Pilgrimage
The 12 Jyotirlingas
In Hindu belief the twelve Jyotirlingas are the shrines where Shiva appeared as a column of light. Their names and places come from the Shiva Purana. They are spread over 8 states, from Somnath on the Gujarat coast to Kedarnath in the Himalaya.
The twelve
- SomnathPrabhas Patan, near Veraval, Gujarat
- MallikarjunaSrisailam, Andhra Pradesh
- MahakaleshwarUjjain, Madhya Pradesh
- OmkareshwarOmkareshwar, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh
- KedarnathKedarnath, Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand
Open only in the warmer months; closed in winter.
- BhimashankarBhimashankar, Pune district, Maharashtra
- Kashi VishwanathVaranasi, Uttar Pradesh
- TrimbakeshwarTrimbak, Nashik district, Maharashtra
- Baidyanath (Vaidyanath)Deoghar, Jharkhand
Shri Vaijnath Temple at Parli, Maharashtra, also claims to be this Jyotirlinga.
- Nageshwarnear Dwarka, Gujarat
Aundha Nagnath (Maharashtra) and Jageshwar (Uttarakhand) also claim this Jyotirlinga.
- Rameshwaram (Ramanathaswamy)Rameswaram island, Tamil Nadu
- GrishneshwarVerul, near Ellora, Maharashtra
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 Jyotirlingas?
Somnath (Prabhas Patan, near Veraval), Mallikarjuna (Srisailam), Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain), Omkareshwar (Omkareshwar, Khandwa district), Kedarnath (Kedarnath, Rudraprayag district), Bhimashankar (Bhimashankar, Pune district), Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi), Trimbakeshwar (Trimbak, Nashik district), Baidyanath (Vaidyanath) (Deoghar), Nageshwar (near Dwarka), Rameshwaram (Ramanathaswamy) (Rameswaram island), Grishneshwar (Verul, near Ellora).
Which state has the most Jyotirlingas?
Maharashtra, with three: Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have two each.
Are any Jyotirlinga locations disputed?
Yes. Nageshwar is placed near Dwarka in Gujarat, but Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand also claim it. Baidyanath is at Deoghar in Jharkhand, and Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra also claims it.
Sources: the list as given from the Shiva Purana on Wikipedia’s Jyotirlinga article, and Wikidata for locations. Checked 19 Oct 2026.