Shiva

Somnath Temple

Prabhas Patan, Veraval, Gujarat

A Jyotirlinga on the Arabian Sea shore, where Chandra regained his light.

Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple

Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

Both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha, on the Nallamala hills.

Mahakaleshwar Temple

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

The Lord of Time at Ujjain, awakened before dawn with sacred ash.

Omkareshwar Temple

Omkareshwar (Mandhata), Madhya Pradesh

A Jyotirlinga on a Narmada island shaped like the syllable Om.

Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

Jyotirlinga, Panch Kedar and Chota Char Dham, high in Garhwal.

Bhimashankar Temple

Bhorgiri (Khed taluka), Maharashtra

A Jyotirlinga in the Sahyadri hills, at the source of the Bhima river.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

A Jyotirlinga on the Ganga, at the spiritual heart of Kashi.

Trimbakeshwar Temple

Trimbak, Maharashtra

A Jyotirlinga at the source of the Godavari, below Brahmagiri hill.

Baidyanath Dham (Vaidyanath)

Deoghar, Jharkhand

The Jyotirlinga at Deoghar, where Ravana set down Shiva's Atmalinga.

Nageshwar Temple

Near Dwarka, Gujarat

The Jyotirlinga named in the stotram as Nagesham Darukavane.

Ramanathaswamy Temple

Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu

Both a Jyotirlinga and a Char Dham, where Sri Rama worshipped Shiva.

Grishneshwar Temple

Verul (Ellora), Maharashtra

A Jyotirlinga beside the caves of Ellora, won by Ghushma's devotion.

Amarnath Cave Shrine

Pahalgam (cave), Jammu & Kashmir

An ice lingam of Shiva that forms and melts with the phases of the moon.

Lingaraja Temple

Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Shiva and Vishnu as one, the King of Lingas worshipped here as Harihara.

Brihadeeswarar Temple (Big Temple)

Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

A towering Chola vimana crowned by a single great stone, with Nandi on guard.

Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

The space element of the Pancha Bhoota Sthala, where Shiva dances in bliss.

Meenakshi Amman Temple

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

The fish-eyed queen weds Shiva as Sundareswarar each year at Chithirai.

Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

The earth element among the Pancha Bhoota Sthala of Shiva.

Kapaleeshwarar Temple, Mylapore

Mylapore, Tamil Nadu

Where Parvati took the form of a peahen to worship Shiva at Mylapore.

Srikalahasti Temple

Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh

The air element among the Pancha Bhoota Sthala, on the Swarnamukhi.

Mahabaleshwar Temple, Gokarna

Gokarna, Karnataka

Where Ganesha set down the Atmalinga so Ravana could never lift it again.

Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar, Karnataka

A colossal Shiva seated by the sea, where a covering of the Atmalinga fell.

Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple

Dharmasthala, Karnataka

A place of dharma where every pilgrim is fed, and Shiva upholds righteousness.

Kotilingeshwara Temple

Kammasandra, Karnataka

A vast field of Shiva lingas, each installed by a devotee in their own name.

Vemulawada Sri Raja Rajeswara Temple

Vemulawada, Telangana

A Kashi of the South, where devotees circle the shrine with a bull for vows.

Aundha Nagnath Temple

Aundha, Maharashtra

Held in regional tradition as the seat of the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga.

Parli Vaijnath Temple

Parli, Maharashtra

Held in regional tradition as the seat of the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga.

Jageshwar Dham

Jageshwar, Uttarakhand

Held in tradition as a Jyotirlinga among a cedar valley of stone shrines.

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

Neelkanth, Uttarakhand

Where Shiva drank the poison of the churning and became the blue-throated Lord.

Tungnath Temple

Tungnath, Uttarakhand

The Panch Kedar shrine where Shiva's arms appeared, high in the Garhwal meadows.

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi

Hampi, Karnataka

The living soul of Hampi, where a pinhole casts the great tower upside down.

Khandoba Temple, Jejuri

Jejuri, Maharashtra

The golden hill of turmeric, where Shiva rides as Martanda Bhairava.

Jyotiba Temple (Wadi Ratnagiri)

Wadi Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Held in tradition as the guardian who aided Mahalakshmi against the demons.

Arunachaleswarar Temple, Thiruvannamalai

Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu

Shiva rose here as a column of fire that Brahma and Vishnu could not fathom.

Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

Thiruvanaikaval, Tamil Nadu

An underground spring keeps the water-element linga forever moist.

Nellaiappar Temple, Tirunelveli

Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu

Slender stone pillars that ring with musical notes when they are struck.

Vadakkunnathan Temple, Thrissur

Thrissur, Kerala

The linga hidden beneath a mound of ghee, at the heart of Thrissur Pooram.

Vaikom Mahadeva Temple

Vaikom, Kerala

Shiva as Vaikkathappan, one of three shrines devotees honour in a single day.

Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple

Ettumanoor, Kerala

Kerala murals of Shiva as Nataraja, and seven and a half golden elephants.

Nanjundeshwara (Srikanteshwara) Temple, Nanjangud

Nanjangud, Karnataka

Shiva who drank the poison to save creation, healer beside the Kapila river.

Veerabhadra Temple, Lepakshi

Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh

The fierce form of Shiva, where a great pillar hangs barely touching the ground.

Yaganti Uma Maheswara Temple

Yaganti, Andhra Pradesh

Shiva and Parvati worshipped as one, where the Nandi is said to be growing.

Ramappa Temple (Rudreshwara), Palampet

Palampet, Telangana

Shiva as Rudreshwara, whose Kakatiya tower was raised of bricks said to float.

Thousand Pillar Temple, Hanamkonda

Hanamkonda, Telangana

A star-shaped Kakatiya triple shrine to Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya together.

Eklingji Temple

Kailashpuri, Rajasthan

A four-faced form of black marble, held as the sovereign of Mewar.

Tarakeswar (Taraknath) Temple

Tarakeswar, West Bengal

Shiva the deliverer, sought across Bengal for healing and the granting of vows.

Baijnath Temple

Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh

The Lord of physicians, worshipped as Vaidyanath in the Kangra valley.

Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple, Dehradun

Dehradun, Uttarakhand

A cave shrine where water drips upon the linga in a ceaseless abhishekam.

Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Kurukshetra

Thanesar, Haryana

On the field of the Mahabharata, Shiva said to have given the Pandavas victory.

Shankaracharya Temple, Srinagar

Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir

A hill of stone steps above the Dal Lake, where Shiva is Jyeshteshwara.

Mangueshi Temple

Mangeshi (Priol, Ponda), Goa

Shiva of the Gaud Saraswats, with a lamp-tower that blazes at festivals.

Umananda Temple, Guwahati

Guwahati, Assam

Shiva worshipped as the joy of Uma, on a river island in the Brahmaputra.

Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple, Diu

Fudam, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu

Five seashore lingas the Arabian Sea bathes at every high tide.

Madhyamaheshwar (Madmaheshwar) Temple

Mansoona / Ransi, Uttarakhand

Among the Panch Kedar, where the navel of Shiva rose below the Chaukhamba snows.

Rudranath Temple

Sagar (near Gopeshwar), Uttarakhand

A Panch Kedar shrine to the face of Shiva, worshipped in a natural rock sanctum.

Kalpeshwar Temple

Urgam Valley, Uttarakhand

Shiva as Jatadhar, whose matted hair rose in the Urgam valley of the Kedars.

Amararama (Amaralingeswara Swamy) Temple, Amaravati

Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh

A Pancharama Kshetra on the Krishna, where Indra enshrined a linga fragment.

Draksharama (Bhimeswara Swamy) Temple

Draksharamam, Andhra Pradesh

Both a Pancharama Kshetra and the Manikyamba Maha Shakti Peetha.

Somarama (Someswara Swamy) Temple, Bhimavaram

Gunupudi, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh

Where Chandra worshipped a linga that pales and darkens with the moon.

Ksheerarama (Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy) Temple, Palakollu

Palakollu, Andhra Pradesh

A Pancharama Kshetra whose milk-white linga was worshipped by Lord Rama.

Kumararama (Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy) Temple, Samalkota

Samalkota (Samarlakota), Andhra Pradesh

The Pancharama Kshetra installed, tradition holds, by Kumara Swamy himself.

Kailasanathar Temple, Thingalur (Chandra / Moon)

Thingalur, Tamil Nadu

The Navagraha shrine of the Moon, freed here from the curse of Daksha.

Vaitheeswaran Koil (Angaraka / Mars)

Vaitheeswaran Koil, Tamil Nadu

Shiva as the divine physician, the Navagraha shrine where Mars was healed.

Swetharanyeswarar Temple, Thiruvenkadu (Budha / Mercury)

Thiruvenkadu, Tamil Nadu

At the white forest near Sirkazhi, the planet Mercury is sought for wisdom.

Apatsahayesvarar Temple, Alangudi (Guru / Jupiter)

Alangudi, Tamil Nadu

The shrine of Guru the guide, where Shiva teaches in silence as Dakshinamurti.

Agniswarar Temple, Kanjanur (Shukra / Venus)

Kanjanur, Tamil Nadu

By tradition, the planet Venus dwells within the Lord and is honoured in him.

Naganathar Temple, Thirunageswaram (Rahu)

Thirunageswaram, Tamil Nadu

Milk poured over Rahu in worship here is seen to turn a shade of blue.

Naganatha Swamy Temple, Keezhaperumpallam (Ketu)

Keezhaperumpallam, Tamil Nadu

The closing shrine of the nine planets, where Ketu found the Lord's grace.

Sivasagar Sivadol

Sivasagar, Assam

Beside the great tank, a Shiva dome crowned with a golden kalasha.

Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple

Legship, Sikkim

Shiva as the mountain hunter who tested Arjuna and gave the Pashupatastra.