Introduction to 5 Most Famous Shiv Temples
When we talk about the 5 most famous Shiv temples in India the names that flash in pilgrim’s mind are – Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Somnath Temple, Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: Rameshwaram Temple and they erroneously add the famous Shri Badrinath Mandir: but the holy shrine of Shri Badrinath Mandir: is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and not Lord Shiva.
Shri Badrinath Mandir: or Badri Vishal or Badarinath Dham/ Badrinath Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is located in Garhwal’s Chamoli District at an elevation of about 3,110 meters (10279 ft.) above the sea level. The Badrinath Dham/Badrinath Temple is at a distance of about 300 km from Rishikesh. Badrinath Mandir is on the banks of holy Alaknanda river.
The Badrinath temple or Shri Badrinath Mandir: remains open for about 6 months. Best time to visit is from April to June and & September to October.
On their spiritual journey, the devotees prefer to visit holy 12 Jyotirlingas which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. The lingam or the Stambh (the pillar) signifies the emergence of the beginningless and endless infinite nature of Lord Shiva.
Brief description of the 5 Most famous Shiv temples:
Brief description of 5 most famous Shiv temples viz. The Kedarnath Jyotirlinga, Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple, Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple, Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga and the Onkareshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is given herein below to enable pilgrims to seamlessly undertake their spiritual journeys.
Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple in Uttarakhand
Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, is nestled in the Himalayas in the State of Uttarakhand. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga temple is located on the bank of the meandering Mandakini River at an altitude of 3584 meters (11,755 ft.) above sea level.
Route Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple from Haridwar, the visitors come across the towns of Rishikesh, Devprayag, Srinagar, Rudraprayag, Gaurikund (via Agastyamuni, Guptakashi, Sonprayag and Kedarnath. The approximate distance between Rishikesh and Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga temple is 223 km(139 miles).
Visit to Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple also involves a trekking trail of about 16 km from Gaurikund to Kedarnath.
As per the legend of Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga temple, Pandavas to seek redemption for killing their kith and kin on the battlefield long to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva who eluded them. Lord Shiva took refuge at Kedarnath in the form of a Bull.
Shiva dived into the ground and his body parts appeared at different places-. the hump at Kedarnath; arms at Tungnath, face at Rudranath, belly at Madmaheshwar, and His locks at Kalpeshwar which together constitute the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit.
Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit:
Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga temple and the four pilgrim sites viz. Tungnath, Rudranath, Madmaheshwar, and Kalpeshwar together make the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit.
Both the Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple and Shri Badrinath Mandir or Badrinath Mandir are believed to be established by Aadi Guru Shankaracharya.
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple opening time, closing time, Aarti and Darshan:
Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple is open in April( from Akshaya Tritiya Day) till November (Kartik Purnima Day). Ukhimath Temple becomes the abode for Lord Kedarnath during winters.
The Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple remains open from 4 AM to 9 PM during the above period. Devotees can have darshan of the deity between 06:00 am to 03:00 pm (morning darshan), 05:00 pm to 07:00 pm (evening darshan) and 07:30 pm to 09:30 pm (night darshan).
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: or Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: or the Mahakaleshwar Mandir or Mahakaleshwar temple or Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas is located in Ujjain District of the State of Madhya Pradesh. The sacred river Khisipra flows nearby.
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: or Mahakaleshwar Temple or Mahakaleshwar Mandir is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is present in infinite- Swayambhu form i.e. He is deriving power from self within.
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple:- Timings:
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: opens at 04:00 am;
Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: closes at 11:00 pm.
Pooja Archana at Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple: includes ‘Bhasma Aarti’.
The Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple, Ujjain can be visited from Indore Airport by road which takes about an hour or so. Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple is at a distance of about 2 km from Ujjain Railway Station.
Shree Somnath Jyotirling Temple or Somnath Temple, Gujarat
Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple or Deo Patan or the Somnath temple, an ancient pilgrimage site is located at the confluence of three rivers viz. Kapila, Hiran and Sarasvati in Prabhas Patan, Veraval District in the State of Gujarat in India.
Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple is known for the last journey to Neejdham undertaken by Lord Krishna. Lord Shiva has appeared in the Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple as a fiery column of light.
Various artifacts and ruins with Brahmi and proto-Nagari and Nagari scripts have been found at Somnath-Patan in the area of Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple.
Shree Somnath temple had been subjected to plundering by Mughal ruler, Mahmud Ghazni who attacked the temple site umpteen times.
Architecture of Shree Somnath Jyotirling Temple:
Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple is in Maru-Gurjara style.
Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple timings:
Pilgrims can have Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple darshan from 06:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Devotees are allowed to perform Aarti at 07:00 am; 12:00 noon; 07:00 pm.
Rameshwaram Temple or Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga in Tamil Nadu
Ramanathaswamy temple or Rameshwaram Temple or Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga has beautiful sculptures, long corridors and 22 Theerthams. At these theerthams, the devotees take bath for atonement.
The Rameshwaram temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. Nandi bull statue is very tall roughly about 17.5 ft. in height.
According to the legend of Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga temple, Lord Rama after defeating Ravana desired to worship Lord Shiva. He asked Lord Hanuman to bring a Linga. Goddess Sita made a Shivalinga from the sand as the Muhurat of consecrating the Linga was elapsing.
Since then, the Shivalinga made by Goddess Sita is worshiped as Ramalingam at Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga temple and the Lingam brought by Hanuman is worshiped as Vishwalingam.
Shree Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga temple has access by train. Railway station and bus station are nearby. Madurai International Airport is at a distance of about 180 km.
Rameshwaram temple timings:
Rameshwaram temple timings for opening: 04:00 am to 01:00 pm.
Rameshwaram temple timings for closing: 03:00 pm to 08:00 pm.
Devotees can perform various pujas including Rudrabhishek, Milk abhishek, Vibhooti abhishek and Kalasha abhishek.
Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga or Shree Omkareshwar Temple or Shree Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga
Shri Omkareshwar jyotirlinga, Shree Omkareshwar temple or Shree Omkareshwar jyotirlinga is situated on an island called Mandhata which is in the shape of ॐ (Om). The temple is located on the southern bank of the Narmada River on the mainland.
Omkareshwar temple is located at a distance of about 140 Kms south of Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. The Omkareshwar temple was built by Jayasimhadeva and Jayavarman, the Paramara Kings of Malwa in the 11th Century. Subsequently, it was administered by Chauhan rulers. Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar of Indore rebuilt it in the 19th century.
Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga temple timings:
Shri Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga temple remains open between 5:00 am to 09:30 pm.
At the temple, the pilgrims perform Panchmukhi aarti and evening aarti.
Conclusion:
Devotees and pilgrims visit the temples of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati to offer their prayers to them and seek their blessing to ensure peace, harmony, and well-being. Pilgrims having immense faith and trust in the Gods and Goddesses visit the 12 Jyotirlinga temples across India.
The shrines viz. Shri Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiv and Shri Badrinath Mandir: dedicated to Lord Vishnu are located in the serene and picturesque environment of in the lap of Holy Himalayan mountain ranges in the State of Uttarakhand.
The famous Char Dham pilgrimage circuit in the State of Uttarakhand in India includes the holy shrines of Kedarnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Shri Badrinath Mandir:, Gangotri Dham, and Yamunotri Dham.
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FAQs About 5 Most Famous Shiv Temples
Q.1. Which jyotirlinga is Kedarnath?
Ans.1. Kedarnath Jyotirling temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located in the State of Uttarakhand and is closest to Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva. It is a part of the famous Char Dham Yatra.
Q.2. What is special about Kedarnath Temple?
Ans. It is a Jyotirlinga and is a part of the Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.
Q.3. What is special about Badrinath Temple?
Ans.3 Badrinath temple is located in the State of Uttarakhand and is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is also called Badri Vishal.
Q.4. What is the history of Badrinath Idol?
Ans. 4. Adi Shankaracharya is said to have discovered the Badrinath idol in the holy river Alaknanada in the 8th century.
Q.5. What is special about the Somnath temple?
Ans. 5. Shree Somnath Jyotirling temple is a Jyotirlinga located in the state of Gujarat. The temple was plundered by Mughal rulers several times.
Q.6. Who is the goddess of Somnath temple?
Ans.6. Manat Goddess is associated with Somnath temple. She represents the waning moon and black stones.
Q.7. What is special about Mahakaleshwar temple?
Ans.7. Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga or Mahakaleshwar Temple or Mahakaleshwar Mandir is dedicated to Lord Shiva who here is in infinite- Swayambhu form.
Q.8. What is the Rameshwaram temple famous for?
Ans.8. Rameshwaram Temple Jyotirlinga is famous as per Hindu mythology, it is believed to have been built by Lord Rama and Goddess Sita.
Q.9. Which Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram?
Ans. 9. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
