12 JyotirLinga Temples of Lord Shankar - Significance, Stories
JYOTIRLINGA: THE STORY OF THE LIGHT
What is jyotirlinga ?
Worship of shivalinga is considered the prime worship for the devotees of Lord shiva. Worship of all other forms is considered secondary. The significance of the shivalinga is that It is the resplendent light (flame) form of the Supreme - solidified to make the worship of It easier. It represents the real nature of God - formless essentially and taking various forms as It wills. More details on the shiva linga significance could be found at Shaivam A Perspective.This jyoti swarUpa of God exist in all the shivalinga forms, there are prominent abodes across Indian subcontinent, where It is in a splendid form. These are renowned as dvAdasa jyotir lingas or 12 jyotirlingas. These are held at much great esteem since the ancient pre-historic times. purANas talk in many sections as well as in detail about the glory of these abodes. Devotees have been getting pulled towards these kshetras due to the highly benevolent divine presence in these abodes, since ancient times.
The 12 jyotirlinga temples
There is an sanskrit shloka that lists the twelve jyotirlinga temples. (This and the complete dvAdasa jyotirlinga stotra could be found at Scripture Page)
“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||”
Mahadev, the
Lord incorporates in Himself, the aura and the holiness of all the twelve
JyotirLingas. The grandeur of these places is unique. Devotees line up in great
numbers to take a look and get a Darshan of all the JyotirLingas. 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||”
shiva lingam - A Glorious Worship
shiva lingam is the holy symbol of Lord shiva that is considered quite sacred and worshipped with devotion by the devotees. The sanskrit word li.ngam means symbol, so shiva lingam means symbol of shiva. It is considered the foremost sacred symbol for shaivaites and has been worshiped for ages. The purANas like shiva mahA purANam discuss about the superiority of li.nga worship. (1) (The Indus valley excavation is an example for the presence of this worship in olden times.)Once the god of creation brahma and the god of protection mahA vishNu entered in an argument on deciding who is greater. When those two great gods were fighting between themselves, the Greatest of all Lord shiva who is formless and transcends everything appeared as a pillar of flame. God told brahma and vishNu that whoever finds the head or the foot of His flame form would be considered greater. brahmA took the form of swan ( ha.msam ) and set out to reach the top of the Fire. vishNu became a wild pig to see the foot of the Fire. Where are the limits for the infinite God ? They could not succeed in spite of their heavy effort. They realized their mistake and the peerless greatness of Lord shiva. The God who can never be reached by ego appears as the form of love to those who surrender to Him. Lord shiva appeared in the form of shiva li.ngam (which is the shape of flame) for their benefit. They worshiped that oldest form of Him and got blessed. The God who came to bless them from the Flame, from the li.ngam is known as li.ngodbhava (2). This incident is depicted in shiva mahA purANam (1) and many other scriptures.
As the God stood as pillar of flame, the natural adornment for the Lord is Holy Ash. (As ash would be found on the surface of the fire). As the God stood as the Luminat Flame that stood up the shiva sahasranAma hails God as Urdva retas and the shiva aShtottara as hiraNya retas. The hymn that starts nidhana pataye namaH, refers to many similarities of Flame and shivalinga.
God is formless, attributeless and omnipresent. This state is called arUpa (formless). For the benefit of the pashus, He took the form of shiva li.ngam which is neither form nor formless but is a symbol. This symbol of Him is called arUparUpam (formless form). He took many forms out of His mercy to bless all, which are called rUpams. (2). shaivam worships the God in all these three states. The oldest form that the formless God took namely the shiva li.ngam is called sadAshiva mUrtam and is worshipped in the altar of His abodes (temples). The forms that He later took which are called mAhEshwara mUrtam are worshipped in the outer circles in a temple.
This shiva li.nga worship is superior because it makes the worship simple because of the form while maintaining the truth that God is not having any definite form. There are a lot more marvelous principles behind the shiva li.nga worship which could be found in detail in standard scriptures.
Location of the jothirlinga temples
Two on the sea shore, three on river banks, four in the heights of the mountains and three in villages located in meadows; the twelve Jyotirlingas are spread out like this. Every place has been described in glorious words by many detailing the surroundings etc.Those of us who go to these temples of Shubhankar Shankar- Jyoti-Sivasthan, receive the holy blessings of the Lord, and come back happy, peaceful and blessed. This in indeed depends on one’s devotion and experience too
Those who chant the Dwadasa JyotirLinga Stotram or prayer will attain salvation and enlightenment and be released from this cycle of human existence with all its travails. By worshipping the Lingas, people of all castes, creeds and colour would be freed from all difficulties. By eating the holy offering made to these Lingas (Naivedyam) one would be rid of all the sins instantly.
As a matter of fact, we do the Darshan of the JyotirLingas as a part of our daily life. Sun, Fire and Light etc., are indeed a part of that great Light. “Om tatsavituvarenye” these magical words of the Gayatri mantra or chant invoke this Supreme light only. By chanting this powerful Mantra, humans can obtain divine power to their life-light or Atmajyothi.
The aura of the Sun rays and the various benefits that can be derived there from is indeed a difficult task to describe. This gorgeous life-light is the only thing that is responsible for the activity in the universe. We salute this life force.
“Agni” or fire is a great light. For all the activities on the earth, “Fire” is the pivot.
Deepajyoti or light and its greatness, is known to all of us, and we offer our prayers. Let us celebrate the glory of light. Light is offered a place of pride at welcome celebrations and on all auspicious occasions.
“Shubham karoti kalyanam Arogyam Dhanasampada|
Shatru buddhi vinashaya Deepa Jyoti namostute||”
This light
removes the darkness from the lives of one and all. Darkness means ignorance
and it is destroyed by this light. The natured light of God makes all our
wishes come true, when we take a Darshan of it. Shatru buddhi vinashaya Deepa Jyoti namostute||”
Thus, by taking a Darshan of these twelve JyotirLingas, the auspicious air surrounding them and the holy pilgrimage, will bring happiness, peace and satisfaction to all.
Lingodbhavam
shlokam:
Divine, Out of the symbol (li~Ngam) that arose out of the quarrel of prime-ness (between braHma and viShNu), Matted hair crested, Keeping the hand on the hip, with the other hands holding deer and protection sign, in the right holding axe, having the braHma and viShnu (who sought) the Transcending feet and crown, as the swan above and boar below, that li~Ngodbhava I meditate.purANa of the deity
li~Ngodbhavar: The Lord appearing from the symbol. (The principle behind linga worship)Once before the creation started, a quarrel broke between braHma and viShNu as to who is great. braHma claimed he is as he is the creator of the whole world. viShNu rejected the claim saying the creation would not be useful without his sustenance of the world. The war of words between these two great divines worsened. At that point of time to make them realize the truth there appeared a pillar of fire. It was huge that both of them were astonished to see that. Now as a solution to their debate they wanted to decide who is the greatest by reaching the tip of that pillar. braHma took the form of a haMsa (swan) and went up to reach the top of that pillar, viShNu took the form of a wild pig and went down to reach the bottom of that pillar and it was agreed that whoever sees the either tip would be the greatest
That pillar was not any ordinary column of fire, it was the Supreme Itself, the One that is beyond form, color and qualities ! Who knows the start and end of that Supreme !! The two who set out on their strength to explore the endings of It went on and on only to become more and more tired and it was hopeless to find the end of It. viShNu returned realizing that it should be the parashiva which is beyond the limits that can be measured by knowledge, Which has come out of Its Grace to bless them and make them realize the Truth easily. He accepted his failure. braHmA on the other hand, though realizing it is impossible to see the top of the fire column, returned lying that he saw the tip. The lie stood exposed and hence he is not worshipped. Now both of them realizing the greatness of the Supreme worshipped the Lord shiva, the Gracious one, with lots of devotion and sincerity. The Lord out of the grace to bless all the pashus (souls) with a way they could easily understand and worship the Supreme, Which is unexplainable, unexplorable, appeared as a li~Ngam which is a vertical pillar resembling the flame. As it resembles the flame, It is neither a form nor a formless, but is just a symbol of the Supreme jyoti. The Lord later appeared in a form and blessed viShNu and braHma. This Lord is called li~Ngodbhavar.
This form which came out of the formless Supreme out of Its grace
to bless the sincere worship of braHma and viShNu and which is a from but
represents the formlessness of the Supreme is considered very holy by the
shaivites. The shiva li~Nga (meaning symbol of shiva) is the foremost of all
the shaivite worships. As the ash would be closely associated with the fire,
Holy Ash is associated with this Fire pillar Lord and sacred for the Devotees
A typical 12 Jyotirlinga pilgrimage itinerary
It is believed that people who recite the 12 names of Jyotirlingas regularly
will be blessed with all kinds of prosperity and the chanting will wash away
all the sins they committed. The way to attain Moksha from the cycles of
death and life is to visit the 12 Jyotirlinga circuit, at least once in a
lifetime.
Optimal way to start the pilgrimage travel will be from South to North. 27 days
(One Lunar Month) is the optimal travel period to cover all the 12 Jyotirlingas
spending one day at each holy place.
Typically, one can get down at Chennai by air or rail and can start their
pilgrimage by visiting first Rameswaram
and end up in Kedarnath.
Day 1: Reaching Chennai Airport and proceeding to Rameshwaram.
Chennai to Rameshwaram can be covered by Taxi (600 km, 10 hr. journey) or up to
Madurai by flight and then from Madurai to Rameshwaram by Taxi (180 km, 2
hrs). One can get comfortable travel in train up to Madurai as well. Stay at Rameshwaram.
Many accommodation facilities are available in Rameshwaram which includes
budget hotels and temple
sathrams (dormitories).
Day 2: Rameshwaram Temple visit. One can visit other
temples in and around Rameshwaram apart from the Jyotir Linga temple. Evening
return to Chennai. Stay at Chennai.
Day 3: Traveling to Hyderabad by train or
flight. Stay at Hyderabad.
Day 4: Travel to
Srisailam at early morning which is about 230 km away by taxi or bus. It will
take about 5 hours Journey. One can go to Markapur railhead and hire a taxi to
temple (85 km, 2 hours) Visit to Mallikarjuna
Temple in Srisaialm.
Evening return to Hyderabad.
Stay at Hyderabad.
Many good standard hotels are available at Hyderabad for a nice comfortable stay.
Day 5 and 6:
Travel to Pune from Hyderabad
by flight or train. Stay at Pune. Many budget hotels are available in Pune.
Day 7: Visit to
Bhimasanker in the morning, which is 95 km away from Pune. One can try out taxi
or bus. Travel will take about two and a half hours. After the Darshan at
Bhimashanker, the pilgrim can reach Triambakeshwar in Nasik by evening. Bhimasanker to
Triambakeshwar is about 100 km, which can be covered by less than 3 hours.
Evening Darshan at Triambakeshwar and move on to Mumbai, which is about 200 kms
away taking about 4 hours by taxi. Stay at Mumbai. Mumbai has got enough
accommodation facilities for all kinds of travelers from budget hotels to Star
Hotels.
Day 8: Travel to Aurangabad for a visit in
Grishneshwar. Taxis and train services are available. It will take about 7
hours to reach Aurangabad
by taxi or train from Mumbai. Evening visit to temple and stay at hotels in the
neighborhood of the temple.
Day 9 & 10:
Travel to Mahakaleshwar located at Ujjain
in Madhya Pradesh. One can reach Indore
either by flight or by train. Tay at Indore
on Day 10.
Day 11: Visit to
Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain at a distance of 55 km
from Indore in
the morning. Taxi services can be availed. Many bus services are also
available. Travel to the next Jyotirlinga temple Omkareshwar in Maheshwar,
which is at a distance of 95 km from Indore.
Night return to Indore and stay at Indore. Indore offered fantastic accommodation
facilities for the pilgrims.
Day 12 & 13:
Travel to Dwarka in Gujarat from Indore
by train, Stay at Dwarka either in hotels or pilgrim centers at Nageshwar.
Nageshwar can be reached by taxi from Dwarka (17 km).
Day 14: Visit to
Nageshwar temple. Evening train can be used to move on to Veraval for a visit
to Somnath. Stay at Somanath temple lodges.
Day 15: Visit to
Somanath temple
Day 16: Free day
before moving to North Indian Jyotirlinga temples.
Day 17 & 18:
Travel to Patna
by train. Stay at Patna.
Day 19: Visit to
Vaidyanath temple. Taxi can be availed from Patna to temple (280 km) or first
travel to Deoghar railway station and then travel to temple by taxi (10 km from
Deoghar).. Stay at Deoghar.
Day 20 & 21:
Travel to Varanasi
for visit in Kashi Viswanath temple. Train services can be availed fro the
travel. Flights are available from Patna to Varanasi as well. Stay at
Kashi.
Day 22: Darshan at
Kashi Viswanath temple and Stay at Kashi. Government owned guest houses, temple
lodges and private hotels are plenty in Varanasi.
Day 23: Travel to
Dehradun Varanasi. Flight services are available from Varanasi to Dehradun. Train services can also
be availed from Varanasi
to Rishikesh. Stay at Dehradun. Or Rishikesh.
Day 24 & 25:
Travel to Kedarnath temple. Temple can be reached from Dehradun or Rishikesh.
Some part can be covered by taxi up to Gaurikund and other parts require
trekking. One day trekking of about 14 km required to reach the temple.
Day 26: Return to
Dehradun or Rishikesh.
Day 27: Travel to
Delhi finishing the 27 day 12 Jyotirlinga travel.
Details of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples are also provided for easy travel and
ready reference.
1. Rameshwar Jyotirlinga
Rameshwaram is a religious island located in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is
believed that Rameshwaram is the holy place where Lord Rama offered his prayers
to Lord Shiva asking pardon for killing Ravana and also as a thanks giving for
his victory over Lanka.
The Linga of Ranganatha adorns the holy shrine of Rameshwram. The place is
renowned as Banaras of the south. The place is religiously very significant and
revered as the most holy place in southern India.
The nearest airport is at Madurai in southern India, which is 173 km away. One
can reach Rameshwaram through trains as well. The city is well connected with
other major cities. One can get down to Chennai airport or railhead and proceed
to Rameshwaram by bus, taxi or train. Tamil Nadu Road Transport Corporation
buses connect Rameshwaram with all cities in Tamil Nadu, including Kanyakumari,
Madurai, Trichy and Thanajvur. Overnight deluxe super fast buses connect
Chennai and Bangalore with Rameshwarm, both cities are nearly 600 km away.
2. Mallikarjun in Srisailam
Mallikarjun temple at Srisailam is located in Nallamala hills of Andhra
Pradesh. Srisailam is a revered holy place and it is believed Lord Shiva and
Parvati stayed in this place. The temple is dedicated to Mallikarjuana Swamy,
one form of Lord Shiva. Srisaila Khandam in Skanda Purana narrates the
mythology behind the holy Jyotirlinga temple in Srisailam. It is believed that
Lord Rama installed the Jyotirlinga. One can see Panchapandava lingas installed
by Pandvas in the temple premises.
Srisailam is located at about 232 km south of Hyderabad. It is placed on the
scenic location on the banks of River Krishna. The nearest airport is at
Hyderabad. The nearest railway station is at Markapur, which is 85 km away. The
holy temple is well connected by all cities in the neighborhood by APSRTC
buses.
3. Bhimashankar in Maharashtra
The temple of Bhimshankar is considered to be the most revered Shiva temple in
Andhra Pradesh. The temple is built in 18th century in the Nagara architectural
style. The mythology associates the temple with Lord Shiva’s killing of the
demon Tripurasura. It is believed that Shiva killed the Asura in Bhima form.
The nearest airport to Bhimashankar is at Pune at distance of about 95 km. This
airport is connected to Mumbai and Bangalore. Taxis are available from Pune to
Bhimashankar. Nearest International Airport is Mumbai Chathrapati Sivaji
Airport, which is 250 km away. The nearest railhead to Bhimashankar is Pune
that is well-connected to various cities of Maharashtra and other places of
India. State Bus services connect various parts of the state to Bhimashankar.
4. Trimbakeshwar in Nasik, Maharashtra
Triambakeshwar owns spectacular distinction of the Jyotirlinga having three
faces exemplifying Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara (Shiva). All other 11
Jyotirlingas have only Shiva linga as the main deity. This extraordinary
feature of the Tridev Linga of Triambakeshwar makes it a most revered
Jyotirlinga shrine. The linga has been adorned by jeweled crowns and other
ornaments. The crown is very precious with diamonds, worthy stones and
emeralds. The devotee who offers puja to the Trimurthy (Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva) linga in Triambakeshwar is sure to get sanctified and can lead a
peaceful life in future. The linga has started to erode due to excessive use of
water over it and it is believed that the erosion symbolizes the nature.
Nearest airport from Trimbakeshwar is at Mumbai at a distance of about 200 km
away from the holy city. Taxi services are available from airport to
Trimbakeshwar. One can access the holy city by train and Nasik is the nearest
railway station. It is one the major railway stations connected to all manor
cities in India. One can get enough convenient trains from Nasik to other
cities. Trimbakeshwar is connected by bus services run by Maharashtra road
Transport Corporation. There are many private luxury buses available from
Mumbai to Nasik.
5. Grishneshwar in Maharashtra
Grishneshwar is believed to be one of the ancient pilgrim destination revered
as the shrine of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. This linga is known as
Kusumeswarar, Grushmeswara and Ghushmeswara, apart from Grishneswara. The temple
was re-constructed in the 18th century by Ahilyabhai Holkar.
Legends tell that a spiritual woman named as Kusuma offered worship to Lord
Shiva in this place. She used to immerse the Shivalinga in a tank of water
ritually and she was blessed with the Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord had
miraculously given rebirth to her son after the death. Devotees offer pray in
this place with high reverence and devotion.
The Grishneshwar temple is placed at a close distance of about 11 km from
Daulatabad in the neighborhood of Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Ellora caves are
nearby attractions here. Nearest Airport is located at Aurangabad, which is at
distance of about 29 km from the city of Grishneshwar. Regular flight services
are available from Aurangabad Airport to Jaipur, Mumbai, Udaipur and Delhi.
Nearest Railway station is Aurangabad, which is not in the main route.
Grishneshwar is connected by state owned transport buses. Regular bus services
are available from Grishneshwar to Aurangabad.
6. Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain Madhya Pradesh
Mahakaleshwar is located at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and is a holy temple which
is credited with citations in the great works of Poet Kalidasa. The importance
of the Jyotirlinga here is that the idol in this shrine faces southward and is
known as Dakshinamoorthy. The famous ritual of Bhasma Arti, showering the linga
with hot ashes (Bhasmam) symbolizes the life and death of human beings. The
temple architecture is worthwhile to observe. The five-storied architectural
style is a mix of Rajput style and Mughal style.
Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore is the nearest airport to Ujjain, which
is situated 55 km away. Indore is air connected to major cities in India by
public and private domestic airlines. Ujjain Junction Railway Station is well
connected to all major railway stations in India. Ujjain is well connected by
state road transport public bus services.
7. Omakareshwar in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh
Omkareshwar is a famous Jyotirlinga temple located is a holy island of Shivpuri
in Maheshwar, Madhay Pradesh. This holy shrine is located at the convergence of
Kaveri and Narmada rivers. The devotees offer Shiva Bhajan as a ritual in this
temple. The place looks like the “OM” and hence the name Omkareshwar. There are
two Shiva Lingams in this place Omkareswarar and Amareshwarar. There are many
legendary stories relating Naradar and Lord Shiva with Jyotirlinga at
Omkareshwar. Devotees offer worship to get salvation from the charka of life
and death.
One can approach this place through the nearest airport at Indore, which is at
a distance of 91 km from Maheshwar. Indore is well connected to many major
cities in India, including Bhopal, Mumbai and Delhi. The nearest international
airport is Delhi which is 895 km away from Maheshwar. Delhi is connected with
all major cities in India and abroad. Barwaha is the nearest railhead, which is
at a distance of 39 km from Maheshwar. Regular public services are available
from Maheshwar to many parts of the sate.
8. Nageshwar in Dwarka, Gujarat
Nageshwar is a renowned Jyotirlinga temple in near Dwarka, Gujarat. This
Nagaeshwara Jyotirlingam is facing south with the Gomugham facing east. The
mythology relates the killing of Asura named Daruka by Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva
appeared as Nageshwar linga in this place to bless Supriya, an ardent devotee
of Lord Shiva to save Supriya from the cruel Darukasura. Lord Shiva eliminated
Daruka and his wife to save the devotees from torture and cruelties.
Nageshwar is located 17 km away from Dwarka. The closest domestic airport to
Dwarka is located at Jamnagar, which is about 137 km away. There are regular
flights from Jamnagar to Mumbai International Airport. Dwarka railway station
in the Ahmedabad- Okha rail route is connected to other major railway stations.
Gujrat state road transport buses connect Dwarka with all major cities in the
state. Luxury coach tourist buses are also available from nearby cities to
Dwarka.
9. Somanath in Gujarat
Somnath temple is considered to be the most significant and revered 12
Jyotirlinga temples across India. The temple is imposing with ancient Chanukya
style of constructions. The Jyotirlinga in this temple is adorned with flowers
and Jewels and provides eternal feeling to the devotees. Reveberating Shiva
Bhajans all through the day and the Aarati Puja at regular intervals are
enthralling in this temple.
Legendary stories give credit to Moon God for the construction of this temple.
Chandra Devan (Moon) worshipped Lord Shiva in this place to get rid of the
curse of demon Dakshan and Shiva blessed him by eliminating Dakshan’s curses to
Moon. It is believed that followed by Moon, Ravana renovated the temple using
Silver, Lord Krishna using wood and finally BHima Pandava renovated it with
marvelous stones. The visit to this temple and the worshipping of Shiva
Jyotirlinga enlighten the mind and spirit.
Somnath is about 890 km away from Mumbai. One can reach Somnath from Mumbai
International Airport. Nearest airport to Somnath is Diu, which is 90 km away
from Somnath city. This airport is connected to Mumbai only. Veraval in Konkan
line is the nearest railhead, which is only just 5 km away. State transport
buses and private luxury coaches connect Somnath to various cities in and
around.
10. Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh
The holy city of Varanasi is fully dedicated to the Lord Kashi Vishwanath.
Kashi Viswanath temple enshrines the famous Vishweshwar Jyotirlinga. The
present Vishwanath temple is built by Rani Ahalyabhai in the 18th century. The
temple is placed in a holy spot on the banks of River Ganges. It is believed
that viewing the holy Jyotirlinga at the Kashi enlighten the mind and purify
the body. Offering prayers and visiting the Jyotirlinga is assumed to be the
sacred moment in anybody’s lifetime. There are many mythological stories behind
the installation of Jyotirlinga in Kashi. One mythical story is attributed to
Goddess Parvathi's mother and Lord Shiva. Mother in Law of Lord Shiva felt
embarrassed as Shiva was not having a decent home. To overcome this and to
please wife Parvati Devi, Lord asked Nikumbha to construct the temple at Kashi.
To attain Moksha, one has to perform a dip in the Ganges in Kashi and has to
offer worship to Kasi Vishweshwar. The Jyotirlingam is positioned in a square
brass plated pit. One can perform abhishekam and aarati on the holy lingam at
this place.
Kashi is located 800 km away from Delhi. Varanasi airport is connected to some
cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai and Agra. There are daily domestic
flights from Varanasi to these cities. Varanasi is well connected with all
major railway stations in India. There are two railheads nearby, namely
Varanasi junction and the Kashi junction. Many express trains connect Varanasi
with Delhi and Kolkata. State owned public bus services connect Varanasi with
other holy cities in Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states. Frequent and regular
private bus services are available from nearby cities to Varanasi.
11. Baidyanth in Jharkhand
It is believed that the Baidynath (Vaidyanath) Jyotirlingam in Deogarh in
Jharkhand is associated with legendary stories of Ravana and Lord Shiva. It was
at this place Ravana cut off his nine heads to repent and Lord Shiva blessed
him by joining back all his heads like a Vaidya. The temple is very famous with
thousands of devotees offer their prayers with great devotion and reverence.
The Shivalinga here is adorned majestically with jewels and pearls. One can get
all kinds of prosperity and long life by praying in this holy place.
Closest airport to Deoghar is at Patna, at a distance of 281 km from Deoghar
city. Patna is air connected well with other major cities in India. The railway
station in Deoghar is at Baidyanath Dham, at a distance of 7 km from the heart
of the city. It is a terminal station. Deoghar is well connected by buses to
Patna 281 km. Regular bus services are available from all nearby cities to
Deoghar.
12. Kedarnath in Uttaranchal
Kedarnath is located at the head end of the River Mandakini. It is the holiest
pilgrimage spot for a devout Hindu. Jyotirlingam is termed as Lord Kedareshwar
in this shrine. This jotirlingam is the rump of the bull followed by the
legendary story. The shrine is snow covered for nearly 6 months in a year. One
has to visit the temple to offer prayers from May to October.
Legends tell that Lord Shiva took refuge in the form a bull in Kedarnath to
evade Pandavas. Lord shiva dived into the earth leaving the back hump over the
surface. This hump is worshipped in this holy shrine of Kedarnath. The
remaining parts are located and worshipped as Panch Kedar, namely Tungnath
where Bahu (arms), Rudranath where Mukh (face), Madmaheshwar where nabhi
(navel) and Kalpeshwar where jata (hair).
Kedarnath is located in the Great Himalayan ranges in Uttar Pradesh. This
shrine is placed in a hillock of about 11,735 feet above sea level. This region
of the Himlayas where Kedarnath is located is known by different names like
Gandhamadana parvatham, Pancha parvatham and Sumera parvatham.
The nearest airport is Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, which is about 239 km
from Kedarnath. Taxi cabs are available from airport to Kedarnath. Nearest
railhead at Rishikesh, 221 km away from Kedarnath. One has to travel 207 km by
road and the rest 14 km by foot to reach Kedarnath. Kedarnath is well connected
through road. The National Highway from Delhi to Mana(538 km) is accessible
throughout the year. Kedarnath can be accessed by foot from GauriKund.
Gaurikund is connected by state buses to Rishikesh, Dehradun, Kotdwara,
Haridwar and other hill stations of Kumaon and Garhwal Hills.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My
humble salutations to the great devotees
, wikisources and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the
collection
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