We have picked up 20 famous Lord Shiva temples in India so that people can worship the supreme God without a delay. Lord Shiva names, also known as Shambhu, Mahesh and Shankar, is considered to be the pre-Vedic deity and the father of our universe. He is the supreme Hindu deity and is worshiped all over the world by Hindus. Lord Shiva is said to be ‘Bholenath’ because of his innocence, divinity and purity. The faith in Lord Shiva is vigorously solid in. Our Lord Shiva is the creator, protector and the controller of all existence.
Lord Shiva is also worshiped with whole hearts in the countries other than India like Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal and if we talk about famous Lord Shiva temples then there are so many present in not just these countries but all over the world.
The 20 famous Lord Shiva temples in India are:
1. Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand:
If someone points out the famous Lord Shiva temples then, Kedarnath temple, one of the Lord Shiva’s 12 Jyotirlingas, is the first one that comes to mind. It is situated on the Himalayan range, Garhwal which is near Mandakini river. According to beliefs, it was built and prepared by Pandavas who were in their guilt after the Kurukshetra war, to worship Lord Shiva. The temple remains closed for half of the year and the opening date is announced by temple priests in April or May.
2. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Ujjain:
Has a great significance as it is also one of the most ancient and sacred 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. The temple’s reference is visible in many holy books. The temple is included in one of the 7 Mukti Sthal. The mandir is a 5 level building for the God Ganesh, Maa Parvati, Kartikeya, Nagchandreshwar and Nandi. The famous Bhasma arti takes place here.
3. Omkareshwar Temple, Shivapuri:
It is situated on the island named Shivapuri which is in Narmada river. The temple’s view gets more beautiful as it is surrounded by water. The peace of the temple vibes gets combined with the natural view of the island. The faith of this temple is extreme among people. The temple is carved beautifully with detailed stone pillars.
4. Bhimashankar Temple, Pune:
It is located in the beautiful Sahyadri hills in Pune, Maharashtra. It is recently declared as the ‘wild life sanctuary’ as well because of a variety of animals, birds, flowers and trees all around. It is also one of the most famous mountains for trekking. The architecture style of Nagara gives a fine, attractive look to the temple.
5. Somnath Temple, Veraval:
It is one of the most attractive jyotirlinga temples in India. After many attacks and robberies, the temple was rebuilt in 1947 having an architecture style of Chalukya. The temple is highly visited during Mahashivratri. Also, a famous destination for international tourists. It is the first among the other 12 jyotirlingas.
6. Nageshwar Temple, Jamnagar:
It is located between the city of Dwarka and Beyt Dwarka island, Gujarat. There is a faith about the temple that if a person worships or meditates here, he will be free of the venom inside of the body as well as the venom present outside in the world in the form of problems and people. People worship Lord Shiva together with Goddess Parvati.
7. Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram:
The list of famous Lord Shiva temples cannot be completed without the reference of this temple, situated in Rameswaram island, Tamil Nadu. One of the attractive tourist destinations in India. It has the largest corridor among the other temples in India. The temple was extended by the pandya dynasty in the 12th century.
8. Grishneshwar Temple, Aurangabad:
Also known as Dhushmeshwar temple, situated just a kilometer away from Ellora caves in Aurangabad. It is the smallest yet purest Jyotirlingas in India. The best months to visit the temple are the winter months from October to March. The temple holds a deep history of re-destructions in Mughals’ time.
9. Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi:
The temple is located on the bank of the sacred river Ganga. The recent changes in the temple’s corridor brought the waves of charm to the temple. It is expanded from 3000 square feet to 5 lakhs square feet. People can easily worship Lord Shiva while taking a dip in the Ganga.
10. Trimbakeshwar Temple, Nashik:
It is situated beside the mountains of Brahmagiri, the source of the Godavari river. The exciting fact about the temple is that the three pillars inside the temple give deep underlying meaning, that is, the existence of three powerful deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. The temple is open every day for all.
11. Vaidyanath, Jharkhand:
It is situated in Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand. The best time to visit here is in the month of Shravana and it is the time when we find the most crowd. If you wish to perform abhishek on Shivling then, you are allowed to do it here. In the month of July and August, Shravana mela is a delightful experience to witness.
12. Mallikarjuna, Andhra Pradesh:
It is situated on the top of Shri Saila mountain, beside Krishna river. Pillars are beautifully decorated and are called gopurams. It is one of the Shakti peethas of Sati in India. All of this makes it one of the most popular Lord Shiva’s temples in the country.
13. Vadakkumnathan Temple, Thrissur:
This popular temple of Lord Shiva is situated in the state of Kerala. Lord Shiva is referred as Vadakkumnathan in this state. There is a belief that it is the very first temple built by Lord Parshuram. The unique fact about the temple is that ghee is given to the devotees as prasadam.
14. Kal Bhairav Temple, Ujjain:
Lord Shiva is referred to here as Kal Bhairav and the protector of the world. It is located beside the river Shipra. There is a huge crowd of people every day. The interesting fact about the temple is the people offer liquor here in the temple.
15. Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar:
It is one of the most famous landmarks in the city of Bhubaneswar. The tower in the center of the temple is around 180 feet. The style of architecture used here gives an idea of medieval Kalinga architecture. The temple has about four main components like Jagamohana, Vimana, Bhoga-Mandapa and Natamandira.
16. Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur:
The traditional architecture of Dravidian style used in the temple gives an attractive look to the temple. In addition, the remarkable corridor gives an elegance. The brass Nataraja present here is one the best things to witness.
17. Mangueshi Temple, Goa:
Mangueshi is a powerful incarnation of Lord Shiva and this beautiful temple is dedicated to him. There is a dress code for visitors which they have to follow when visiting. There are statues of so many different Hindu gods other than Lord Shiva.
18. Amarnath Temple, Srinagar:
It is situated in the Amarnath cave, at an altitude of about 3,888 m in Jammu and Kashmir, is said to be one of the most significant holy places in India. All around the cave are various mountains mostly covered in snow. Though it is quite difficult to conquer the mountainous journey, there are thousands of devotees with their strong faith.
19. Neelkanth Temple, Rishikesh:
Here, Lord Shiva is worshiped as Neelkanth. He is referred to as Neelkanth because he took poison in his ‘kanth’ , that is, neck to save everyone. The place where the temple is situated is covered with forest all around near the Narayan mountain range. Thus the temple is located just at the point where rivers Madhumati and Pankaja joins.
20. Nellaiappar Temple, Tirunelveli:
One of the most popular, ancient and beautiful of Lord Shiva present in South India. Here, people call Lord Shiva as Nellaiappar and Maa Parvati as Kanthimathi Amman. The temple area is around 14 acres and is located near banks of the river Thamirabarani. There are total of five gopurams.
1. What are the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva?
The 12 Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva include Kedarnath, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Bhimashankar, Somnath, Nageshwar, Ramanathaswamy, Grishneshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Vaidyanath and Mallikarjuna temple.
2. Which Jyotirlinga is recently declared as the wild life sanctuary?
Bhimashankar Temple, Pune is the Jyotirlinga recently declared as the wild life sanctuary.
3. What is an interesting fact about Kal Bhairav temple?
The interesting fact about the temple is the people offer liquor here in the temple.
4. Which is the first Jyotirlinga?
Somnath Temple is the first among the other 12 jyotirlingas.
5. What does the three pillars in Trimbakeshwar Temple symbolize?
The three pillars inside the temple symbolize the existence of three powerful deities, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.
