A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam is a shrine where Lord Shiva, an aspect of God in Hinduism is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam of light." There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is nothing to distinguish the appearance, but it is believed that a person can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after he reaches a higher level of spiritual attainment.
There is an sanskrit shloka that lists the twelve jyotirlinga temples.
"Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam|
Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram ||
Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |
Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||
Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|
Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||
Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Patennarah|
Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||"
| # | Jyotirlinga | State | Location |
| 1 | Somnath | Gujarat | Prabhas patan,Saurastra |
| 2 | Mallikarjuna | Andra Pradesh | Srisailam |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Mahakal, ujjain |
| 4 | Omkareshwar | Madhya Pradesh | Island in the Narmada river, omkareshwar |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Uttarakhand | Keadrnath |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Maharashtra | Bhimashankar |
| 7 | Kasi vishwanath | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi |
| 8 | Triambakeshwar | Maharashtra | Triambakeshwar near nashik |
| 9 | Vaijyanath | Jharkhand | Vaidyanath |
| 10 | Nageshwara | Gujarat | Dwaraka |
| 11 | Rameshwar | Tamilnadu | Rameshwaram |
| 12 | Grishneshwar | Maharashtra | Near ellora, Aurangabad dist |
SOMNATH
Somnath temple stands at the shore of the Arabian ocean on the western corner of Indian subcontinent in Gujarat State. This pilgrimage is one of the oldest and finds its reference in the ancient texts like Skandpuran, Shreemad Bhagavat, Shivpuran etc. The hymn from Rig-Veda quoted below mention the Bhagvan Someshwar along with the great pilgrimage like Gangaji, Yamunaji and Eastward Saraswati. This signifies the ancient value of this Tirthdham. Somnath is in Prabhas Patan very near to Veraval.
The Moon God is said to have been relieved from the curse of his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati by the blessings of Bhagvan Somnath. In the Shiva Purana and Nandi Upapurana, Shiva said, `I am always present everywhere but specially in 12 forms and places as the jyotirlingas`. Somnath is one of these 12 holy places. This is the first among the twelve holy Shiva Jyotirlings.
The shore temple of Somnath is believed to have been built in 4 phases-in gold by Lord Soma, in silver by Ravi, in wood by lord Krishna and in stone by King Bhimadeva.
It has withstood the six-repeated desecration by the Muslim invaders. The very existence of this temple is symbol of reconstructive spirit and cultural unity of our society.
The seventh existing temple is built in the Kailas Mahameru Prasad style. The Iron man of India Sardar Shri Vallabhbhai Patel is the pioneer of the existing temple.
THE TEMPLE:
The temple is consisting of Garbhgruh, Sabhamandap and Nrityamandap with a 150 feet high Shikhar.
SRISAILAM
Srisailam is a holy town and mandal, situated in Nallamala Hills of Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of River Krishna, about 232 km southof Hyderabad.Bhramaramba Mallikarjunaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Mallikarjuna Swamy (a form of Shiva) and Devi Bhramaramba (a form ofParvathi) is located here and it is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. SrisailamDam, located about 245 km fromHyderabad and 132 km from Nandyal, is a multipurpose dam has been built across River Krishna and caters to the irrigation and power needs of the state
.STORY:
When Shiva and Parvathi decided to find suitable brides for their sons, Ganesha and kaarthikeya argued as to who is to
get wedded first. Lord Shiva bade that the one who goes round the world in Pradakshinam could get married first. By the time Lord Muruga could go round the world on his vahana, Lord Ganesha went round his parents 7 times (for according to Sastras, going in pradakshinam round one's parents is equivalent to going once round the world (Boopradakshinam). Lord Siva got Siddhi & Buddhi, the daughtersof Viswaroopan married to Lord Ganesha. Muruga on his return was enraged
and went away to stay alone on Mount Kravunja in the name of Kumarabrahmachari. On seeing his father coming over to pacfy him, he tried to move to another place, but on the request of the Devas, stayed closeby. The place where Lord Siva and Parvathi stayed came to be known as Sri Sailam. Lord Siva visits Lord Muruga on Amavasai day & Parvathi Devi on Pournami. The temple is situated facing East.
get wedded first. Lord Shiva bade that the one who goes round the world in Pradakshinam could get married first. By the time Lord Muruga could go round the world on his vahana, Lord Ganesha went round his parents 7 times (for according to Sastras, going in pradakshinam round one's parents is equivalent to going once round the world (Boopradakshinam). Lord Siva got Siddhi & Buddhi, the daughtersof Viswaroopan married to Lord Ganesha. Muruga on his return was enraged
and went away to stay alone on Mount Kravunja in the name of Kumarabrahmachari. On seeing his father coming over to pacfy him, he tried to move to another place, but on the request of the Devas, stayed closeby. The place where Lord Siva and Parvathi stayed came to be known as Sri Sailam. Lord Siva visits Lord Muruga on Amavasai day & Parvathi Devi on Pournami. The temple is situated facing East.
TEMPLES IN THE VICINITY:
1. Tripurantakam to the east of Sree Sailam.
2. Siddavatam of Cuddapah district to the South
3. Alampur Navabhrama temples in Mahboobnagar district to the West
4. Umamaheswaram in Mahboobnagar district to the North.
5. Paladhara Panchadara - the spot where Adi Sankara is said to have meditated.
6. Hatakeswaram: another Shiva temple near Paladhara Panchadara where the lingam was originally made of gold.
7. Sakthi Ganapathi temple: It is considered important to visit this temple before visiting Sri Sailam.
8. Kailasa Dwaram: The main entrance to Sri Sailam for those trekking to the temple9. Sikharam: There is a hill temple dedicated to Shiva at a height of 2850 feet above sea level in the Nallamalai hills
10. Patalaganga: is where the bathing ghats associated with Sri Sailam are located. (Krishna river).
MAHAKALESHWAR
Temple of Bhagwan Mahakal is situated in the town of Ujjain. Ujjain is near Indore, and is reached by train via Ratlam or Bhopal.
One of the 12 Jyotirlingas Temples in India, the lingam at the Mahakal is believed to be swayambhu (born of itself), deriving currents of power (Shakti) from within itself as against the other images and lingams which are ritually established and invested with mantra-shakti.
THE TEMPLE:
 |
MYTHOLOGY:
FESTIVALS:
OMKARESHWAR
The Temple of Lord Omkareshwar is situated on the banks of River Narmada, in between Indore & Khandwa.Lord Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is situated by the banks of Narmada river in the Malva area. Gods of all the Gods Lord Shiva’s Omkareshwar linga is situated on the mountain Mandhata. The Shiv Purana speaks of the greatness of Omkareshwar and Mammaleshwar. The 2 sons of the sun dynasty Mandhata (Ambarish and Mucchkund), practiced severe penance and austerities here pleased Lord Shiva. They had also performed great religious sacrifices here, because of this the mountain is named Mandhata.
Before entering the temple one has to pass through 2 rooms. The Omkareshwar is not affixed to the ground, but is naturally installed there. There is always water around it. The significance of this linga is that the linga is not situated below the cupola. The idol of Lord Shiva is situated on the top of the temple. A huge fair is organised here on the day of Kartik Poornima.
Omkareshwar is undoubtedly amongst the 12 Jyotirlingas but another name often comes up in this context is Mammaleshwar. Not only the name but the existence of these two are also thoroughly different. The temple of Maleshwar is situated south of the river Narmada, but both the forms of Shiva have been counted as one.
STORY:
THE TEMPLE:
The temple is built in the North Inidan style of architecture, with high spires The soft stone of which it was constructed has lent its pliable surface to a rare degree of detailed work, of which the frieze figures on the upper portion is the most striking with the stone roof of the temple being intricately carved also. Encircling the shrine are verandahs with columns which are carved in circles, polygons and squares. The temple also houses the shrines of Panchamuga Ganesha, and Annapoorani which are considered very auspicious by the devotees.
KEDARNATH
Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the devout Hindu. It is set amidst the stunning mountainscape of the Garhwal Himalayas at the head of the Mandakini River. Kedar is another name of lord Shiva, the protector & the destroyer. Shiva is considered the embodiment of all passions - love, hatred, fear, death & mysticism which are expressed through his various forms.
Lord Shiva manifested in the form of Jyotirlingam or the cosmic light. Kedarnath is highest among the 12 Jyotirlingas. This ancient and magnificient temple is located in the Rudra Himalaya range. This temple, over a thousand years old is built of massive stone slabs over a large rectangular platform. Ascending through the large gray steps leading to the holy sanctums we find inscriptions in Pali on the steps. The present temple was built by Adi Shankaracharya.The inner walls of the temple sanctum are adorned with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. The origin of the revered temple can be found in the great epic - Mahabharata. According to legends, the Pandavas sought the blessings of lord Shiva to atone their sin after the battle of Mahabharata. Lord Shiva eluded them repeatedly and while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed, he dived into ground leaving behind his hump on the surface. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form. The temple, believed to be very ancient, has been continually renovated over the centuries. It is situated at an altitude of 3,581 mt. It is a 14 km trek from Gaurikund.
LEGENDS
According to one such legend Goddess Parvati worshipped Kedareswar to unite with Lord Shiva as Ardhanareshwar.Another such legend has it that Nar and Narayan, the two incarnations of Lord Vishnu practised severe penances at Badrikashram in front of a Shivalingam. When Lord shiva gave them the divine appearance, they requested him to make Kedareshwar his permanent abode. Lord Shiva thus manifessted himself in the form of Jyotirlingam.It is believed that Arjuna, one of the Panch Pandavas worshipped Lord Shiva to attain the divine weapon, Pasupataastra.
SIGNIFICANCE
The lingam at Kedarnath, unlike its usual form, is pyramidal and is regarded as one of the 12 jyotirlings.
The pandavas after having won over the kauravas in the Kurukshetra war, felt guilty of having killed their own brothers & sought the blessings of Lord Shiva for redemption.He eluded them repeatedly & while fleeing took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a bull. On being followed he dived into the ground, leaving his hump on the surface. The remaining portions of Lord Shiva appeared at four places and are worshiped there as his manifestations. The arms appeared at Tunganath, the face at Rudranath, the belly at Madmaheshwar & his locks at Kalpeshwar. Kedarnath including these four shrines is treated as Panch Kedar.
Pilgrims traditionally first visit Yamunotri and Gangotri and bring with them the holy waters from the sources of the rivers Yamuna and Ganga and offer abhishekams to Kedareshwara. The traditional pilgrim route is Haridwar - Rishikesh - Devaprayag - Tehri - Dharasu - Yamunotri - Uttar Kashi - Gangotri - Triyugnarayan - Gowrikund and Kedarnath. Alternatively, the route to Kedar from Rishikesh is via Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Ukhimath. Near Kedarnath is the source of the river Mandakini. Mandakini joins Alakananda at Rudraprayag.
BHIMASHANKAR
Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is situated in the north of Pune, on the Sahayadri, by the banks of the river Bhima. It is from here that the Bhima River flows. It is believed that Lord Shiva was pleased by the devotion of a king named Bhimak of the sun Dynasty and is called the Jyotirlinga in the place. But according to the Shiv Purana the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is situated on the Mountain Brahmapur, district Kamrup of Assam. Lord Shiva had incarnated so that he could destroy the demons and protect his devotees and for the welfare of one and all.
STORY:
It is believed that once upon a time in the place called Kamrup a great devotee by the name of King Kamrupeshwar would reside. He would be constantly abandoned in the worship of Shiva. During the same a demon named Bhima emerged and started harassing the people. He had heard many a things about the sublime devotion of Kamrupeshwar. He wanted to kill King Kamrupeshwar. No sooner he attacked the king absorbed in worship, his sword fell on the linga instead of the king. Instantly Lord Ashutosh appeared and destroyed Bhima along with his army.Seeing this, all were elated. On the sincere request of the gods and sages he agreed to reside there eternally by the name of Bhimashan Bhimashankar, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas Temples , can certainly be termed as a Pilgrim Paradise. The dense forests surrounding the high ranges also play an abode to the rare species of flora and fauna. Situated at the extreme end of the Sahayadri Ranges, this place gives a wonderful view of the world around you, the forts, the rivers and the hill stations around.KASI VISHWANATH
Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga Temple is situated at Kashi (Banaras) and famous by the name of Shiv Vishwanath Kashi. It is said in the scriptures that when the earth was submerged under water (Pralaya). Lord Shiva upheld holds this place by his Trishul. It is believed that who come and die here attain liberation (Moksha). Lord Shiva gives the Tarak Mantra to the ones who die here. The one who prays and worships Vishweshwar with devotion attains all his desires of happiness and liberation; and one who incessantly recites his name attains all siddhis and finally gets liberated.
THE TEMPLE
Situated amidst the crowded lanes of Varanasi, the temple of Vishwanatha can be approached from a lane called Vishwanatha lane. Inside the courtyard is the temple of Vishwanatha surrounded by many subsidiary shrines. There is a well, called Jnana Vapi i.e. ‘wisdom well’ located to the north of the main temple. As one enters the temple from the southern side the first temple to the left of the pilgrim are three temples in a row one behind the other – Vishnu, Virupakshi Gauri and Avimukta Vinayaka. A cluster of five lingas enclosed in a temple is called Nilakantheshvar temple. Just above the Avimukteshvara Vinayaka are temples of Shanishchara and Virupaksha. To the right just near the entrance is the temple enshrining a linga called Avimukteshvara. There is a controversy regarding the original Jyotirlinga at the place, which suggests that not the Vishwanatha but the Avimukteshvara is the original Jyotirlinga.
According to some scholars the other lingas like the Mahakala, Nikumbheshvara, Dandapanisvara, Vaikuntheshvara, kala Bhairava, kapileshvara, Kubereshvara bear the names of Yakshas. There are also images of Saubhagya Gauri, Shringar Gauri, Savitri, Vighneshvara Ganesha, Vyaseshvara etc. along with a cluster of small lingas to the north is called the court of Vishwanatha.
The Vishwanatha temple consists of a mandapa and a sanctum. Inside the sanctum a linga is set into the center of the floor in a square silver altar. The Linga is of black stone. Though the interior of the temple is not large and elaborate it presents the peaceful atmosphere ideal for worship.
PUJA TIMINGS:
The temple is kept open from 5.30 in the morning and stays so till 12 in the noon. The temple usually remains closed during the noon hours, and reopens in the evening at 4 p.m. The temple closes in the night after the last pujas are performed by 8 p.m.
The pilgrims visit the temple any time of the day and worship the Lord by offering flowers and bilva leaves and chanting mantras of Shiva. Daily five times the Aarati is performed. The evening Aarati is known as Shringar Aarati. During this Aarati the linga is decorated with variety of flowers.
MYTHOLOGY
The Lord himself has declared this spot as his Royal residence. The mother of Goddess Parvati felt ashamed that her son-in-law had no decent dwelling. To please Parvati Devi, Shiva asked Nikumbha to provide him with a dwelling place at Kashi. On the request of Nikumbha, Aunikumbha a Brahmin made Divodas construct a temple for the Lord here. The pleased Lord granted boons to all his devotees. But Divodas was not blessed with a son. Angry Divodas demolished the structure. Nikumbha cursed that the area would be devoid of people. Listening to the pledges of the repenting divodas, Lord Siva once again took residence here permanently. The Lord along with Parvati Devi once again started blessing his devotees with wonderful boons.
Parvati Devi was so pleased that she offered food (annam) to one and all and hence is worshipped as Annapoorani. The Lord himself is seen with a bowl in his hands asking for annam from the seated Devi at the Devis shrine adjacent to Viswanathas shrine. This is considered to be one of the 52 Sakthipeedams (the place where Parvathis left hand fell, when her corpse was cut by Mahavishnus sudarshana chakram).
TRIAMBAKESHWAR
Tryambakeshvar literally means the abode of the three eyed one i.e. Lord Shiva, is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas Temples(self emanated lingas). It is situated in the eastern spur of the Sahyadri and is 30 Kms. away from the pilgrimage center, Nashik. It is also a place of origin of Godavari.
Shri Trayambakeshwar is situated at 20 kms from the city of district Nashik of Maharashtra state and can also be reached from Bombay in about 4-5 hours , Near this is the mountain named Brahmagiri from which the river named Godavari flows. What importance Ganga is ascribed to the North India, the same importance is given to Godavari in south India. It is the penance of the great sage Rishi Gautama that materialized on being blessed by Lord Ashutosh. Just as Ganga is known as Bhagirathi in the same way, Godavari is also known as Gautami Ganga.STORY
When the planet Jupiter enter the Leo Sign a fair is organised on a very large scale here. Devotees take a holy bath in the Gautami Ganga and seek the blessings of Trayambakeshwar. Accordingly to the Shiv Purana it is because of the earnest request of Godavari, Gautam Rishi and other gods that Lord Shiva agreed to reside here and assumed the famous name Trayambakeshwar.
Once upon a time there lived a sage name Gautam with his wife named Ahilya. The ultimate aim of their life was penance and good of others. Once there was a drought. Altruistic Gautam Rishi made a pit and filled it with water by appeasing Varuna Deva. All were very happy but the wives of other sages staying in the vicinity started feeling jealous. They made a conspiracy by persuading their husbands, to drive Gautam Rishi and his wife out of the area. All the sages came together and started worshipping Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha pleased with their devotion assumed form and being told the boon to be granted dissuaded the sages from doing so. But when the sages did not listen he blessed them accordingly and vanished.
Accordingly Lord Ganesha assumed form of a cow and entered the courtyard of Gautam Rishi’s house and started eating grass and plants. Incidentally Rishi Gautam came there and started eschewing the cow with a thick stick. As soon as the stick touches the cow, the cow dropped down dead. Unfortunately, that moment the other wicked sages came there and criticised Gautam Rishi for his cruelty. They told him to leave the place and go away. Gaumtam Rishi humbly told them that he was ready to take the punishment for the crime committed. The sages suggested that he should circumambulate the earth thrice, the Mountain Brahmagiri 100 times, holy bath in the Ganges and worshipping of 1 crore Shivalingas. After performing this penance, Lord Ashutosh appeared before them and said O Sage Gautam you were always innocent and pure. The other sages in reality made a conspiracy against you.
Surprised Sage Gautama said that those Sages have done a lot of good to him If, I wouldn’t have done this penance, I would not see you. After this Gautam Rishi asked Ganga from Lord Shiva. Shiva requested Ganga to flow down and make Sage Gautam pure. Lord Shiva told Ganga to stay there eternally for the good of all the people. All the Gods started singing the praises of Gautam Rishi, Ganga and Lord Shiva. On the request of all the Gods, Lord Shiva resided by the river Gautami by the name Trimbakeshwar (one of the Jyotirlingas.). This Jyotirlinga named Trayambak, is the one which fulfills everyone’s desires. It emancipates all from their sins and miseries.VAIJYANATH
The Temple of Lord Baijnath is situated in Bihar. On the rail route from Patna to Kolkata is a place called Keeul. About 100 kms south-east of this place is Devghar – where this ancient Temple is situated.
STORY
With the burning desire for power, might and strength Ravana started worshipping Lord Shiva with mind and soul. During summers he would Partake Panchagni and during winters he would stay in water. During the rains he would stay in the open fields and practice penance.
Even after long penance when Lord Shiva did not appear he made a Parthivlinga and installed it. He dug a pit near it and lighted fire just beside it. Accordingly to the scriptures he performed worship of Shiva in front of the fire. He started cutting his heads one by one and offered it as oblation to the Lord. Because of Shiva grace the moment he would cut his head and offer it, it would come back to its original place. In this way he offered his head 9 times. When he was about to offer his 10th head Lord Shiva immediately appeared and Said – O Ravana! I am pleased with your devotion you ask me for a boon you desire.Ravana asked for invincibility and tremendous might and power. Lord Shiva blessed him accordingly. Ravana requested Lord Shiva to accompany him to Lanka. At that time Shiva handed over to him a linga and warned Ravana that if you keep this Linga anywhere on earth it shall fix itself to the ground and shall remain there for eternity. He thanked Lord Shiva and holding the linga carefully started of to the Lanka. Because of Lord Shiva’s Maya Ravana felt like answering nature’s call, which was uncontrollable. He gave the linga to a small boy standing by the side and told him to hold it. The small boy could not withstand the weight of the linga and he kept it on the ground. No sooner he had done so the linga affixed itself strongly to the ground for eternity. Despite all his efforts Ravana could not lift it and in despair Ravana returned home. This Shiva linga itself is the Jyotirlinga named Vaijnath.
Releasing the truth, all the gods along with Brahmaji appeared there. They took the blessing of Lord Shiva and started singing his praises.
By worshipping baijnath Jyotirlinga one can eliminate all his/her worries and miseries. It is also a giver of Moksha and all types of happiness. Devotees carry ‘Kanwars’ on their shoulders and complete their travel here.
TEMPLE
The temple of Baidyanath faces the east and is a plain stone structure with a pyramidal tower which rises from a square base to a height of 72 feet from the ground. To the east of the northern verandah of the temple there is a large vat into which flows the water and milk offered as ablution. The lingam is of a cylindrical form about 5 inches in diameter and projects about 4 inches from the centre of a large slab of basalt. It is not possible to ascertain how much of the lingam is buried. The top is broken and has uneven surface.
There are different porches in the temple. One porch leads to the cell where the lingam is fixed. The second porch is in front with a row of pillars spanned by blocks of basalt and on the right side there is a sandstone image of a bull. There are bells fixed in the ceiling and pilgrims are supposed to pull the bell-ropes to announce their approach to the divinity. The courtyard has eleven other temples.NAGESHWARA
Temple of Lord Nageshwar is situated in Gujarat, and is about 12 kms on way from Gomti-Dwarka to Bhet-Dwarka.
The jyotirlinga enshrined in the temple of Nagnath is known as Nageshwar Mahadev and attracts thousands of pilgrims all round the year. This powerful jyotirlinga symbolizes protection from all poisons and those who pray to the Nageshwar Linga therefore become poison free. This Sivalingam is facing South, with the Gomugam facing East. There is a story for this position. A devotee by name Naamdev was singing bhajans in front of the Lord. Other devotees asked him to stand aside and not hide the Lord. To this Naamdev asked them to suggest one direction in which the Lord does not exist, so that he can stand there. The enraged devotees carried him and left him on the southside. To their astonishment, they found that the Linga was now facing South with the Gomugam facing east.STORY
According to the Shiv Purana there was a she-demon by the name Daruka in ancient times. Due to Parvati’s blessings she had turned proud and obstinate. A mighty demon named Daruk was her husband. He had collected a huge army of demons and had started harassing all the innocent people there. He would destroy all the religious rituals performed there. On the western bank of the ocean there was a forest which was abundant with all the good things. The forest was spread across 192 kms. Wherever Daruka would go, the forest with all its good things would go along with her.Goddess Parvati had appointed Daruka as the caretaker of the forest. Daruka and her husband Daruk both would stay there and terrify people there. People tired of this terror went to Maharishi Aurva. Aurva for the security of the refugees cursed the demons that if they would harass people or destroy religious rituals they would instantly die. When the gods came to know about this they attacked the demons. Even though the demons would kill the gods they became frightened because, they could get killed because of the curse of the sage. If they did not kill they would get defeated. Seeing the state of the demons Daruka said because of the blessing of Bhavani I can take this forest whereever I want. She went and entered the sea. Now all the demons started residing in the sea and started harassing creatures there also.Once many a boats having many people seated came there. All the demons caught hold of the people and put them in prison. Amongst the prisoners there was a prisoner by the named Supriya. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He advised all prisoners to recite the mantra ‘AUM NAMAHA SHIVAYA.’ When Daruk came to know about this he ran to kill Supriya. Supriya called out to Lord Shiva the Saviour. Instantly Lord Shiva appeared through a small hole and a beautiful temple with wall was formed. In the middle of the temple a lustrous Jyotirlinga was installed. Lord Shiva destroyed all the demons and saved the life of Supriya. Here Demons Daruka started praying to Goddess Parvati for mercy. The Goddess was pleased with the devotion and blesses her. In this way Lord Shiva stays and resides there eternally by the name of Nageshwar and Goddess Parvati by the Nageshwari. According to the Shiv Purana who ever with devotion reads the birth and greatness of this Jyotirlinga will achieve all material happiness and shall get divine status in the end.
RAMESHWARAM
The consecration of the temple of Lord Rameshwar was done by none other than Lord Rama himself, and thus acquired his name. It is situated in a large island surrounded by sea in the southern side of India. It is approached from Madurai, which by itself is well connected by all means of transportation.
Another Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is situated on the peninsular tip Rameshwaram. It was Lord Rama who installed this Linga there, when he was on his way to attack Ravana he reached this place where he made a linga of sand and worshipped it. It was also believed that when Lord Rama was drinking water on the seashore there was a celestial proclamation – You are drinking water without worshipping me. Listening to this Lord Rama made a linga of sand and worshipped it and asked to be blessed so that he could vanquish Ravana. Lord Shiva blessed him accordingly. He also requested Lord Shiva to reside eternally here so that entire mankind should benefit from it. Shiva then manifested himself as the Linga and got installed there for eternity.MYTHOLOGY
The jyotirlingam was worshipped by Lord Rama to atone the sin of killing Ravana. Hanuman flew to bring the Linga from Kailasa, for Lord Rama to wroship. As it was getting late, Rama worshipped the Lingam that was made of sand by Sita Devi. This Lingam worshipped by Lord Rama is known as Ramanathar. When Hanuman returned he was disappointed that his Lord had not used the Lingam that he had brought. Lord Rama pacified Hanuman & named this Lingam Kasi Viswanathar. Devotees have to worship Kasi Viswanathar before worshipping Ramanathar.
THE TEMPLE
The temple is situated on the eastern coast. It is a huge structure with three parakaramsand several mandapams with mini shrines to other deities. There is a huge Anjaneya in a mini shrine. There is a huge Nandi measuring 12 feet in length and 9 feet in height., with the idols of Viswanatha Naicker and Krishnama Naicker. The lingams are housed in the inner section of the Ramalingeshwara. High walls enclose the temple, forming a rectangle with huge pyramidal gopura entrances on each side. The gateways lead to the spacious closed ambulatory, flanked to either side by continuous platforms with massive pillers set on their edges. These corridors are the most famous attribute of the temple, their extreme - 205 metres, with 1212 pillars on the north and south sides - giving a remarkable impression of receding perspective. Delicate scrollwork and brackets of pendant lotuses supported by yalis, mythical lion-like beasts, adorn the pillars. There are shrines for Ganapathi and Subramanya. To the right of the Lords shrine is the shrine for Parvathi. To its North is the Kasi Viswanathars shrine.
GRISHNESHWAR
The Jyotirlinga named Grishneshwar, Ghurmeshwar or Ghushmeshwar is situated in a village called Verul which is 20 km away from Daulatabad and approximately 100 kms from Manmad station just adjacent to the famous Ellora Caves. The Shivpuran speaks of the emergence of the linga through the following story.
Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas Temples of Shiva. It is located at a distance of 11 km from Daulatabad near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The Lord is also known by several names like Kusumeswarar, Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, Grishneswara. The Grishneswar temple was constructed by Ahilyabhai Holkar who also re-constructed the Kasi Viswanatha temple at Varanasi and the Vishnu Paada temple at Gaya. Grishneshwar is also known as Ghushmeshwar.
STORY
Once the king went hunting. While hunting, the king killed the animals living with the Rishis and munis too. Seeing this, the irate Saints cursed the king, as a result of which, his entire body was infested with insects.
Now, smitten by this curse, the king began to wander in the forest. His throat was parched because he was very thirsty. There was, alas, no water to be found anywhere. At last he found a water hole made by the hooves of a horse. Just as the king started to drink water a miracle occurred. The king’s body was rid of all the insects. The king did severe penance (Tapa) there. Lord Brahma was pleased and appeared before him and installed Parashta Teerth there. He also created a huge and holy lake near by.This Brahma sarovar later came to be known as Shivalay.
There is a story about Shivalay also:Once Shiva and Parvati were playing chess on Mount Kailasa. Paravti checkmated Shiva. Shankara played to be angry at this and went away southward. He went and stayed at a place on the Sahyadri range, where there is cool breeze. This place was given the name of Maheshamauli Bhainsmal. Parvati came there looking for Shankar. She won the heart of Shiva in the form of a hill mountain tribal girl. They both spent some time there happily.
This forest came to be known as Kamyakavana. Lord Mahesha forbade crows from entering the area of Maheshamouli or Bhainsmal. One day, Paravti was very thirsty. Shankara pierced earth with his trident and got the water of Bhogavati from the Patal (Nether world). This is the Shivalay.
The Shivalay expands a little ahead where Shivanadi (Shivanand) meets it and a little more further, Yelaganga also flows just near it. When Shiva and Parvati were staying here pleasently, a hunter by the name Sudhanwa came there looking for a prey. A miracle happened and Sudhanwa turned into a woman. At this he did a severe Tapa there. Shankara was pleased and appeared. Actually, Sudhanwa was a woman by birth in his previous life. Thus, Shankara from that very curse of becoming a woman turned Sudhanwa into Yelaganga river. Thus, Punya Sarita Yelaganga was born in the Kamyawana. Later, it was to become the bathing place called Dhara Teerth or ‘Sita’s Snangriha’ and flow from a higher place and goes through Verul village.
Once Parvati, was about to fill her hair parting with vermillion and saffron, in Kamyavana. She kept them in her left palm and mixed the water of Shivalay in it. With the right thumb she started mixing them both. Then a miracle occurred, vermillion turned into a ShivaLinga and a great light appeared in it. Parvati was awe struck at this. Then Lord Shankara said: “This Linga was hidden in the Patala.” And removed it with his trident.Then a bubble emerged from the earth with water (Kashikhand).Parvati kept that glorious light in stone Linga and installed it there. This Purna (complete) JyotirLinga is called Kunkumeshwar. But since Dakshayani created this Linga with the function of her thumb. She gave it the name of Grishneshwara (Grishna means friction).
On the southern mountain called Deva Parvata, a great scholar Brahmin Sudhama of Bharadwaja gotra, used to live with his beautiful, devout wife called Sudeha. They had no children. They were very unhappy because of this. They were harassed and tortured by the sly remarks of their neighbours. But Sudhama, an intelligent person, did not care about these. One day, Sudeha threatened to commit suicide and sister Dushma, married her husband. Both of them promised that there would be no jealousy between them.
