the temple is only accessible for a few months due to the harsh weather conditions. Despite the challenges, devotees journey to seek Lord Shiva’s blessings and pay their respects to the deity. It is a spiritual experience highly revered by Hindus, and the story of the Pandavas seeking Lord Shiva’s forgiveness after the Kurukshetra war is an integral part of the temple’s history. 12 Jyotirlinga legends mantras location all about shiva Jyotirlinga.
6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
- Location: Pune
- Deity: Bhimashankar
- Timing: Every day from 4:30 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9:30 pm
- Nearest railway station: Karjat station
Once an asura named Bhima lived with his mother Karkati in Sahyadri Mountains. He was the son of Ravana’s brother, Kumbhakarna. When he grew up and found out how his father was killed by Ram, he vowed to take revenge for his death.
He worshipped Lord Brahma and got immense strength as his boon. Once he got his boon, he started using his strength to terrorize innocent people.
Once he saw a sage worshipping a Shivlinga. Bhima asked the sage to start praying to him instead of Lord Shiva. When the sage refused, Bhima stabbed the Shivlinga with his sword.
That instant the Shivlinga split and Lord Shiva appeared himself. He turned the asura Bhima into ash. The place where Lord Shiva appeared now had a Jyotirlinga called Bhimashankar.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform abhishekas, and participate in the daily aarti. The Maha Shivaratri festival witnesses a large number of devotees.
7. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Uttar Pradesh
- Location: Uttar Pradesh
- Deity: Vishwanath
- Timing: Every day from 2:30 am to 11 pm
- Nearest railway station: Varanasi Junction
Kashi, also known as Varanasi, is the second home of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Kailash is Lord Shiva’s home, but when he got married to Parvati, they chose to live in Kashi during the winter months.
Lord Shiva and Parvati loved their new home in Kashi. When Parvati’s parents saw their new home, they felt that it was not comfortable enough for their daughter. To please them, Lord Shiva asked one of his devotees to build them a suitable home.
When Parvati saw her husband’s loving gesture, she was elated. She appeared in the form of Annapurna and fed everyone in the city.
Once when Lord Shiva and Parvati were away from Kashi, Brahma brought a new king Divodasa to keep the city running smoothly. Divodasa asked Brahma to allow him to rule with full freedom and thus keep all the gods away from the city.
Brahma’s boon to Divodasa meant that Lord Shiva and Parvati could not come back to their favorite city.
Shiva wanted to live in Kashi again, so he sent many messengers to request Divodasa to allow them. All the messengers who went to the city loved it so much that they started living in the city instead of returning to Shiva.
Ultimately, Shiva asked for Vishnu’s help. Vishnu went to Divodasa and told him how much Lord Shiva wanted to live in Kashi. By denying them, Divodasa is losing his mental peace and his chance at attaining Moksha.
So Divodas made a Shivlinga and placed it in a beautiful temple. Soon after that Lord Shiva and Parvati came back to Kashi and Divodas got Moksha.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform abhishekas, and witness the daily Ganga aarti. The temple is thronged by pilgrims, especially during festivals like Mahashivaratri and Kartik Purnima.
8. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
- Location: Maharashtra
- Deity: Trimbakeshwar
- Timing: Every day from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm
- Nearest railway station: Igatpuri railway station
Once there was a severe famine and there was an acute food shortage. Sage Gautama was blessed by gods and he never had any shortage of food. He opened his ashram for everyone and fed everyone who came to him. His generosity caused other sages to feel jealous.
Other sages planned to hurt sage Gautama. They sent a weak cow to Gautama’s fields. When Gautama saw the cow he tried to feed the cow, but before he could help the cow, it died. That’s when all the other sages came out blaming sage Gautama for the cow’s death.
Sage Gautama was very sad about the death of the cow. He started worshipping Lord Shiva for penance. Gautama made over 100 Shivlinga and his worship pleased Shiva.
When Shiva came, Gautama asked him to send Ganga to wash away his sins. Lord Shiva told him that he did not sin. Still, Lord Shiva asked Ganga to come down to the sage’s ashram.
Ganga came and was known as the Godavari there. Sage Gautama believed that all his sins were washed away.
In Trimbakeshwar the Jyotirlinga appeared with Godiva river. The Jyotirlinga has the faces of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. This is the only Jyotirlinga where all three deities appear together.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees perform Abhishekam, offer prayers, and participate in rituals like Rudrabhishekam. The Kumbh Mela, held in Nashik, witnesses a massive gathering of devotees.
9. Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Jharkhand
- Location: Jharkhand
- Deity: Vaidyanath
- Timing: Every day from 4 am to 3:30 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm
- Nearest railway station: Jasidih Junction
Ravana was a great Shiva devotee. Once he was worshipping Lord Shiva in Deoghar, also known as the home of gods, he wanted to please Lord Shiva and worshipped for a long time.
As the years went by, he increased the severity of his penance. Ultimately he started cutting off his ten heads one by one as a sacrifice to Lord Shiva.
Ravana kept severing his head. When he was about to sever his tenth and last head, Lord Shiva appeared in front of him. Lord Shiva healed Ravana.
Since Lord Shiva healed Ravana like a Vaidhya, he is worshipped as Baidyanath or Lord of healing.
Ravana asked Lord Shiva to come live in Lanka as his boon. Lord Shiva gave Ravana a Jyotirlinga with contained a part of him. Shiva told Ravana that wherever Ravana will place the Jyotirlinga, that place will become one of Lord Shiva’s homes.
Other gods were worried that if the Jyotirlinga got to Lanka, it would be next to impossible to defeat Ravana. So they all came up with a plan. Varuna or the god of water made Ravana urge to use a restroom. Since Ravana could not hold the Jyotirlinga while using the restroom, he asked a Shepherd to hold it for him.
The Shepherd was another god in disguise who placed the Jyotirlinga on the ground as soon as Ravana turned away. Once the Jyotirlinga was placed, Ravana couldn’t do anything. So he built a temple around the Jyotirlinga and went back to Lanka.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform abhisheka, and participate in the Kanwariya Yatra during Shravan. The Shravani Mela attracts millions of devotees each year.
10. Nageshvara Jyotirlinga in Gujarat
- Location: Dwarka
- Deity: Nageshwar
- Timing: Every day from 5 am to 9 pm
- Nearest railway station: Dwarka railway station
Once there was an asura named Daruk who lived with his wife, Daruka. Daruka was a great devotee of Parvati and had received a boon from her. The forest where Daruk and Daruka lived moved wherever Daruka went.
Wanting to use it to terrorize innocents, Daruk asked his wife to move the forest to a small island. Daruk would then kidnap and bring his victims to this island.
Once he kidnapped a great Shiva devotee named Supriya. When Supriya was taken to the prison, he started chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. He even encouraged other prisoners to chant the same.
Seeing his devotion, Lord Shiva decided to help them.
He appeared and killed Daruk. When he appeared, a Jyotirlinga appeared, which was then called Nageshvara or Lord of Serpents.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform Abhishekam, and recite the Nageshwar Stotram. The temple celebrates festivals like Mahashivaratri and Shravan Mahotsav.
11. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga in Tamil Nadu
- Location: Tamil Nadu
- Deity: Ramanathswamy
- Timing: Every day from 5 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 9 pm
- Nearest railway station: Rameswaram railway station
After Ram killed Ravana, he started his journey back towards Ayodhya. Before going home, Ram wanted to worship Lord Shiva to ask for his forgiveness for killing Ravana who was a great Shiva devotee.
Ram asked Hanuman to fly and bring a Shivlinga. Hanuman was gone for a long time, and the holy hour to perform the ritual was ending. So, Ram made a Shivlinga from the sand and did his worship there.
When Hanuman finally came back, Ram worshipped that Shivlinga too.
The Shivlinga created by Ram is called Ramalinga and the one brought by Hanuman is called Vishwalinga. Both the lings are considered part of the Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees bathe in the sacred waters of Agni Theertham and perform Abhishekam to Lord Shiva. The temple also offers special Sevas and festivals throughout the year.
12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
- Location: Aurangabad
- Deity: Grishneshwar
- Timing: Every day from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm
- Nearest railway station: Daulatabad Train station
Once there was a Brahman couple Brahmavetta Sudharm and his wife Sudeha. They were not able to have any children, even after many years. So Sudeha asked her husband to marry her sister, Gushma.
Gushma was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Every day she would make a Shivlinga and immerse it in a lake nearby.
Soon Gushma had a son, and everyone was happy. Years went by and the son grew up and got married himself. Over the years, Sudeha started to be jealous of her sister’s son.
One day she killed her stepson and threw his body in the lake. Gushma performed her rituals like every day. When she went to the lake, she found her son well and alive through Lord Shiva’s blessings.
Gushma asked Lord Shiva to stay, and he agreed. He established a Jyotirlinga in the lake which is now known as Grishneshwar, meaning Lord of Compassion.
Rituals and Worship: Devotees offer prayers, perform abhisheka, and participate in traditions like Rudrabhishekam. The temple witnesses a significant influx of devotees during Mahashivaratri and other festive occasions.
Shiv puja rituals/puja vidhi on the holy Shravan month somvar.
Notes: It’s advisable to check the temple’s official website or get in touch with local authorities for any changes in timings or special events.
Conclusion
These 12 Jyotirlinga are said to have a living form of Lord Shiva. At each place, Lord Shiva appeared himself, and thus these places are said to be very holy.
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