A Jyothirlingam is a special Hindu icon of Lord Shiva. There are 12 Jyothilingas throughout India. This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The Savior Not Made By Hands (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek εικων, eikon, image) is an artistic visual representation or symbol of anything considered holy and divine, such as God, saints or deities. ... For the Jewish ritual of mourning, see Shivah. ...

The 12 Jyothirlingas

• Somnath is the foremost of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva, held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, traditions and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.

• Srisailam - Srisailam near Kurnool enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple rich in architectural and sculptural wealth. Adi Shankaracharya composed his Sivanandalahiri here.

• Ujjain - Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga shrine in the ancient and historic city of Ujjain or Avanti in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Jyotirlinga shrine of Mahakaleshwar.

• Omkareshwar - an island in the course of the river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.

• Kedarnath is the northernmost of the Jyotirlingas. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only by foot, six months in a year.

• Bhimashankar - Jyotirlinga Shrine is associated with the legend of Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is located in the Sahyadri hills of Maharashtra, accessed from Pune.

• Varanasi - The shrine at Viswanath Temple in Benaras, Uttar Pradesh is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

• Tryambakeshwar - The Tryambakeshwar jyothilinga is located close to the origin of the Godavari River in Nasik, Maharastra.

• Vaidyanath temple at Deoghar (also called Deogarh) - The ancient pilgrimage town of Deogarh in the Santhal Parganas area of Bihar is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva.

• Nageshwar near Dwarka in Gujarat is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva

• Rameshwaram - This vast temple in the island of Rameswaram, in Southern Tamilnadu enshrines Ramalingeswarar, and is revered as the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of India.

• Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Shrine is a temple located in the vicinity of the tourist town of Ellora, which has several rock cut monuments from the 1st millennium CE.

The Somnath Temple in the Prabhas Kshetra in Saurashtra, on the western coast of Gujarat, India is one of the twelve Jyotirlings (golden lingas) symbols of the god Shiva. ... Gujarat (ગુજરાત in Gujarati) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ... Kurnool is a city in Andhra Pradesh state of southern India. ... Sri Adi Sankara Adi Shankaracharya or Adi Shankara (the first Shankara in his lineage), reverentially called Bhagavatpada Acharya (the teacher at the feet of Lord), Shankara (approximately 509- 477 BC (though some claim 788-820 CE)) was the most famous Advaita philosopher who had a profound influence on the growth... Ujjain or Ujain is an ancient city of central India, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, on the right bank of the Kshipra River. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्‍य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्‍य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Kedarnath is one of the four monasteries (called maths) holy to the Hindus. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Bhimashankar is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the forested hills of Pune district in Maharashtra, India. ... This page is undergoing a renovation. ... Benares (also known as Banaras, Kashi, Kasi and Varanasi (वाराणसी)) is a Hindu holy city on the banks of the river Ganga or Ganges in the modern north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... Benares (also known as Banaras, Kashi, Kasi and Varanasi (वाराणसी)) is a Hindu holy city on the banks of the river Ganga or Ganges in the modern north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش) is the fifth largest and the most populous state in India. ... The Godavari River is a major waterway in India, next to the Ganges and Indus rivers. ... Maharashtra (महाराष्ट्र) is a state in west-central India. ... Deoghar is one of the districts of Jharkhand state, India and Deoghar town is the headquarters of Deoghar district. ... The Santhal Parganas are a Division comprising five districts (Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Sahibganj and Pakur) of northeastern Jharkhand state of India that formerly comprised a district in undivided Bihar and earlier in the Bengal Presidency (created in 1855). ... Bihar (बिहार in Devanagri) is a state situated in the eastern part of India. ... Dwarka is a city in Gujarat, India. ... Gujarat (ગુજરાત in Gujarati) is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra and is located in western India, bordered by Pakistan to the northwest and Rajasthan to the north. ... Rameswaram is a town in the southern part of India in the state of Tamil Nadu. ... Kailasanatha Temple Ellora is an ancient village 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra famous for its magnificent rock cut architecture comprising of Buddhist, Hindu and Jaina cave temples and monasteries built between the 6th and 10th century A.D. These structures were excavated...

See Also

• Lingam

Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ...

Sources:

• More info on Lingams (http://www.dhyansanjivani.org/jyothirlinga_shrines.asp)
• 12 Jyotirlinga Darshan (http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/mahashivaratri.html)