Jyotir Linga Shiva Temples

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Worship of shivalinga is considered the prime worship for the devotees of Lord Shiva. Worship of all other forms is considered secondary. The significance of the shivalinga is that it is the resplendent light (flame) form of the Supreme - solidified to make the worship of it easier. It represents the real nature of God - formless essentially and taking various forms as it wills.

The 12 jyotirlinga temples

                             
There is a Sanskrit shloka that lists the twelve jyotirlinga temples.
“Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam|
Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram ||
Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |
Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||
Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|
Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||
Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Patennarah|
Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||”

Jyotir Linga Shiva Temples  are abundant throughout India's many thousands of cities and villages, yet only a small number of these temples are places of pilgrimage. This distinction arises from the fact that, while any structure may house an idol of Shiva, and thereby be used in the worship of the deity, true pilgrimage shrines are those places where Shiva has actually manifested some aspect of his divine nature

The five Bhuta Lingas are places where Shiva is said to have manifested himself as a Linga of a natural element.

Chidambaram: Ether

Sri Kalahasti: Wind
Tiruvanaikka/Jambunath: Water
Kanchipuram: Earth
Tiruvanamalai: Fire

                                                     The Jyotir Linga Shiva shrine of Grineshwar, India

Sacred Sites of India

·         Amarnath Cave, Kashmir
·         Buddhist Pilgrimage in India
·         The Golden Temple, Amritsar
·         Muruga Shrines of South India


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