The twelve lights of Shiva
The Shiva Purana tells that Brahma and Vishnu once argued over which of them was greater. Between them appeared an infinite pillar of fire. Vishnu dived down as a boar and Brahma flew up as a swan to find its ends, and neither could. Shiva then revealed himself from the pillar — the jyotirlinga, the linga of light that has no beginning and no end.
The twelve Jyotirlingas are the shrines where Shiva is worshipped in that self-manifested form. They stretch from the Arabian Sea to the Himalaya and from the Sahyadri to the southern coast, and visiting all twelve has been a lifelong vow for countless devotees. Even remembering their names, morning and evening, is held to be a sadhana in itself — which is what the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam below does.
The 12 Jyotirlingas, one by one
Somnath Temple सोमनाथ मंदिर
Veraval, Gujarat · Shiva
First of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Known as "Prabhas Patan", the eternal shrine that has been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. Lord Krishna is said to have left his mortal body here.
Darshan: Usually open 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
Mallikarjuna Temple मल्लिकार्जुन मंदिर
Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh · Shiva
Second Jyotirlinga and also a Shakti Peetha (dual tirth). Hilltop shrine on the banks of Krishna river. Mother Parvati here is Bhramaramba Devi.
Darshan: Usually open from early morning
Mahakaleshwar Temple महाकालेश्वर मंदिर
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh · Shiva
Third Jyotirlinga. Only south-facing (Dakshinamukhi) Jyotirlinga. Famous for Bhasma Aarti performed daily at 4 AM with sacred ash. Shiva as Mahakala — Lord of Time.
Darshan: Usually open about 4:00 AM – 11:00 PM, beginning with the…
Omkareshwar Temple ॐकारेश्वर मंदिर
Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh · Shiva
Fourth Jyotirlinga, situated on an island shaped like the sacred Om symbol in the Narmada river. Two temples — Omkareshwar and Amareshwar both represent the same Jyotirlinga.
Darshan: Usually open about 5:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Kedarnath Temple केदारनाथ मंदिर
Kedarnath, Uttarakhand · Shiva
Fifth Jyotirlinga and part of the Himalayan Chota Char Dham. Highest Jyotirlinga at 3,583m. Open only May-November due to snow. The Pandavas built it. Lingam here is a conical rock (hump of a bull).
Darshan: Seasonal: opens around Akshaya Tritiya
Bhimashankar Temple भीमाशंकर मंदिर
Pune, Maharashtra · Shiva
Sixth Jyotirlinga, in the Sahyadri hills. Source of the Bhima river. Shiva slew the demon Tripurasura here. Surrounded by Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary (home to the Indian giant squirrel).
Darshan: Usually open about 4:30 AM – 9:30 PM
Kashi Vishwanath Temple काशी विश्वनाथ मंदिर
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh · Shiva
Seventh Jyotirlinga. Most sacred Shiva temple in Hindu belief. Golden-spired. One darshan here is said to grant moksha. Located on the western banks of Ganga in Kashi.
Darshan: Usually open about 3:00 AM – 11:00 PM, closing briefly during…
Trimbakeshwar Temple त्र्यम्बकेश्वर मंदिर
Nashik, Maharashtra · Shiva
Eighth Jyotirlinga, source of Godavari river. Lingam has three faces — Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva. Famous for Kalsarpa Shanti Puja. Mahamrityunjaya Mantra said to have originated here.
Darshan: Usually open about 5:30 AM – 9:00 PM
Baidyanath Temple बैद्यनाथ मंदिर
Deoghar, Jharkhand · Shiva
Ninth Jyotirlinga, also called Baba Baidyanath Dham. Ravana worshipped Shiva here. Famous for the Shravan Mela — millions of Kanwariyas carry Ganga water from Sultanganj on foot.
Darshan: Usually open from early morning
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga नागेश्वर ज्योतिर्लिंग
Dwarka, Gujarat · Shiva
Tenth Jyotirlinga, near Dwarka. 25m tall Shiva statue outside. Named "Nageshwar" (Lord of Serpents) — protects devotees from poisons.
Darshan: Usually open about 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Ramanathaswamy Temple रामनाथस्वामी मंदिर
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu · Shiva
Eleventh Jyotirlinga and part of Char Dham. Rama worshipped Shiva here after killing Ravana (a Brahmin) to atone. World's longest temple corridor (1,200m). Known for 22 sacred wells (Tirthas).
Darshan: Usually open about 5:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Grishneshwar Temple घृष्णेश्वर मंदिर
Ellora, Maharashtra · Shiva
Twelfth and last Jyotirlinga. Near the Ellora Caves (UNESCO site). Last in the sequential circuit. Built by Ahilyabai Holkar. "Grishneshwar" from devoted woman Kusuma.
Darshan: Usually open about 5:30 AM – 9:30 PM
Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Smaranam
The short hymn that names all twelve Jyotirlingas with their places. It is recited in the morning and evening.
द्वादश ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग स्मरणम्
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 ॥
saurāṣṭre somanāthaṃ ca śrīśaile mallikārjunam |
ujjayinyāṃ mahākālam oṅkāram amaleśvaram ||
paralyāṃ vaidyanāthaṃ ca ḍākinyāṃ bhīmaśaṅkaram |
setubandhe tu rāmeśaṃ nāgeśaṃ dārukāvane ||
vārāṇasyāṃ tu viśveśaṃ tryambakaṃ gautamītaṭe |
himālaye tu kedāraṃ ghuśmeśaṃ ca śivālaye ||
etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ |
saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati ||
Somnath in Saurashtra and Mallikarjuna on Srishaila; Mahakala in Ujjain, Omkara and Amaleshwara; Vaidyanath at Parali and Bhimashankar in Dakini; Rameshwara at the Setu and Nageshwara in the Daruka forest; Vishweshwara in Varanasi, Tryambaka on the banks of the Gautami; Kedara in the Himalaya and Ghushmesha at Shivalaya. Whoever recites these Jyotirlingas morning and evening — the sins of seven lifetimes are destroyed by their remembrance.
Planning a Jyotirlinga yatra
- Gujarat
- Somnath (Veraval) and Nageshwar (near Dwarka) — about 230 km apart; combine with Dwarkadhish.
- Madhya Pradesh
- Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain) and Omkareshwar — about 140 km apart. The pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti at Mahakal needs advance booking on the temple's official site.
- Maharashtra
- Trimbakeshwar (near Nashik), Bhimashankar (near Pune) and Grishneshwar (near Ellora) — three Jyotirlingas in one state, often done in four or five days.
- North India
- Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi) is open all year; Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) only from about April–May to November, with a 16–18 km trek from Gaurikund or a helicopter.
- East
- Vaidyanath (Deoghar, Jharkhand) — crowded through Shravan, when kanwariyas carry Ganga water from Sultanganj.
- South
- Mallikarjuna (Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh) and Ramanathaswamy (Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu) — far apart, usually separate trips.
Darshan timings and booking rules change; check each temple's official website before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Jyotirlinga?
A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Shiva is worshipped as a column of light (jyoti) that manifested by itself. The Shiva Purana tells how Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of fire between Brahma and Vishnu; the twelve Jyotirlingas are the places where that light is worshipped as a linga.
Which are the 12 Jyotirlingas?
Somnath, Mallikarjuna (Srisailam), Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain), Omkareshwar, Kedarnath, Bhimashankar, Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi), Trimbakeshwar, Vaidyanath, Nageshwar, Rameswaram and Grishneshwar.
In what order should the Jyotirlingas be visited?
There is no compulsory order. The traditional list begins with Somnath and ends with Grishneshwar, but most pilgrims group them by region: Gujarat (Somnath, Nageshwar), Madhya Pradesh (Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar), Maharashtra (Trimbakeshwar, Bhimashankar, Grishneshwar), the north (Kashi Vishwanath, Kedarnath), the east (Vaidyanath) and the south (Mallikarjuna, Rameswaram).
Why do some places claim the same Jyotirlinga?
For three of the twelve, tradition names more than one site. Vaidyanath is worshipped at Deoghar (Jharkhand) and at Parli (Maharashtra); Nageshwar near Dwarka (Gujarat), at Aundha (Maharashtra) and at Jageshwar (Uttarakhand); Bhimashankar near Pune and also in Assam. Pilgrims usually follow the identification of their own tradition.
When is the best time to visit?
October to March is pleasant for most of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath is open only from about April–May to November. Shravan month and Maha Shivratri are the most sacred — and the most crowded — times at every Jyotirlinga.