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The Complete Sacred Circuit of Lord Shiva

Dwadash Jyotirling

The Twelve Luminous Lingas — where Shiva manifested as a column of endless light

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम् ।
उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोंकारममलेश्वरम् ॥
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशंकरम् ।
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने ॥
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे ।
हिमालये तु केदारं घृष्णेशं च शिवालये ॥
एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः ।
सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति ॥

— Shiva Purana · The Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Shloka
12 Sacred Shrines Across 9 States From Gujarat to Tamil Nadu From Sea Level to 3,583m Swayambhu Lingas

The Dwadash Jyotirlingas are the twelve most sacred shrines of Lord Shiva in Hinduism — places where the Lord manifested as a Jyotirlinga, a blazing column of infinite light, to demonstrate his supremacy. Scattered across the length and breadth of India, from the shores of the Arabian Sea to the high Himalayas, these twelve shrines form the most sacred pilgrimage circuit in the Shaiva tradition. It is believed that visiting all twelve destroys the accumulated sins of seven lifetimes.

12
Sacred Shrines
9
States Covered
3,583m
Highest — Kedarnath
7
Lifetimes of Merit
The Divine Light

Complete Guide to All Twelve

The Twelve Jyotirlingas

Select any shrine for its full guide — history, mythology, timings, travel, and visitor information.

Jyotirlinga 01
Shree Somnath
The Eternal Shrine — Lord of the Moon
📍 Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat
The first and foremost Jyotirlinga, standing on the shores of the Arabian Sea. Rebuilt seven times after destruction, it embodies the eternal resilience of faith. The Baan Stambha here marks a point beyond which there is no land until Antarctica.
Swayambhu Linga Triveni Sangam Rebuilt 7 Times
Jyotirlinga 02
Shree Mallikarjuna
Srisailam — The Kailash of the South
📍 Srisailam, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh
Perched on the Nallamala Hills above the Krishna River gorge, Srisailam is unique in housing both a Jyotirlinga (Mallikarjuna) and a Shakti Peetha (Bhramaramba) in the same temple complex — one of only two such sites in all of India.
Jyotirlinga + Shakti Peetha Nallamala Forest
Jyotirlinga 03
Shree Mahakaleshwar
Ujjain — Lord of Time and Death
📍 Jaisinghpura, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
The only Dakshinamukhi (south-facing) Jyotirlinga, Mahakaleshwar is considered the most powerful of the twelve. Home to the world-famous Bhasma Aarti — a predawn ritual where the Shivalinga is anointed with sacred ash — performed at 4 AM daily.
Dakshinamukhi Bhasma Aarti 4 AM
Jyotirlinga 04
Shree Omkareshwar
Mandhata Island — The OM-Shaped Sacred Land
📍 Mandhata Island, Khandwa District, Madhya Pradesh
On an island in the Narmada River shaped like the sacred syllable OM, two lingas are enshrined — Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar — both venerated as a single Jyotirlinga. The sacred Narmada parikrama, one of the great pilgrimages of India, flows around this island.
OM-Shaped Island Narmada Parikrama
Jyotirlinga 05
Shree Kedarnath
Rudraprayag — The Himalayan Sanctum
📍 Kedarnath, Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand · 3,583m
The highest and most dramatically situated Jyotirlinga, accessible only by a 16–18 km trek through the Himalayas. Part of the Char Dham and Panch Kedar pilgrimages. The ancient stone temple — built over 1,200 years ago — survived the devastating 2013 floods while a boulder behind it shielded the shrine.
Char Dham Open May–Nov Only 3,583m Altitude
Jyotirlinga 06
Shree Bhimashankar
Sahyadri Hills — Temple in the Clouds
📍 Bhimashankar, Khed Taluka, Pune District, Maharashtra
Nestled at 3,250 feet in the misty Sahyadri (Western Ghats) range, Bhimashankar is both a revered Jyotirlinga and the source of the Bhima River. The surrounding Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is the last habitat of the Indian Giant Squirrel (Shekru) — Maharashtra's state animal.
Source of Bhima River Wildlife Sanctuary
Jyotirlinga 07
Shree Kashi Vishwanath
Varanasi — The City of Light
📍 Lahori Tola, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Located in the eternal city of Kashi — considered the oldest living city on earth — Vishwanath is perhaps the most visited Jyotirlinga. The new Kashi Vishwanath Corridor (2021) has transformed the pilgrim experience, creating a grand precinct connecting the temple directly to the Ganges ghats.
Kashi Corridor 2021 Ganga Ghats Oldest Living City
Jyotirlinga 08
Shree Trimbakeshwar
Nashik — Source of the Godavari
📍 Trimbak, Nashik District, Maharashtra
The only Jyotirlinga where the linga bears three faces representing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — the Hindu Trinity in one. Located near the source of the holy Godavari River, Trimbakeshwar is the site of the Nashik Kumbh Mela, one of the four great Kumbh Mela pilgrimages.
Trimurti Linga Nashik Kumbh Mela
Jyotirlinga 09
Shree Vaidyanath
Deoghar — The Divine Physician
📍 Deoghar, Jharkhand
The Jyotirlinga of healing — Vaidyanath means "Lord of Physicians." Every year during the Shravan month (July–August), millions of devotees carry Ganga water over 100+ km from Sultanganj to Deoghar in the famous Bolbam Kanwar Yatra, one of the world's largest annual pilgrimages.
Divine Healer Bolbam Kanwar Yatra
Jyotirlinga 10
Shree Nageshwar
Dwarka — Lord of All Nagas
📍 Nageshwar Village, Dwarka District, Gujarat
Known as Nageshwara or Nagesh, this Jyotirlinga near the sacred city of Dwarka is celebrated as the destroyer of poisons. The complex features a massive 25-metre statue of Lord Shiva in meditative posture. Worshipping here is believed to free devotees from all poisons — both literal and metaphorical.
Lord of Nagas Near Dwarka
Jyotirlinga 11
Shree Ramanathaswamy
Rameswaram — Where Ram Worshipped Shiva
📍 Pamban Island, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
The southernmost Jyotirlinga and one of the four Char Dhams, located on an island in the Gulf of Mannar. Lord Rama installed this linga to seek Shiva's blessings before crossing to Lanka. The temple's 1,212-metre outer corridor is the longest in the world, lined with 1,000 pillars.
Char Dham Longest Corridor 22 Sacred Theerthams
Jyotirlinga 12
Shree Grishneshwar
Ellora — The Last of the Twelve
📍 Verul, Khuldabad, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
The twelfth and final Jyotirlinga, located just 1 km from the UNESCO World Heritage Ellora Caves. Rebuilt by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century, the temple's red sandstone shikhara is a masterpiece of Hemadpanthi architecture. A single complete darshan here is said to grant the merit of visiting all twelve.
Near Ellora Caves Ahilyabai Holkar Last of 12

"One who recites the names of these twelve Jyotirlingas morning and evening
is freed from the sins accumulated over seven lifetimes."

— Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita