There are many religious places to visit in India. The Jyotirlingas are one of them which are dedicated to lord shiva. The 12 Jyotirlinga images with name and place are given below:
12 Jyotirlinga Name
- Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gujarat
- Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Andhra Pradesh
- Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh
- Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh
- Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Jharkhand
- Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra
- Rameshwar Jyotirlinga, Tamil Nadu
- Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Gujarat
- Kashi Vishwanath, Uttar Pradesh
- Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra
- Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Uttarakhand
- Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra
| Serial No | Name | Place | Location |
| 1 | Somnath | Gujarat | Veraval |
| 2 | Mallikarjuna | Andhra Pradesh | Srisailam |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Ujjain |
| 4 | Omkareshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Khandwa |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Uttarakhand | Kedarnath |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Maharashtra | Pune |
| 7 | Kashi Vishwanath | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi |
| 8 | Trimbakeshwar | Maharashtra | Trimbak |
| 9 | Nageshwar | Gujarat | Dwarka |
| 10 | Baidyanath | Jharkhand | Deoghar |
| 11 | Rameshwaram | Tamil Nadu | Rameswaram |
| 12 | Grishneshwar | Maharashtra | Aurangabad |
What is meant by ‘Jyotirlinga’?
Jyotirlingas are mentioned in many spiritual and religious books of Hindu Mythology including the Shiv Purana. These 12 Jyotirlingas were created when Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were arguing over the sovereignty of invention. At that time Lord Shiva produced an infinite vast pillar of light and asked both of them to find the end of this light in both areas.
At that time, Lord Bhrama twisted that he found the end of the light. On the other hand, Lord Vishnu accepted his loss. Seeing this, Lord Shiva swore to Lord Brahma that he will not be admired though he is the creator of this world.
These Jyotirlingas are believed to be created when this light strikes some places on the Earth.
12 Jyotirlinga Images with Name and Place
Here are the full details of 12 jyotirlingas with images and names and places.
1- Somnath Jyotirlinga Gujarat
Jyotirlinga is located near Veraval in (Prabhas Kshetra) Khatiawad district of Gujarat. It is a highly respected journey site in the country. According to the Shiva Purana, the moon was wedded to 27 daughters of Daksha, out of which he loved Rohini. Seeing his carelessness towards the other wives, Daksha denounced the moon that it would lose all its radiance.
An upset moon along with Rohini came to Somnath and admired the Sparsa Lingam after which he was granted by Shiva to regain his lost charm and shine. At his request, Lord Shiva considered the name Somchandra and lived there eternally. The Jyotirlinga situated in Gujarat has been destroyed and reconstructed many times in history.
How to reach:
By Flight: Somnath itself has no airport but it is connected to many cities like Daman and Diu airport: The nearest airport is the Diu airport, which is about 63 km away from Somnath. There are regular taxi as well as bus services from Diu to Somnath.
By Train: Somnath has its railway station which is well connected to multiple cities.
2- Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Andhra Pradesh
Mallikarjuna Temple is situated on the Shri Shaila Mountain, on the banks of the Krishna River in Srisailam. It is also called “Kailash of the South” and is one of the greatest Shaivite shrines in India.
To the Shiva Purana, Lord Ganesh was married off before Kartikeya which left Kartikeya angered. He went away to the Kraunch Mountain. All the Gods tried to console him but all go in hollow. Then Shiva-Parvati traveled to the mountain but have Kartikeya shifted away. They were very disturbed and Shiva considered in the form of a Mallikarujna Jyotirlinga.
How to reach:
By Flight: The closest airport to Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga is the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Rajiv Gandhi International airport is well attached to the rest of India with many internal flights from important cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru as well as smaller centers like Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Vishakhapatnam, etc. From Hyderabad, the temple is 230 km away.
By Train: Srisailam doesn’t have a railway station of its own and the closest station is the Markapur railway station. This station is about 90 km away from Sriailam and is well connected by many trains.
3- Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Madhya Pradesh –
The temple is located on the shores of the Kshipra River, in the thick Mahakaal forest in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. According to the Puranas, there was a five-year-old boy Shrikar who was fascinated by the commitment of King Chandrasena of Ujjain towards Lord Shiva. Shrikar took a rock and started praying as Shiva. Many people tried to dissuade him in different ways, but his commitment kept growing. Pleased by his dedication, Lord Shiva found the form of a Jyotirlinga and lived in the Mahakal forest.
How to reach:
By Flight: The nearest airport is Indore Airport, 51 km from the temple. The nearest railway station is Ujjain Railway Station, located 1 km from the temple. Visitors can also take buses from Indore.
By Train: As I have already mentioned, Ujjain has its railway station which is just 1 km away from the Mahakaleshwar temple.
4- Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar temple is located on an island called Shivapuri in the Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh.According to the Hindu scriptures, once upon a time, there followed a great war between the Devas and Danavas (Gods and Demons), in which the Danavas got. This was a major difficulty for the Devas who then prayed to Lord Shiva. Pleased with their request, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and beat the Danavas.
How to reach:
By Flight: Omkareshwar doesn’t have an airport but is connected to multiple cities. The nearest airport to Omkareshwar is Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport (63 km away) which is located in Indore.
By Train: Omkareshwar doesn’t have a railway station but the nearest railway station is just 12 km away (but it is not on the mainline and is not connected to the major cities).
5- Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga Jharkhand –
The temple is also known as Vaijnath or Baidyanath. It is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand. According to a famous legend, the demon king Ravana thought and asked Lord Shiva to come over to Sri Lanka and make it strong. Ravana tried to take Mount Kailash with him, but Lord Shiva broke it. Ravana asked for compensation and in turn, was given of the twelve Jyotirlingas on the condition that if it was placed on the ground it would remain rooted to that spot till forever.
While moving it to Sri Lanka, Lord Varuna enrolled Ravana’s body and he felt an urgent need to help himself. Lord Vishnu came down in the form of a boy and offered to continue the lingam in the meantime. However, Vishnu placed the lingam on the ground and it got rooted in the place. As a form of punishment, Ravana chopped off nine of his heads. Shiva revived him and entered the heads to the body, like a vaidya and hence this Jyotirlinga came to be known as Vaidyanath.
How to reach:
By Flight: There is no airport in Deogarh. The nearest airport to Deogarh is Bhubaneshwar Airport which is 182.1 km away. From there you could use any land transport to reach Vaidyanath temple.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Deogarh is at Rairakhol which is about 90 km away from Deogarh.
6- Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Maharashtra
Bhimashankar temple is placed in the Sahyadri region of Pune, Maharashtra. It lies on the edges of the Bhima River. When Bhima saw that he was the son of Kumbhakarana who was destroyed by Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Ram, he promised to avenge Lord Vishnu. He performed penance to please Lord Brahma who granted him enormous power.
On gaining this power, he started producing havoc in the world. He defeated the staunch follower of Lord Shiva- Kamrupeshwar and put him in the prisons. This angered the Lords who demanded Shiva to descend Earth and put an end to this cruelty. A war ensued between the two and Shiva finally put the beast to ashes. All the Gods then requested Shiva to make this place his abode. Shiva then revealed himself in the form of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.
How to reach:
By Flight: There is no airport in Bhimashankar. The nearest airport to it is Pune Airport. It takes roughly two and a half hours to reach Bhimashankar from the airport.Pune regular bus and taxi services are available to Bhimashankar temple.
By Train: The nearest railway station is Karjat station. The distance between the station and Bhimashankar is 168 Km.
7- Rameshwar Jyotirlinga Tamil Nadu –
Jyotirlinga is the southernmost of all the Jyotirlingas and is placed on the Rameshwaram island of Tamil Nadu. This Jyotirlinga is closely correlated with Ramayana and Ram’s successful return from Sri Lanka. It is believed that Ram on his way to Sri Lanka stopped at Rameshwaram and was taking water on the seaside when there was a divine proclamation: “You are drinking water without admiring me.” Listening to this Ram made a linga of sand and worshipped it and asked for its blessings to destroy Ravana. He got the blessings from Lord Shiva who then turned into a Jyotirlinga and stayed at the place forever.
How to reach:
By Flight: Rameshwaram doesn’t have its airport. The nearest airport to Rameshwaram is in Madurai (142 km away).
By Train: Rameshwaram has its railway station and you could easily get trains to Rameshwaram.
8- Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Gujarat
the temple is also known as Nagnath temple. It is located between Gomati Dwarka and the Bait Dwarka Island Saurashtra in Gujarat. According to the Shiva Purana, a Shiva enthusiast by the name Supriya was captured by the devil Daaruka. The demon confined her with several others in his capital Daarukavana. Supriya advised all defendants to chant “Om Namaha Shivaya” which infuriated Daaruka who ran to destroy Supriya. Lord Shiva showed in front of the demon and put an end to him. Thus the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga came into reality.
How to reach:
By Flight: The closest domestic airport to Dwarka is located at Jamnagar, which is about 137 km away. From there you could take taxis to Nageshwar Jyotirlinga.
By Train: Many trains are available from Mumbai to Dwarka.
9- Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, Uttar Pradesh:
Kashi Vishwanath temple is located in the holiest place in India i.e. Varanasi. It is believed that Banaras is the place at which the primary Jyotirlinga manifested its supremacy over other gods, cut through the earth’s coat and flared towards heaven. This temple is said to be the dearest to Lord Shiva, and the people consider that those who die here gain freedom.
How to reach:
By flight: Varanasi (or Kashi) has its airport.
By train: Kashi is well connected to other major cities of the country via regular trains.
10- Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra
Trimbakeshwar temple is placed about 30 km away from Nasik near the hill named Brahmagiri in Maharashtra. According to the Shiva Purana, it is on the warm request of River Godavari, Gautam Rishi, and all the other Gods that Shiva determined to stay here and assumed the name Trimbakeshwar. Gautam Rishi received a boon from Varuna in the form of a hole from which he received an unlimited supply of grains and food. The other Gods were depicted as jealous of him and they send a cow to enter the storehouse.
The cow was wrongly killed by Gautam Rishi who then requested Lord Shiva to do something to purify the assumptions. Shiva asked Ganga to flow through the land to make it pure. Everyone, therefore, sang admiration for the Lord who then resided beside Ganga in the form of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga.
How to reach:
By Flight: Mumbai International Airport which is 180 km away from Nashik serves as the nearest airport to Nashik. Plenty of domestic and international flights connect Mumbai with the rest of the world. So, for going to Nashik, you can easily take a flight to Mumbai and then board a bus, car, or train to travel the remaining distance.
By Train: Nasik has its railway station and is well connected to multiple cities of India.
11- Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Uttarakhand:
The temple is located on the Rudra Himalaya Range at the height of 12000 feet on a hill named Kedar. According to the stories, pleased by the severe discipline of the Nara and Narayana – two manifestations of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva took up living abode in Kedarnath in the form of this Jyotirlinga. People consider that by praying at this site one gets all his wishes satisfied.
How to reach:
By Flight: Kedarnath doesn’t have an airport. Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest airport from Kedarnath situated at a distance of 238 km.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Kedarnath is Rishikesh situated at a distance of 216 km. This railway station is well connected to major cities and towns of the country. You can hire a taxi from the station or board a bus from the nearest bus station to reach Gaurikund (And further trek to Kedarnath).
12- Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Maharashtra
Grishneshwar Temple is placed in a village called Verul, near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The Grishneshwar temple is also known by Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, and Grishneshwar. According to the Shiva Purana, a couple identified Sudharm, and Sudeha resided on the Devagiri Mountain. They were childless, and thus Sudeha got her sister Ghushma wedded to Sudharm.
They bore a son who executed Ghushma proudly and Sudeha was jealous of her sister. In her doubt, Sudeha threw the son into the lake where Ghushma used to liquidate 101 lingams. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva who finally turned her the son and told her of her sister’s needs. Sudharm told Shiva to emancipate Sudeha which left Shiva happy with his generosity. On Sudharm’s request, Shiva revealed himself in the form of the Jyotirlinga and considered the name Grishneshwar.
How to reach:
By Flight: Aurangabad has its airport and is well connected to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune, etc. From there you could take a bus or cab to Verul.
By Train: Similarly, Aurangabad has its railway station. From there, you could take buses or cabs to Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga.
