The 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva

द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिंग

Twelve shrines where Shiva appeared as a pillar of endless light. Here is where each one is, what makes it special, and how to plan a visit.

Hindu tradition tells of a time when Brahma and Vishnu argued about which of them was greater. Suddenly a vast column of light appeared between them, stretching beyond sight above and below. Brahma flew up as a swan and Vishnu dug down as a boar, but neither could find its end. Then Shiva emerged from the light, the jyoti, showing that he has no beginning and no end.

The places where this light is believed to shine on earth are the Jyotirlingas. Visiting all twelve is one of the great pilgrimages of a Hindu life, and even remembering their names morning and evening is said to wash away the sins of seven lifetimes.

List of the 12 Jyotirlingas

#	Jyotirlinga	Place	State
1	Somnath	Prabhas Patan, near Veraval	Gujarat
2	Mallikarjuna	Srisailam	Andhra Pradesh
3	Mahakaleshwar	Ujjain	Madhya Pradesh
4	Omkareshwar	Mandhata island, Khandwa district	Madhya Pradesh
5	Vaidyanath (Baidyanath)	Deoghar	Jharkhand
6	Bhimashankar	Sahyadri hills, Pune district	Maharashtra
7	Rameshwaram (Ramanathaswamy)	Rameswaram island	Tamil Nadu
8	Nageshwar	Near Dwarka	Gujarat
9	Kashi Vishwanath	Varanasi	Uttar Pradesh
10	Trimbakeshwar	Trimbak, near Nashik	Maharashtra
11	Kedarnath	Rudraprayag district, Himalayas	Uttarakhand
12	Grishneshwar (Ghushmeshwar)	Verul, near Ellora caves	Maharashtra

सोमनाथ

Somnath Jyotirlinga

Prabhas Patan, near Veraval, Gujarat

Counted first among the Jyotirlingas, on the Arabian Sea shore where the Moon god Soma is said to have been freed from a curse by Shiva. Destroyed and rebuilt many times through history, the present temple was completed in 1951.

Tip: Stay for the evening light-and-sound show about the temple’s history.

मल्लिकार्जुन

Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga

Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

On the forested Srisaila hill above the Krishna river. Unusually, it is also one of the Shakti Peethas, where Goddess Parvati is worshipped as Bhramaramba, so Shiva and Shakti are honoured together.

Tip: The ghat road passes through the Nallamala forest; travel by day.

महाकालेश्वर

Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

The only south-facing Jyotirlinga, worshipped as Mahakal, lord of time. Its pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti is one of the most famous rituals in India; the new Mahakal Lok corridor surrounds the temple.

Tip: Book the Bhasma Aarti online well in advance.

ओंकारेश्वर

Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga

Mandhata island, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh

On an island in the Narmada whose shape is said to resemble the sacred symbol Om. Pilgrims also visit Mamleshwar on the opposite bank, and the stotram remembers the two together as Omkaram Amaleshwaram.

Tip: Omkareshwar is about 140 km from Ujjain, so it’s easy to combine both.

वैद्यनाथ

Vaidyanath (Baidyanath) Jyotirlinga

Deoghar, Jharkhand

Baba Baidyanath Dham, where Shiva is worshipped as the divine healer. In the month of Sawan lakhs of kanwariyas walk about 105 km from Sultanganj carrying Ganga water to offer here. Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra is also revered as this Jyotirlinga by many.

Tip: Avoid Sawan if you want a quiet darshan.

भीमाशंकर

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

Sahyadri hills, Pune district, Maharashtra

Deep in the forests of the Western Ghats, at the source of the Bhima river, where Shiva is said to have destroyed the demon Bhima. The surrounding wildlife sanctuary is home to the giant Malabar squirrel.

Tip: Monsoon is beautiful but slippery; there are many steps down to the temple.

रामेश्वरम्

Rameshwaram (Ramanathaswamy) Jyotirlinga

Rameswaram island, Tamil Nadu

The linga here is believed to have been installed and worshipped by Lord Rama before crossing to Lanka. The temple is famous for its immense pillared corridors and its 22 sacred wells (theerthams) in which pilgrims bathe.

Tip: Carry a change of clothes for the theertham bath.

नागेश्वर

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga

Near Dwarka, Gujarat

Remembered in the stotram as Nagesham Darukavane, the lord of serpents in the Daruka forest, who protects devotees from all poisons. A large seated Shiva statue marks the temple. Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand are also held by some to be this Jyotirlinga.

Tip: Combine with Dwarkadhish Temple and Bet Dwarka.

काशी विश्वनाथ

Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Vishwesha, Lord of the Universe, in the holiest city of Kashi on the banks of the Ganga. The present temple was built by Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780, and the new corridor now links it directly to the ghats.

Tip: Go just after the Mangala Aarti for the calmest darshan.

Full guide to Kashi Vishwanath

त्र्यंबकेश्वर

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

Trimbak, near Nashik, Maharashtra

At the foot of the Brahmagiri hill, where the Godavari (Gautami) river rises. Its linga has three small faces representing Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, usually covered by a jewelled mask.

Tip: Nashik also hosts the Kumbh Mela every twelve years.

केदारनाथ

Kedarnath Jyotirlinga

Rudraprayag district, Himalayas, Uttarakhand

The highest of the Jyotirlingas, at about 3,580 metres, and one of the Char Dham shrines. Tradition links it to the Pandavas. The temple opens around Akshaya Tritiya (April–May) and closes around Bhai Dooj (October–November).

Tip: The trek is about 16 km; ponies, palkis and helicopters are available for elders.

घृष्णेश्वर

Grishneshwar (Ghushmeshwar) Jyotirlinga

Verul, near Ellora caves, Maharashtra

The last of the twelve, named after the devotee Ghushma whose faith brought her son back to life. The red-stone temple was rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century and stands a short walk from the Ellora caves.

Tip: Men remove their shirts before entering the sanctum here.

Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram

This short Sanskrit hymn names all twelve Jyotirlingas and where they are. Many devotees recite it every morning.

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम् ॥

परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम् ।
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥

वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे ।
हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये ॥

एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः ।
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥

Saurashtre Somanatham cha, Shrishaile Mallikarjunam; Ujjayinyam Mahakalam, Omkaram Amaleshwaram. Paralyam Vaidyanatham cha, Dakinyam Bhimashankaram; Setubandhe tu Ramesham, Nagesham Darukavane. Varanasyam tu Vishvesham, Tryambakam Gautamitate; Himalaye tu Kedaram, Ghushmesham cha Shivalaye. Etani jyotirlingani sayam pratah pathen narah; saptajanmakritam papam smaranena vinashyati.

Meaning: Somnath in Saurashtra, Mallikarjuna on Srishaila, Mahakal in Ujjain, Omkareshwar with Amaleshwar; Vaidyanath at Parli, Bhimashankar in Dakini, Rameshwaram at the bridge to Lanka, Nageshwar in the Daruka forest; Vishwesha in Varanasi, Tryambak on the banks of the Gautami, Kedar in the Himalayas and Ghushmesha at Shivalaya. Whoever recites these twelve Jyotirlingas morning and evening is freed, by remembrance alone, from the sins of seven lifetimes.

Note: the stotram places Vaidyanath at Parli (Maharashtra), while Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar (Jharkhand) is equally revered as this Jyotirlinga. Both traditions are followed by millions of devotees.

Planning a Jyotirlinga yatra

Gujarat: Somnath and Nageshwar are about 235 km apart along the coast; add Dwarkadhish Temple.
Madhya Pradesh: Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) and Omkareshwar are about 140 km apart, an easy two-day trip from Indore.
Maharashtra: Trimbakeshwar (near Nashik), Grishneshwar (near Ellora) and Bhimashankar (near Pune) can be covered in four to five days by road.
Kedarnath is usually combined with the Char Dham yatra between May and October.
For elders: choose winter months for the plains temples, book aarti and darshan slots online where available, and ask about wheelchair help at each temple office.

Learn more about Lord Shiva, and sing Om Jai Shiv Omkara at home.

12 Jyotirlinga: common questions

What is a Jyotirlinga?

Jyoti means light. A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is believed to have revealed himself as an endless pillar of light, to show Brahma and Vishnu that he had no beginning and no end. There are twelve such shrines across India.

What are the names of the 12 Jyotirlingas?

Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Vaidyanath, Bhimashankar, Rameshwaram, Nageshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Kedarnath and Grishneshwar.

Which state has the most Jyotirlingas?

Maharashtra has three (Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar), and many also count Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath in the state. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have two each.

Which is the first Jyotirlinga?

Somnath in Gujarat is traditionally counted as the first Jyotirlinga, as the stotram begins "Saurashtre Somanatham cha".

In what order should the Jyotirlingas be visited?

There is no fixed rule. Most pilgrims plan by region: Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat; Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh; Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar and Bhimashankar in Maharashtra; and the others individually.