— पुण्यक्षेत्राणि —

Twelve Jyotirlingas

12 stops · ~21 days · Gujarat · Madhya Pradesh · Uttarakhand · Uttar Pradesh · Jharkhand · Maharashtra · Andhra Pradesh · Tamil Nadu

— पुण्यक्षेत्राणि —

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Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

Bhimashankar, Maharashtra

Bhimashankar — in the Sahyadri forests above the Bhima river. Shiva is said to have slain Tripurasura here, and rested in the form of the lingam. A wildlife sanctuary surrounds the shrine.

best time

Monsoon (Jun–Sep) for the forest and waterfalls.

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Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga

Verul, Maharashtra

Grishneshwar — twelfth and final Jyotirlinga, near the Ellora caves in Aurangabad. Pair with a morning darshan of Ellora Kailasa.

best time

October–March; combine with Ellora same day.

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Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Kashi Vishwanath — the most revered Jyotirlinga, on the ghats of the Ganga. Shiva himself is said to whisper the taraka mantra into the ear of the dying at Kashi.

best time

Before sunrise, for Mangala Aarti; pair with a Ganga boat ride.

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Kedarnath Jyotirlinga

Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

Kedarnath — highest of the twelve, at 3,583 m in the Garhwal Himalayas. Open only May–October. Also the Shiva shrine of the Char Dham.

best time

May–October only. Weather turns dangerous after Diwali.

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Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Ujjain

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Mahakaleshwar — the only south-facing Jyotirlinga, Shiva as Lord of Time. Famous for the 4 am Bhasma Aarti where the lingam is anointed with sacred ash.

best time

Bhasma Aarti at 4 am — book slots 2+ months in advance.

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Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Srisailam

Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

Mallikarjuna — rare shrine that is both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha (as Bhramaramba). On the forested Nallamala hills above the Krishna river.

best time

October–March; combine with nearby Srisailam dam viewpoint.

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Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, Dwarka

Dwarka, Gujarat

Nageshwar — lord of serpents, in the forest of Daarukavanam near Krishna's Dwarka. Pairs naturally with a Dwarkadheesh darshan.

best time

October–March; can be paired with Dwarka on the same day.

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Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga

Omkareshwar, Madhya Pradesh

Omkareshwar — on the island of Mandhata in the Narmada, shaped like the sacred syllable Om. Two lingams, Omkareshwar and Amareshwar, considered one Jyotirlinga.

best time

Morning; cross to the island by the old footbridge at sunrise.

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Ramanathaswamy, Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

Ramanathaswamy — southernmost Jyotirlinga, on Pamban island. Rama worshipped Shiva here before invading Lanka. Famous for 22 theerthams (sacred wells) inside the temple.

best time

Bathe in all 22 theerthams before 8 am for the full punya.

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Somnath Jyotirlinga

Somnath, Gujarat

Somnath — first of the twelve, on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Destroyed and rebuilt seven times; the current shrine is from 1951. The Chandra shrine — Somnath means 'Lord of the Moon'.

best time

Evening aarti overlooking the sea; October–March for pleasant weather.

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Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga

Trimbak, Maharashtra

Trimbakeshwar — source of the Godavari river, at the foot of Brahmagiri hill in Nashik. The only Jyotirlinga with three faces — Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra.

best time

Book the Kushavarta kund darshan in advance; visit before 10 am.

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Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deoghar

Deoghar, Jharkhand

Vaidyanath — Shiva as the cosmic physician, at Deoghar in Jharkhand. Centre of the Shravani Mela when millions carry Ganga water from Sultanganj.

best time

Outside Shravan (Jul–Aug) for quieter darshan; Shravan for the pilgrimage experience.

may this yatra walk with you.

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