India is famous for many holy places but the holy place that is considered most important is the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. They also hold the view that each of the Jyotirlinga shrines represents Shiva himself and also the endowment of his benevolence. People go there for blessings and to seek and find tranquillity and serenity. Here’s a brief overview of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India:
Somnath (Gujarat): Somnath is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India and is known for its large temple and history.
Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh): Srisailam, and it is built amid the scenic Nallamala ranges hills.
Mahakaleshwar (Madhya Pradesh): Located in Ujjain this temple of Jyotirlinga has a different orientation of the idol which faces south.
Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh): In the Mandhata Island it also looks like the shape of Om, symbol and there is huge number of devotees visiting the place.
Kedarnath (Uttarakhand): This temple is located in the Himalayas and is considered as one of the Char Dham Yatra temples, is an important pilgrimage.
Bhimashankar (Maharashtra): This is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and is set amidst beautiful forests and has very beautiful architectural designs.
Kashi Vishwanath (Uttar Pradesh): Located in Varanasi, the temple is revered as one of the premier religious sites in Hinduism.
Trimbak (Maharashtra): Located near Nashik, this Jyotirlinga is believed to have a very intense energy vortex and is surrounded by beautiful landscapes.
Vaidyanath (Jharkhand): This is a health temple and it is believed that whoever goes there is cured of their sickness.
Nageshwar (Gujarat): Also, it is placed in Dwarka and for this reason people associate it with the serpent king story.
Ramanathaswamy (Tamil Nadu): This is one of the Char Dham temples having an elongated corridor.
Grishneshwar (Maharashtra): The location of the last Jyotirlinga is in a village called Lendi and it is located near Ellora, the ancient city.
Not only do the tourists get to pray at such holy sites, but they are also able to get a feel of the culture of this wonderful country. All the Jyotirlingas have a legend or an epic of their own and therefore a visit to such places is compulsory for every pilgrim as well as any tourist.