One Must Visit in life time -12 -Jyotirlinga Yatra

There are Twelve (12) temples called Jyotirlingas also called (Dvadasa Lingalu means 12 lingas) dedicated to Lord Eshwara in the form of Shiva Lingas. These temples are situated across India and are considered very sacred by Hindus. There is a belief that, all these twelve Jyothirlingas are to be visited in the month of November-December (Kartika Masam). Below are brief details of each Jyotirlinga. Visit respective individual page for more details on each place. So one must visit these temples in their life time to attain peace..

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Pictorial view of all 12 jyotirlingas .... Click to get original picture.

These twelve jyotirlingas are :

Kedarnath Temple of Lord Kedarnath is situated on the banks of River Mandakini which is on the west side of Kedar mountain in Himalayas surrounded by snow. HOW TO GET THERE By Road : Kedarnath is connected by road with Badrinath (242 KM), Dehradun (268 KM), Delhi (450 KM), Haridwar (250 KM), Kotdwar (256 KM), and Rishikesh (226 KM). Route : Rishikesh to Kedarnath vai Rudraprayag :- Rishikesh -> Rudraprayaga -> Agastamuni -> Kund -> Gupta kashi -> Phata -> Soneprayag -> Gauri Kund. Gouri Kund to Kedarnath is 14 KM. This ditance has to be covered by foot, ponies, palkies. By Rail : The nearest convenient railway station are Dehradun and Haridwar. These are well connected with Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and rest of India through Rail netwaork. By Air : The nearest convenient Air port is Delhi. Which is further well connected with Mumbai, Calcutta and rest of India through Air netwaork.

Viswanath Temple of Lord Viswanath is situated in Varanasi. Known formerly as Kashi or Benares, this ancient city set on the banks of the river Ganga, is one of the holiest cities in India. This city is said to have been founded by Lord Shiva. Being one of the oldest living and most holy city's in India, Varanasi attracts a lot of tourists. Varanasi gets its name from the two tributaries of the Ganga - Varuna and Asi - between which it is situated. This sacred city, which was founded ten centuries before the birth of Christ, is mentioned in holy scriptures like 'Vamana Purana', Buddhist texts and the Mahabharata. HOW TO GET THERE By Road : Varanasi is connected with Calcutta (677 Kms.), Delhi (765 Kms.), Madras (1901 Kms.), Bangalore (1763 Kms.) and to the rest of the country by good motorable, all-weather roads. By Rail : The city is linked by trains with all metros and major cities across the country - New Delhi (760 Kms.), Bombay (1509 Kms.), Calcutta (735 Kms.), Madras (1970 Kms.) , Lucknow (286 Kms.).There are three railway station - Kashi, City and Varanasi Junction (also known as Varanasi Cantonment), which is the main station and has computerised booking. There are not many trains running directly between here and Delhi or Calcutta but most Delhi to Calcutta trains do pass through Mughal Sarai, 18 km south of Varanasi. This is about 45 minutes by bus or shared autorickshaw. From Varanasi Junction, expresses take 13 to 16 hrs. to Delhi and 13 hours to Calcutta. Other expresses take 28 hrs. to Bombay, 39 hrs. to Madras, 3 hrs. to Allahabad, 41/2 hrs. to Patna, 5 hrs. to Lucknow. By Air : There is direct, daily flight connection between Varanasi and New Delhi. Varanasi is also connected by air to Agra, Khajuraho, Calcutta, Bombay, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar.

Somnath The legendary temple of Somnath is one of the twelve most sacred Shiva shrines in India. According to the legend, Somnath is as old as creation, built by none other than the Moon God himself. It is situated 79 kilometres from Junagadh and 25 kilometres from Chorwad and 5 km from Veraval in Western part of Gujarat. Veraval is reached from Rajkot. It is believed that he had built this temple with gold. Later it was built by Ravana in silver, then Lord Krishna in wood and Bhima in stone. Legend has it that the Kalabhairava shivalinga at Prabhasa was worshipped by the moon and hence, the Lord is called as Somnatha. The Somnath temple also houses the remains of the ancient Sun temple. Somnath was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Mehmud of Gazni having heard of its fabulous treasure, raided it in 1026 and carried away camel loads of jewels and gold. Lunch is available here in the simple dining hall in the temple compound, north of the main gate. HOW TO GET THERE By Road : State Transport buses and private luxury coaches connect various centres of Gujarat. By Rail : Veraval (5 kilometres) is nearest railway station. By Air : The nearest airport is at Keshod, 47 kilometres, which is connected with Bombay.

Mallikarjuna The temple of Lord Mallikarjuna is situated in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is situated in the town of Srisailam on the banks of River Patalganga Krishna. Srisailam mountain is looked upon reverentially as the Kailash of South. The temple situated here is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is among the 12 Jyotirlingas in India. The temple sculptures narrate in stone, epics from thre great Hindu epics-Ramayana nand Mahabharata. HOW TO GET THERE By Road : Srisailam is well connected by APSRTC bus services. By Rail : The nearest railway station to Srisailam is Markapur Road. By Air : Nearest airport is Hyderabad.

Trayambakeshwar One of the holy places of not only Maharashtra but the whole India is near Nashik. Trimbakeshwar is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India. At the time of the marriage of Lord Shiva with Parvati, all the Devarshis gathered together. Brahmadev, the creator of the Universe, seeing the beauty of Parvati, had a discharge of semen. Lord Shiva observing this, offered him water of Ganges, the purest water and said, “You will wipe off your sin by this water”. Brahmadev kept the holy water in his kamandalu (a particular container made out of dried fruit carried by Sadhus) and was purified by its bath. Rathayatra of Trimbakeshwar - On the full moon day of the month Kartika , called Tripuri Paurnima- sometime in November HOW TO GET THERE By Road : Bombay - Trimbakeshwar 180 kms. Nashik - Trimbakeshwar 28 kms. State Transport buses ply between Nashik - Trimbakeshwar frequently. By Rail : Nearest railhead is Nashik Road 44 kms on Central Railway. By Air : Nearest airport is Nashik 39 kms. Where to Stay There are modern Dharmashalas (caravansary) built by charitable Gujarathi Community available for stay for three.

Bhimashankar Situated on a high peak, surrounded by thick dense forests, is a major pilgrim centre called Bhimashankar. The place has got its name because of the origin of Bhima, a prominent river in Maharashtra. Near the origin of the river, Bhimashankar houses one of the five 'Jyotirlinga' of Maharashtra. The annual Mahashivaratri fair is held in Bhimashankar in February-March and attracts upto 25,000 pilgrims. Countless devotees from all over Maharashtra and from places outside the state, flock near the temple during 'Tripuri Poornima'. Bhimashankar is more popular as a tourist place than a religious one due to its extravagant beauty and breathtaking scenery. This place is situated at a height of approximately 3250 feet resulting in chilly weather. Being at the edge of the mountain range, the place gives a clear view of the surrounding areas. The thick and dense forests are a major attraction for trekkers and mountaineers as well as tourists. The 'Shani temple' is located inside the main complex of the temple of Bhimashankar. Between the two pillars outside the 'Shani' temple, one comes across an ancient huge Portuguese bell. Behind the temple, there is a small pathway that leads us to the banks of a river. The dense forest of the Bhimashankar Wild Life Sanctuary, plays abode to most of the flora and fauna. To name a few, there are boars, sambars, hyenas, porcupines and even the leopards. The plant life includes anything and everything from mangoes to spices. After a short climb to the west of the temple, one comes across a peak termed the 'Nagfani'. The height of all these peaks is approximately 2750 feet above sea level. The peaks reveal a beautiful picture of all the forts and hill-stations like Matheran and even small lakes. HOW TO GET THERE By Road : Bhimashankar is situated around 260 kms from Mumbai via Pune. From Pune you have to take the road that goes to Wada to reach Bhimashankar. By Rail : The nearest Railhead is the Pune which is at a distance of 95 kilometres from Bhimashankar. By Air : The nearest airport is the Pune Airport which is at a distance of 95 kilometres from Bhimashankar.

Baijnath The Temple of Lord Baijnath is situated in Bihar. On the rail route from Patna to Kolkata is a place called Kiul. About 100 kms south-east of this place is Devghar where this ancient Temple is situated. It is a very important piligram Centre. It's famous for the Hindus for the temple of Shiva-Baidyanath and the place is a popular holiday Centre. HOW TO GET THERE By Road : By road Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar) to Calcutta 373 kms, Giridih 112 kms, Patna 281 kms, Dumka 67 kms, Madhupur 57 kms, Shimultala 53 kms etc. Long distance buses connect Baidyanath Dham with Bhagalpur, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Tatanagar, Gaya etc. Unmetered Taxis, Scooters, Cycle Rickshaws are available. By Rail : The nearest Railway Station is Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar) which is a terminal station of a 7 kms branch line orignating from Jasidih Jn. Places To See Baidyanath Temple Nandan Pahar Naulakha Mandir Satsang Ashram Tapovan Basukinath Temple (42 kms) - Famous for Shiva Temple. Harila Joria (8 kms) - Famous for Shiva Temple. Trikut (16 kms) - Sources of the River Mayurakshi.

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.

Omkareshwar The Temple of Lord Omkareshwar is situated on the banks of River Narmada, in between Indore & Khandwa. The temple is situated on an island, which is encircled by the Narmada River.

Rameshwar The consecration of the temple of Lord Rameshwar was done by none other than Lord Rama himself, and thus this name. It is situated in a large island surrounded by sea in the southern side of India. It is approached from Madurai, which by itslf is well connected by all means of transportation.

Nageshwar Temple of Lord Nageshwar is situated in Gujarat, and is about 12 kms on way from Gomti-Dwarka to Bhet-Dwarka.

Grishneshwar The Temple of Lord Grishneshwar is situated just adjacent to the famous Ellora Caves.

Dwadasa Jyotirling Darshan Day 1 : Mumbai Pune Bhimashankar—275 Km. o/n Pune Day 2 : Pune Aurangabad Grishneshwar -230 Km. o/n Aurangabad Day 3 : Aurangabad Nasik Triambakeshwar Mumbai-450 Km. o/n on train to Dwarka. Day 4 : Arr. Dwarka in afternoon check in and leisure o/n Local Dwarikadhesh darshans. Day 5 : Travel by road for darshans of Bet Dwarka and Nageshwar. Day 6 : Visit Prabhas Shetra and afternoon catch train to Mumbai o/n in train. Day 7 : Arr. Mumbai in morning and dept by afternoon train to Madurai o/n in train. Day 8 : Arr. Madurai at night o/n Madurai. Day 9 : Morning leave for Rameshwar darshans during day and o/n at Madurai. Day 10 : Travel to Coimbatore and catch train to Hyderabad o/n in train. Day 11 : Arr. Hyderabad in afternoon and travel by road to Srisailem darshan And o/n stay at Srisailem. Day 12 : by evening come to Hyderabad and catch o/n train to Bhopal. Day 13 : Arr. Bhopal by evening and travel to Indore o/n at Indore. Day 15 : Visit Mahakaleshwar and in after noon travel to Omkareshwar after In evening travel to Khandwa for o/n. Day 16 : Dept: by morning train to Banaras o/n train. Day 17 : Arr. Morning at Banaras day at Banaras and KashiVishwanath. Day 18 : Dept to Deodhar by train Day 19 : Arr. Deodhar in morning and have darshans of Baidyanath dhamo/n . Day 20 : travel by train to Delhi. Day 21 : arr. In morning and proceed for Kedarnath Darshans vai Haridwar. Then from Day 22 : Haridwar to Guptkashi Day 23 : Guptkashi to Kedarnath. Day 24 : Kedarnath –Guptkashi Day 25 : Guptkashi—Haridwar Day 26 : Haridwar – Delhi

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