Jyotirlingam , or jyotirling , or jyotirling is a shrine where Shiva , the Hindu god, is worshiped in the form of jyotirlingam (“ Lingam from the Light”). There are twelve traditional jyotirling shrines in India . It is believed that Shiva first appeared as a jyotirling on the night of the nakshatra of Aridra ( Betelgeuse ), hence the special veneration of these shrines. Outwardly, the jyotirlingams are no different from ordinary lingams. However, according to the beliefs of Hindus, a person who has attained spiritual perfection can see these lingams as columns of fire piercing heaven and earth.
Twelve Jyotirlings
The names and locations of the 12 Jyotirlings are mentioned in Shiva Purana (Śatarudra Saṁhitā, chap. 42, 2-4). These shrines are as follows:
| room | jyotirling | Picture | State | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| one | Somnath | Gujarat | Prabhas Patan , Saurashtra | Somnath, destroyed and rebuilt six times, is revered throughout India and is rich in traditions, legends and historical events. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat. | |
| 2 | Mallikarjuna | Andhra Pradesh | Karnulu | Mallikārjuna IAST , another name for Шриrīśaila IAST , is located in the city of Srishailam, near Karnulu, in an ancient temple, which is architecturally and sculpturally richly decorated. Adi Shankara composed his “Sivananda Lahiri” here [1] | |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Mahakala , Ujjain | Mahakaleshwar-jyotirlingam is called here dakshina-murti, that is, facing south (the only one of 12). His temple is located on the shores of Lake Rudra Sagar in Ujjain. It is believed that Shiva in this form is Self-Existing ( Swayambhu ). | |
| four | Omkareshvar | Madhya Pradesh | Island on the Narmada River | Omkareshvar (“the Creator Master of Om ”) is named so because the island on which it is located resembles the Hindu symbol Om. | |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Uttarakhand | Kedarnath | Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is the northernmost of the Jyotirlings. Kedarnath, located in the snowy Himalayas , is an ancient shrine, which can be reached only on foot and only 6 months a year. | |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Maharashtra | Bhimashankar | Bhimashankar is located 110 km from Pune in the Sahyadra Mountains ( Western Ghats ). Its temple is a combination of ancient and new structures and is built in the style of carbon deposits . | |
| 7 | Kashi Viswanath | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located in Varanasi on the west bank of the Ganges and is sometimes also called the Golden Temple for its 15-meter golden spire. | |
| 8 | Trimbakeshwar | Maharashtra | Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik | A distinctive feature of this jyotirlingam is that it is a threefold incarnation - Brahmas , Vishnu and Shiva, while the rest of the shrines are dedicated exclusively to Shiva. | |
| 9 | Vaidyanath | Jharkhand | Deoghar (Borough) | Vaidyanath Temple (Baidyanath) is the only place where the Jyotirling and one of the Shakti Pith are together. They stand close to each other. The name Vaidyanath ("Lord of the Doctors") received after Shiva healed Ravana here. | |
| 10 | Nageshwara | Gujarat | Daruk Van, Dwark | The location of this lingam is disputed, besides Dwarka in Gujarat, also by the city of Aundha Naganath in the district of Hingoli , Maharashtra , and the temple of Jageshwar near Almora , Uttarakhand. | |
| eleven | Ramalingesvara | Tamil Nadu | Rameswaram | Ramalingeshwara in Tamil Nadu is the southernmost of the 12 jyotirlings. | |
| 12 | Grishneshwar | Maharashtra | Near Ellora , Aurangabad | Grishneshwar-jyotirlingam is located 11 km from Daulabad, near the temples in Ellora, carved into the rocks. This shrine is also known as Ghushmeshvar. |
Links
Notes
- ↑ Chakravarti, Mahadev - The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages (Second Revised ed.). - Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1994 .-- P.140. - ISBN 81-208-0053-2 .