The 12 Jyotirlingas of India: Complete Pilgrimage Guide & Tour Packages

The 12 Jyotirlingas of India: A Sacred Pilgrimage

The 12 Jyotirlingas are the most sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, spread across India. A pilgrimage to all 12 is considered the ultimate spiritual journey for devotees.

List of 12 Jyotirlingas

1. Somnath (Gujarat) — First jyotirlinga, on the Arabian Sea coast
2. Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh) — On the Krishna River, near Srisailam
3. Mahakaleshwar (Madhya Pradesh) — In Ujjain, known for Bhasma Aarti
4. Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) — On Mandhata island in Narmada River
5. Baidyanath (Jharkhand) — In Deoghar, associated with Ravana legend
6. Bhimashankar (Maharashtra) — In Pune district, surrounded by forest
7. Ramanathaswamy (Tamil Nadu) — In Rameswaram, associated with Ramayana
8. Nageshwar (Gujarat) — Near Dwarka, on the coastline
9. Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra) — Near Nashik, origin of Godavari River
10. Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) — In the Himalayas, accessible only seasonally
11. Grishneshwar (Maharashtra) — Near Ellora Caves, Aurangabad
12. Kashi Vishwanath (Uttar Pradesh) — In Varanasi, on Ganges banks

Jyotirlingas in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has 3 Jyotirlingas: Bhimashankar (Pune district), Trimbakeshwar (Nashik), and Grishneshwar (Aurangabad). A Maharashtra Jyotirlinga tour is popular from Mumbai and Pune. These three can comfortably be covered in a 4-5 day trip.

Best Time for Jyotirlinga Pilgrimage

October to March is ideal for most jyotirlingas. Kedarnath is only open April-November. The Mahashivaratri festival (Feb-Mar) is the most auspicious time with special celebrations at all jyotirlingas.

Tour Packages

Holiday Mitra offers customized Jyotirlinga tour packages from Mumbai and Pune covering all 12 or regional clusters like the Maharashtra jyotirlingas.