Dwadash Jyotirlinga Part One
A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam of light." There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana (Śatarudra Saṁhitā, Ch.42/2-4). These shrines are:
• Somnath is the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.
• Mallikārjuna, also called Śrīśaila, is the name of the pillar located on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich.
• Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south.
• Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada River is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.
• Kedarnath in Uttarakhand 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, and only for six months a year.
• Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura.
• Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple.
• Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari River.
• Baidyanathdham in Deoghar, Jharkhand Vaidyanath Temple, also called Vaijnath Temple and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station.
• Nageshwar Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple.
• Rameswaram in Tamilnadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameśvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar.
• Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.
There are, however, some debates and disputes regarding the exact location of at least three of the above Jyotirlinga.
In case of Baidyanathdham… some people contend that the actual Baidyanathdham is in Parli, Maharashtra. Some others contend that it is in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Majority however contends that it is either in Maharashtra or Jharkhand.
In case of Nagnath… some people contend that actual Nagnath is near Almora in Uttaranchal. Some others however contend that it is actually in Oundha, Maharashtra. And in the case of Nagnath, there is not much coincidence of opinion.
Then in the case of Bhimashankar… some people consider that it is actually in Kashipur, Uttaranchal… some other say it is near Guwahati, Assam.
Much of these debates arise due to selfless pursuit of a woman called Rani Ahilya Bai. A brief history of this woman is as follows
During her reign… She did something great for Hindu Religion… she not only renovated a lot of temples across the length and breadth of the country but also found out the exact locations of many of them… that were lost or forgotten due to hundreds of year of Muslim rule in India. The Jyotirlingas in Bhimashankar, Aurangabad, Parli and Oundha are results of these searches.
So if somebody wants to visit all the twelve Jyotirlingas… then to be on the safer side he must visit 19 different places.
The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana (Śatarudra Saṁhitā, Ch.42/2-4). These shrines are:
• Somnath is the foremost of the twelve Jyotirlinga Shrines of Shiva. It is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra in Gujarat.
• Mallikārjuna, also called Śrīśaila, is the name of the pillar located on a mountain on the river Krishna. Srisailam, near Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich.
• Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south.
• Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada River is home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Amareshwar temple.
• Kedarnath in Uttarakhand 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, and only for six months a year.
• Bhimashankar, in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra, contains a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura.
• Varanasi (Benares) in Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple.
• Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik in Maharashtra, has a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari River.
• Baidyanathdham in Deoghar, Jharkhand Vaidyanath Temple, also called Vaijnath Temple and Baidyanth Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region of Jharkhand in the south west of Keeul Station.
• Nageshwar Temple, Dwarka in Gujarat is home to the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga temple.
• Rameswaram in Tamilnadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines the Rameśvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar.
• Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga shrine, in Aurangabad Maharashtra, is located near the rock-cut temples of Ellora.
There are, however, some debates and disputes regarding the exact location of at least three of the above Jyotirlinga.
In case of Baidyanathdham… some people contend that the actual Baidyanathdham is in Parli, Maharashtra. Some others contend that it is in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Majority however contends that it is either in Maharashtra or Jharkhand.
In case of Nagnath… some people contend that actual Nagnath is near Almora in Uttaranchal. Some others however contend that it is actually in Oundha, Maharashtra. And in the case of Nagnath, there is not much coincidence of opinion.
Then in the case of Bhimashankar… some people consider that it is actually in Kashipur, Uttaranchal… some other say it is near Guwahati, Assam.
Much of these debates arise due to selfless pursuit of a woman called Rani Ahilya Bai. A brief history of this woman is as follows
Ahilyabai Holkar (1725-1795) was a great ruler and the Queen of the Kingdom of Malwa. Popularly known as Rajmata Ahilyadevi Holkar and she was born in 1725 in the village of Chondi in Maharashtra, India. She was the daughter of Mankoji Shinde who belonged to the Dhangar community, serving as patil of the village. Her father educated her himself and she grew up living a humble pious life, when one day, her destiny changed forever to eventually see her become the ruler of Malwa in the 18th century.
Young Ahilyadevi's character and simplicity impressed Malhar Rao Holkar, who then served under Peshwa Bajirao's army as a commander. So great was his liking for the girl, that she was married to his son, Khande Rao, thus becoming a bride in the esteemed Maratha community of the Holkars. After her husband's death in the battle of Kumbher in 1754, Ahilyabai was introduced to the administrative and military affairs of the state by her father-in-law, which saw her perform brilliantly under his guidance.
After Malhar Rao's death, she requested the Peshwa to grant her the power to lead the administration of the region. His approval saw Rani Ahilyadevi take hold of the reins of the state in 1766, to become ruler of Malwa, with Tukoji Holkar appointed as her new military head. Receiving the full support of her loyal army, Ahilyadevi led them into several wars, whilst, she being a brave warrior and skilled archer herself, fought with valor atop elephant-back, even protecting her kingdom from the plundering Bhils and Gonds.
Rani Ahilyabai moved her capital to Maheshwar, constructing the splendid 18th century Maratha-architecture based, Ahilya Fort, on the banks of the sacred Narmada River. Besides her capital being an industrial enterprise for textile, it was also a thriving destination for literary, sculpture, music and arts, which saw Moropant, the famous Marathi poet, the Shahir Anantaphandi and Sanskrit scholar, Khushali Ram, being patronized during her era.
A wise, just and enlightened ruler who cared for her people, she was available to the aid of everyone holding a daily public audience in her court. During her glorious reign (1767-1795), Rani Ahilyadevi's innumerable contributions made her a beloved and respected queen amongst her people in a prospering kingdom. She wisely spent the governmental money building several forts, rest houses, wells and roads, celebrating festivals and donations to Hindu temples.
Her feminine side saw her aid widows in retaining their husband's wealth and in adoption of a son. Besides her transformation of Indore from an erstwhile village into a prosperous and enchanting city, she is also accredited with renovating temples. Her most memorable activities include the construction of numerous temples and pilgrimage centers across an area extending from the Himalayas to South India, at sacred sites like Kashi, Gaya, Somnath, Ayodhya, Mathura, Hardwar, Dwarka, Badrinarayan, Rameshwar and Jaganathpuri.
Ahilyabai Holkar's magnificent and glorious rule ended when she passed away in 1795.
During her reign… She did something great for Hindu Religion… she not only renovated a lot of temples across the length and breadth of the country but also found out the exact locations of many of them… that were lost or forgotten due to hundreds of year of Muslim rule in India. The Jyotirlingas in Bhimashankar, Aurangabad, Parli and Oundha are results of these searches.
So if somebody wants to visit all the twelve Jyotirlingas… then to be on the safer side he must visit 19 different places.
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