12 Jyotirlingas in India are the twelve Shiva lingams in India’s 12 Shiva temples. Hindus believe that all of these Shiva lingams are swayambhu (self-manifest). They also consider the Jyotirlingas to be the most sacred of all Shiva lingams. A Jyotirlinga is a temple where Lord Shiva, who appears as a blazing column of light, is worshipped.
Jyotirlinga is Sanskrit for the brilliant sign of Shiva. According to Hinduism, India is home to 12 Jyotirlingas, the most revered and potent manifestations of Shiva. They are considered to be phallic representations of the All-Powerful or self-manifested Shiva lingams. Jyotirlinga is significant because it symbolizes Lord Shiva’s boundless nature and his ability to create, preserve, and destroy the universe.
List of 12 Jyotirlingas in India
- Somnath Jyotirlinga
Veraval, Gujarat - Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga
Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh - Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh - Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga
Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh - Baidyanath Jyotirlinga
Deoghar, Jharkhand - Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga
Pune, Maharashtra - Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga
Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu - Nageshwar Jyotirlinga
Dwarka, Gujarat - Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh - Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga
Trimbak, Near Nashik, Maharashtra - Kedarnath Jyotirlinga
Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand - Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra
Brahma and Vishnu conflicted about who was more powerful, according to a Shaiva mythology from the Shiva Purana. Shiva, who is known as the jyotirlinga, appeared as a massive, unending pillar of light to pierce the three worlds and put an end to the argument.
The Pandavas did a penance to atone for their sin of murdering their relatives after the Mahabharata battle, According to a different narrative surrounding Kedarnath Jyotirlinga. They were instructed to ask Lord Shiva’s forgiveness in order to be able to accomplish this. The Jyotirlingas are distinctive images of Lord Shiva. Jyoti means “light,” while linga is another name for mark, a sign. Jyotirlinga translates to “Lord Shiva’s radiant sign.