The word ‘ Jyotirlinga ’ or ‘Jyotirlingam’ is derived from two words ‘Jyoti’ (meaning radiance) and ‘Lingam’ (meaning Image or Sign of Shiva). There are twelve jyotirlingas in India, as mentioned below.
Somnath in Gir Somnath, Gujarat
The Somnath temple is located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra. The temple exhibits the Chalukya architectural pattern. The structure is decorated with stone carvings and sculptures.
The temple remains open on all days of the week from 5:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. The visit duration is about half an hour and the entry is absolutely free. You can send an email to tour@gujaratexpert.com or info@gujaratexpert.com for any enquiry regarding your trip. You can visit the website http://www.somnath.org/ for details about donation, worship, booking of rooms etc.
Mallikarjuna in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
The temple is located at Srisailam in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Both Jyotirlinga and Shaktipeeth are revered in this holy shrine. For any details regarding the timings and cost involved in offerings, visit http://templestiming.com/Srisailam/amp
You can adopt any of the following means of transport to reach the place-
- If you live near Srisailam, you can easily take the bus to reach your destination. Doranala, Markarpur, Kurichedu are some of the closest towns from where you can get a bus.
- By train: Though Srisailam does not have a railway station, you can take a train to Markarpur, the nearest railway station to Srisailam. This railway station is connected to all major cities and is close to your destination. You can conveniently reach the location by road transport from here. Visit http://m.holidayiq.com/How-to-reach/Srisailam-665 to know the timings of trains.
- By flight: Direct flights to Srisailam are irregular. So, it is better to book a flight to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. From there, it takes about five hours to reach Srisailam by car.
- By Cab/Car: You can book a cab to Srisailam from the nearby cities through the website provided earlier or in person.
- Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
The temple is located on the side of the holy river KShipra. The temple is a five-storey structure and was constructed during the eighteenth century. It displays the Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha styles of architecture.
Talking about the timings, we can say that from the month of Chaitra to Ashwin, the temple remains open from 7:00 A.M to 11:00 P.M and from the month of Kartik to Falgun, the opening time changes to 7:30 A.M but the closing time remains the same. The Bhasma Aarti begins at 4:00 A.M every morning. The entry is free. However, one has to pay Rs. 250 for VIP Darshan.
- Omkareshwar in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
The temple is located on the island of Mandhata, next to the banks of river Narmada. It is built in the Nagara style and is featured by a Shikhara.
The temple remains open from 5:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. on all days of the week. One can spend about two to three hours in the premises. The entry is free.
How to reach-
- By air: The nearest airport is Indore and it is 77 km away.
- Train: The nearest railway station Mortakka is 12 km away and the nearest railway junction Khandwa is 72 km away
- Road: Bus services from cities like Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal etc. are available.
- Kedarnath in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
Kedarnath is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range near Mandakini River. Because of extreme weather conditions, worshippers are allowed to visit the temple only between the months of April and November. One can reach the spot by an uphill trek from Gaurikund with the help of ponies. You can book your tickets for Kedarnath through www.yatra.com.
- Bhimashankar in Maharashthra
The temple is located in Pune, Maharashtra, 127 km from Shivajinagar in the Ghats of Sahyadri Mountains. The temple is a fusion of old and new
structures in Nagara style of architecture.
The most suitable time to visit the temple is between August and February. The opening and closing times of the temple are 4:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. respectively. You can easily avail bus services from Mumbai or Pune to reach the destination. Local priests make arrangements for the lodging of the visitors at an affordable rate.
- Vishwanath in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
The temple is located on the Western bank of the holy river Ganga. The structure of the main temple is quadrangle and is surrounded by the shrines of other Gods.
The temple opens at 2:30 A.M daily and closes at 11:00 P.M. Varanasi is connected to the rest of the country by rail, road and air. Lok Manya Tilak Varanasi Express, Shivaganga Express, Vibhuti Express etc can lead you to your destination from different parts of India. Visit www.shrikashivishwanath.org for more details.
- Trimbakeshwar in Nashik, Maharashtra
The temple is located in Trimbak, 28 kilometres from Nashik city. The structure is designed in classic architecture. A fascinating feature of the Jyotirlinga is that it has three faces symbolising Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Rudra.
The temple remains accessible to devotees from 5:30 AM- 09:00 P.M. The entry is free but you will be charged for offering poojas. The total time required to explore the entire area is about 1 or 2 hours. Accommodation is available near the temple. One can avail air transport, railways and even roadways (provided they live close by) to reach Trimbakeshwar.
- Baidyanath in Deoghar, Jharkhand
The temple is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of Jharkhand. The temple consists of the main temple and 21 other temples.
Devotees can visit the shrine from 4:00 A.M to 3:30 P.M and again from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. The entry is free and one can spend about one to two hours exploring the campus. One can take the flight to Patna, the nearest airport to Deoghar. However, trains and roadways are also available for the purpose of travelling.
- Nageshwara in Dwarka, Gujarat
The Nageshwara temple is located on the route between Dwarka city and Beyt Dwarka Island on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat. The Jyotirlinga and Garbagriha are situated at the basement of the old temple structure. The external structure including the hall was built by the owner of T-Series, Gulshan Kumar.
Devotees can visit the temple from 6:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. However, it remains closed from 12:30 P.M to 5:00 P.M. No fees are charged for the entry and one can spend one to two hours within the campus. You can reach the place with the help of train, bus or flight.
- Ramanathaswamy in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
This Jyotirlinga temple is located in Rameshwaram Island in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Similar to all ancient South Indian temples, there is a high compound wall on all sides of the structure.
The temple remains open from 5:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M, reopens at 3:00 P.M. and closes at 9:00 P.M. The entry is free and you are required to pay Rs. 25 if you wish to carry a camera for photography. Cars, buses and flights are available to take you to your destination.
- Grishneshwar in Aurangabad, Maharashtra
This pilgrimage site is situated in Ellora. The structure is built in the traditional South Indian temple architectural style and has a five-tier shikhara.
The temple is open on all days of the week from 5:30 A.M. to 9:00 P.M and in the month of Shravan, the timing becomes 3:00 A.M to 11:00 P.M. The entry is free but you cannot carry a camera, food items, etc inside the campus. Visitors can spend about 3 to 4 hours on the premises. One can take a flight from Delhi to Aurangabad to reach the temple.
To know more about the Jyotirlinga temples, traveling, or lodging, please visit the following sites: