Mahadev. Shiva. The Destroyer of Evil.
Called by different names but ultimately the Supreme Being. Being a Hindu, most people come across the term βJyotirlingaβ quite a few times while growing up.
Shivaβs Jyotirlinga is highly revered among the Hindus.
A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam.
Now you would ask what a Jyotirlingam is? It is the radiant sign of The Almighty.
A Jyotirlinga is a holy representation of Lord Shiva.
The word βJyotiβ means light and βlingaβ means sign.
Jyotirlinga is the light of Lord Shiva.
Legend
The Legend of the "Jyotirlinga" is mentioned in the Vishnu Purana.
When Lord Vishu and Lord Shiva were debating over who is supreme, Lord Shiva had produced a vast pillar of light and asked both of them to find the end of the light in both directions.
To which, Lord Brahma lied that he found the end, but Lord Vishnu accepted defeat.
Lord Shiva then cursed Lord Brahma that even though he is the creator of the Universe, he won't be worshipped.
And the Jyotirlingas here are believed to have appeared from that infinite pillar of light produced by Lord Shiva.
How Many Jyotirling are There in India?
There are 12 Jyotirlinga in India. It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself on Earth on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga.
There is no unique appearance to mark the Jyotirlingas.
Many people believe that you can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after you reach a high level of spiritual attainment.
Originally there were 64 Jyotirlingas out of which 12 are considered to be highly auspicious and holy.
The 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India take the name of the presiding deity. Each considered a different manifestation of Lord Shiva.
The primary image of all these lingas is the βlingamβ representing the beginning and end stambh pillar or the infinite nature of Lord Shiva.
12 Jyotirlingas in India with Their Location:
1. Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat
2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
5. Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand
6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
7. Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
8. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat
9. Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
10. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra
11. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
12. Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra
1. Somnath Jyotirlinga, Gujarat
Considered to be the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas,
the Somnath Temple in Gujarat is situated near Veraval in (Prabhas Kshetra) Kathiawad district.
This jyotirling in Gujrat is a highly revered pilgrimage site in the country.
There is a legend related to how this Jyotirling in Gujarat came into being.
According to the Shiva Purana, the moon was married to 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati, out of which he loved Rohini the most.
Seeing his negligence towards the other wives, Prajapati cursed moon that it would lose all its radiance.
A disturbed moon along with Rohini came to Somnath and worshipped the Sparsa Lingam after which he was blessed by Shiva to regain his lost beauty and shine.
On his request, Lord Shiva assumed the name Somchandra and resided there eternally.
He became famous by the name Somnath.
Ever since the Somnath Jyotirlinga has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in history.
2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Andhra Pradesh
The Mallikarjuna Temple is situated on the Shri Shaila Mountain, on the banks of the Krishna River in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh.
It is also known as βKailash of the Southβ and is one of the greatest Shaivite shrines in India.
The presiding deities at this temple are Mallikarjuna (Shiva) and Bhramaramba (Devi).
According to the Shiva Purana, Lord Ganesha was married off before Kartikeya which left Kartikeya angered.
He went away to the Kraunch Mountain. All the Gods tried to console him but in vain.
Ultimately Shiva-Parvati themselves travelled to the mountain but were turned away by Kartikeya.
Seeing their son in such a state they were very hurt and Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided on the mountain by the name of Mallikarujna.
Mallika means Parvati, while Arjuna is another name of Shiva.
It is believed by the people that just seeing the tip of this mountain one is emancipated of all sins and becomes free from the vicious cycle of life and death.
3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Madhya Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar Temple is located on the banks of the Kshipra River, in the dense Mahakal forest in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
This Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh is an important pilgrimage site in Central India.
There are a number of legends related to how this Jyotirlinga came into existence.
According to the Puranas, there was a five-year-old boy Shrikar who was enthralled by the devotion of King Chandrasena of Ujjain towards Lord Shiva.
Shrikar took a stone and started worshipping as Shiva.
Many people tried to dissuade him in different ways, but his devotion kept growing.
Pleased by his devotion, Lord Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided in the Mahakal forest.
The Mahakaleshwar Temple is considered significant by the Hindus for another reason.
It is among one of the seven βMukti-Sthalβ β the place that can liberate a human.