Shiva is one of the principal deities in Hinduism and is considered part of the Trimurti alongside Brahma and Vishnu. Numerous temples dedicated to Shiva exist across India and beyond, often featuring lingams as representations of the deity. Hindu scriptures describe the worship of Shiva and the establishment of temples and shrines across the Indian subcontinent. Among these, the Jyotirlinga temples are considered particularly significant within Shaivism.
The 12 Jyotirlinga temples The 12 Jyotirlinga temples as mentioned in the Shiva Purana are :-
# Jyotirlinga Location 1 Somnath Veraval, Gujarat 2 Mallikarjuna Swamy Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh 3 Mahakaleshwar Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh 4 Omkareshwar near Indore, Madhya Pradesh 5 Kedarnath Kedarnath, Uttarakhand 6 Bhimashankar Pune, Maharashtra 7 Kashi Vishwanath Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 8 Trimbakeshwar Trimbak, near Nashik, Maharashtra 9 Baidyanath Deoghar, Jharkhand 10 Nageshwar Dwarka, Gujarat 11 Ramanathaswamy Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu 12 Grishneshwar Ellora, Maharashtra
Pancha Bhuta Sthalams (Five Elemental Manifestations)
In South India, five temples of Shiva are held to be particularly important, as being manifestations of him in the five elemental substances. Deity Manifestation Location Jambukeswarar Water Thiruvanaikaval, Tamil Nadu Arunachaleswarar Fire Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu Kalahastheeswarar Air Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh Ekambareswarar Earth Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu Natarajar Sky Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
Pancharama temples
The Pancharama Kshetras (or the Pancharamas) are five ancient Hindu temples of Shiva situated in Andhra Pradesh. The lingams at these temples are made from a single lingam. As per the legend, this lingam was owned by the demon king Tarakasura. No one could win over him due to the power of this lingam. Finally, Kartikeya, the son of Shiva broke the lingam into five pieces and killed Tarakasura. The five pieces of lingam fell at five different places on earth namely,
Arama Name Shiva's Name Consort Name Location Amararama Amaralingeswara Swamy Bala Chamundika Ammavaru Amaravathi village, Andhra Pradesh Draksharama Bhimesvara Swamy Manikyamba Ammavaru Draksharama, Andhra Pradesh Somarama Someswara Swamy Sri Rajarajeswari Ammavaru Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh Ksheerarama Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy Parvati Ammavaru Palakollu, Andhra Pradesh Bhimarama Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy Bala Tripurasundari Ammavaru Samalkota, Andhra Pradesh
Pancha Sabhai
The five temples located in Tamil Nadu where Shiva is believed to perform the tandava dance are:
Sabha Temple Location Pon (Gold) Sabha Natarajar Temple Chidambaram Velli (Silver) Sabha Meenakshi Temple Madurai Thamira (Copper) Sabha Nellaiappar Temple Tirunelveli Rathna (Gem) Sabha Sri Vadaranyeswarar Temple Thiruvalangadu Chitira (Picture) Sabha Kutraleeswar Temple Kutralam
Ashta Veeratta Temples
Temple Deity Commemorates Location Veerateeswarar Temple, Thirukovilur Veerateeswarar Shiva slaying Andhakasura in the form of Andhakasuramurti Tirukoilur Veerateeswarar Temple, Thiruvathigai Veerateeswarar Shiva killing Tripurasura and destroying the three cities in the form of Tripurantaka Panruti Veerateeswarar Temple, Korukkai Veerateeswarar Shiva burning Kamadeva with his third eye in the form of Kamari Mayiladuthurai Kandeeswarar Temple, Kandiyur Brahmasirakandeeswarar Shiva decapitating the fifth head of Brahma in the form of Bhairava Thanjavur Amritaghateswarar-Abirami Temple, Thirukkadaiyur Amritaghateswarar Shiva defeating Yama and blessing Markandeya to remain a youth of 16 in the form of Kalantaka Mayiladuthurai Veerateeswarar Temple, Thirupariyalur Veerateeswarar Shiva beheading Daksha and destroyed Daksha Yajna in the form of Virabhadra Mayiladuthurai Veerateeswarar Temple, Vazhuvur Veerateeswarar Shiva killing Gajasura in the form of Gajasurasamhara Mayiladuthurai Veerateeswarar Temple, Thiruvirkudi Veerateeswarar Shiva killing Jalandhara in the form of Jalandharari Mayiladuthurai
Shani Parihara Temples
Sabha Temple Location Sani Parihara Sthalam Tirunallar Saniswaran Temple Thirunallaru, Puducherry Sani Parihara Sthalam Sri Darbarneeswarar Temple Devasthanam Shani Parihara Chenchadainathar Shiva Temple Sayalkudi, Tamil Nadu Shani Parihara Sri Mandeswara Swamy Vari Devasthanam -
Kashiswar Jiu temple
Kashiswar Jiu temple is in Andul of Howrah district near the Saraswati river, West Bengal in India. The presiding deity is a Banlinga which was recovered from the river in mid 17th century by Kashiswar Datta Chowdhury, a local zamindar. In 18th century a stone made yoni-like structure (Gauripatta) that symbolizes goddess Shakti has been attached with the lingam after Bargi attacked in 1741 AD. The deity is considered to be one of the oldest in the district. +Other deities with Kashiswar JiuDeitiesYearBiseshwara1785 ADNakuleshwara19th century circaSaurendra Mohaneshwara18th century circa The temples are presently run by SrisriKashiswar Debottur Trust.
Notable temples
Andhra Pradesh
Pancharama Kshetras Gudimallam Lingam, Gudimallam Parashurameshwara Swami Temple, Gudimallam Kapila Theertham, Tirupati Kotappakonda Kukkuteswara Temple, East Godavari Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam Pallikondeswara Temple, Surutupalle Tripuranthakeswara Temple, Tripuranthakam Veerabhadra Temple, Pattiseema Yaganti temple, Sri Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple, Nandyal district
Assam
Mahabhairav Temple, Tezpur Sivasagar Sivadol, Sivasagar Sukreswar Temple, Guwahati Umananda Temple, Guwahati
Bihar
Araria district Sundarnath Temple, Araria
Bhagalpur district Burhanath Temple, Bhagalpur Budhanath Temple, Bhagalpur
Buxar district Shri Adinath Akhara, Buxar
Darbhanga district Mittheswarnath Shiv Temple, Chunabhatti
Kaimur district Mundeshwari Temple, Ramgarh
Lakhisarai district Ashokdham Temple
Madhubani district Kapileshwar Temple, Rahika Parasmaninath Temple, Madhubani Ugna Mahadev Temple, Bhawanipur Kalyaneshwar Mahadev Mandir Gandiveshwar Sthan Dakshineswar Nath Mahadev Mandir
Muzaffarpur district Baba Garib Sthan Mandir, Muzaffarpur
Patna district Nair temple, Patna
Samastipur district Khudneshwar Asthan Morwa, Morwa
Vaishali district Chaumukhi Mahadev, Basarh Lal Keshwar Shiv Temple Pataleshwar Mandir
Chhattisgarh
Bhoramdeo Temple Mahadev Temple, Deobaloda
Goa
Mahadev Temple, Tambdi Surla Mangueshi Temple Nagueshi Temple, Bandora Ramnathi Temple, Bandora Saptakoteshwar, Narve Vimleshwar Temple, Rivona
Gujarat
Somnath temple, Veraval Nagnath Temple, Dwaraka
Jammu and Kashmir
Amarnath
Karnataka
Bhoganandishwara Temple, Chikkaballapur Dharmasthala Temple, Dakshina Kannada Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu Kadri Manjunath Temple, Dakshina Kannada Kotilingeshwara, Kolar Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna, Uttara Kannada Murudeshwara, Uttara Kannada Srikanteshwara Temple, Nanjangud
Kerala
Aluva Mahadeva Temple Chengannur Mahadeva Temple, Chengannur Chowalloor Siva Temple, Guruvayoor Elannummel Shiva Temple Ernakulam Shiva Temple, Ernakulam Ettumanoor Mahadevar Temple, Ettumanoor Jagannath Temple, Thalassery Kolathukara Shiva Temple Kottiyoor Temple, Kottiyoor Mammiyoor Temple, Guruvayoor Pazhaya Sreekanteswaram Temple Peruvanam Mahadeva Temple, cherpu, Thrissur Poonkunnam Siva Temple, Punkunnam Rajarajeshwara Temple, Taliparamba Sree Bhavaneeswara Temple, Palluruthy Sreekanteswaram, Thiruvananthapuram Thirunakkara Sree Mahadevar Temple Thiru Nayathode Siva Narayana Temple Thiruvanchikulam Temple, kodungallur Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur Vaikom Temple, Vaikom Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple
Madhya Pradesh
Chhatarpur District Brahma Temple at Khajuraho Duladeo Temple at Khajuraho Lalguan Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho Matangeshvara Temple at Khajuraho Vishvanatha Temple at Khajuraho
Hoshangabad District Jatashankar Cave Temple at Pachmarhi
Khandwa District Omkareshwar Temple at Mandhata or Shivpuri
Mandsaur District Pashupatinath Temple at Mandsaur
Morena District Kakanmath Temple at Sihoniya
Neemuch District Sukhanand Mahadev Ji Temple at Jawad
Raisen District Bhojeshwar Temple at Bhojpur
Seoni District Shri Kala Bhairava Nath Swami Temple at Adegaon
Ujjain District Kal Bhairav Temple at Ujjain Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple at Ujjain Mangalnath Temple at Ujjain
Maharashtra
Aurangabad District Kailasa Temple at Ellora Caves Grishneshwar Temple at Verul
Beed District Shri Vaijnath Temple at Parli Vaijnath
Kolhapur District Kopeshwar Temple, Khidrapur
Mumbai City District Babulnath Temple at Malabar Hill Walkeshwar Temple at Walkeshwar
Nashik District Gondeshwar Temple at Sinnar Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple at Trimbak City
Palghar District Shiv Mandir, Maharashtra at Vangaon Tungareshwar Temple at Vasai
Pune District Bhimashankar Temple at Pune District
Thane District Shiv Mandir, Ambarnath
Odisha
Akhandalamani Temple, Bhadrak Baba Bhusandeswar Temple, Balasore Chandaneswar, Balasore Dhabaleswar, Cuttack Gupteswar Cave temple, Jeypore Kapilash Temple, Dhenkanal Leaning Temple of Huma, Sambalpur Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneswar Mahavinayak Temple, Jajpur Mukteshvara Temple, Bhubaneswar Parashurameshvara Temple, Bhubaneswar
Punjab
Mukteshwar Mahadev Temple, Pathankot
Rajasthan
Sabli Temple, Dungarpur district Rameshwar Mahadev Temple, Bundi District
Sikkim
Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple, Legship
Tamil Nadu
Adi Kumbeswarar Temple, Kumbakonam Airavatesvara Temple, Darasuram Ardhanareeswarar Temple, Tiruchengode Arunachalesvara Temple, Tiruvannamalai Bhavani Sangameswarar Temple, Bhavani Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur Chandra Choodeswarar Temple, Hosur Isha Foundation, Coimbatore Jalantheeswarar Temple, Thakkolam Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Chennai Kasi Viswanathar Temple, Tenkasi Koorainadu Punukeeswarar Temple, Mayiladuthurai Marundeeswarar Temple, Chennai Masilamaniswara Temple, Thirumullaivoyal Mayuranathaswami Temple, Mayiladuthurai Meenakshi Temple, Madurai Pariyur Kondathu Kaliamman Temple, Pariyur Perur Pateeswarar Temple, Coimbatore Sankaranayinarkoil, Sankarankovil Sathyanatheswarar Temple, Kanchipuram Thayumanaswami Temple, Tiruchirappalli Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvottiyur Thyagaraja Temple, Tiruvarur Vedapureeswarar Temple, Thiruverkadu Virundeeswarar Temple, Coimbatore
Telangana
Chaya Someswara Temple, Nalgonda Kaleshwara Mukteswara Swamy Temple, Kaleshwaram Keesaragutta Temple, Keesaragutta Raja Rajaeshwara Temple, Vemulavada Ramappa Temple, Warangal
Uttarakhand
Baijnath, Uttarakhand Baleshwar Temple, Champawat Daksheswar Mahadev Temple, Kankhal Gopinath Mandir, Chamoli Gopeshwar Jageshwar, Almora Kalpeshwar Kedarnath Temple, Kedarnath Madhyamaheshwar Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, near Rishikesh Panch Kedar Rudranath Rudreshwar Mahadev Temple Tungnath, Chamoli district
Uttar Pradesh
Ghuisarnath Temple, Pratapgarh Hajari Mahadev Temple, Etawah Lodheshwar Mahadev Mandir, Barabanki Shivdwar Uma Maheshwar Temple, Sonbhadra Waneshwar Mahadev Temple, Kanpur Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Byaspur Shiva Temple Ekteswar Temple Jalpesh Temple Mahakal Temple, Darjeeling Tarakeswar
See also 108 Shiva Temples
References
External links List of Shiva temples in India at The Divine India