Shiva Temple

According to the belief of the Hindu religion, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh are considered to be in the highest place among all the gods and goddesses or in other words, according to the belief of the Hindu religion, the place of these three gods is considered at the top in Hinduism. But even among these three deities, if anyone's highest place is considered in the Hindu religion, it is of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is called the creator of the Hindu religion.

Shiva is also known by many other names such as Mahadeva, Vishwanatha, Maheshvara, Shankara, Shambhu, Rudra, Hara, Mahadeo, Mahasu, Mahesha, Trilochana, Devendra, Neelakanta, Subhankara, Trilokinatha, and Ghrneshwar. In this article, we will be talking about some famous and important temples which are dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Popular Shiva Temple

Many temples in India are dedicated to Lord Shiva, but some are so popular that people worldwide want to visit them once in their lives. It is said that Shiva resides on Mount Kailash, one of the holiest places in the world. Thousands of Saints, pilgrims and Philosophers gather here, due to which the sanctity and importance of this place increase further. Every year lakhs of devotees visit Kailash mount to worship Lord Shiva. Four rivers, Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, and Ghaghra (Karnali), have originated from the four directions of this mountain, and from these rivers, Ganga, Saraswati, and other rivers also emerge. According to Shiva's devotees and Shiva Purana, the twelve Jyotirlinga of Shiva is the most sacred place for Shiva. By visiting this place once in life, any human being gets salvation. It is not that only the temples where Jyotirling is present are of great importance but still, there are many such temples of Lord Shiva, which are important for Shiva worshipers and the most religious place for Shiva followers. Let us see some famous and popular temples of Lord shiva one by one.

1. Amarnath Temple

Amarnath cave is located in Jammu & Kashmir. This cave has been covered with snow for a long time. And only once a year this cave is opened for the devotees. Due to the freezing of water droplets in this cave, a Lingam of ice is formed, which people worship. Amarnath is made up of two words, the first of which is Amar, which means "who never dies." The second word is Nath, and this word is used for God in the Hindu religion.

This cave was named after the cave where Shiva told or narrated the immortality secret to his wife Parvati, and Hinduism considers Amarnath cave a sacred site. The Amarnath temple, according to Hindus, is one of India's most sacred Shiva shrines and in India, it is considered that the pilgrimage to Amarnath is a very dangerous and most difficult journey. Still, despite all these challenges, lakhs of devotees come to this cave every year to worship Lord Shiva.

2. Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath Temple is one of the most famous temples of Shiva, and it is at a very high altitude. This temple is located near the Mandakini river in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state. Like the Amarnath temple, this temple is also open for devotees for a very few months because, like the Amarnath temple, this temple is also covered with snow, and when snow around the temple melts then this temple is opened for all. This temple opens for devotees between April and November. This temple is made of stone in Katyuri style, and the Lingam situated on this temple is very ancient. Pandavas originally built this temple, and this temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. This Jyotirlinga is situated at the highest point among all those 12 Jyotirlingas.

3. Mahakaleshwar Temple

This temple is located in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh state, approximately 55 km from Indore City. The Lingam here is very grand, and due to being south-oriented, this temple has great virtuous importance. According to Hindu belief, simply looking at this Lingam results in salvation. This temple's Lingam is one of Lord Shiva's twelve Jyotirlingas, and its name is Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga. Bhasma aarti is performed in this temple every morning, and this is the only Shiva temple where Bhasma aarti of Shiva takes place. Mahakumbh is also held in the city of Ujjain.

4. Baidyanath Temple

This temple is located in Deoghar, which is very popular for this temple in Jharkhand. Visitors to this temple are said to have all their wishes granted. Babadham and Vaidyanatha Dham are two other names for this temple. This temple's Lingam is also known as Kamana Linga. It is said that goddess Sati's heart fell here, and as a result, there is a major Shaktipeeth in Deoghar and due to the presence of both Shiva and Parvati, this place has a different significance.

5. Nageshwar Temple

Another famous and most important temple for shiva followers is Nageshwar Temple. This temple is located near Dwarka Puri in Gujarat province. Lord Shiva is known and worshiped as Nageshwar Mahadev in this temple. It is believed that those who worship Nageshwar Mahadev become free from all sins. The Lingam of this temple is also one of the twelve jyotirlingas.

6. Omkareshwar Temple

Two forms of Jyotirlinga are worshiped in the Omkareshwar temple, Omkareshwar, and Amaleshwar. This temple is located in Mandhata city, also known as Omkareshwar, in the district of Khandwa of Madhya Pradesh. This temple is near the Narmada River. The distance of this temple is about 80 KM from the Indore city of Madhya Pradesh. Like the Mahakalaeswara temple in Ujjain, the Lingam of this temple is also a jyotirlinga. This temple is one of the famous temples of Lord Shiva.

7. Somnath Temple

You must have heard about the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. All jyotirlingas are located in different states of India. The description of the importance and origin of all Jyotirlingas is found in the Puranas. Somnath Temple is located in the Prabhas Patan area of Veraval, Gujarat, India. This temple is very beautiful to see. Somnath Jyotirlinga is considered to be the first jyotirlinga among the twelve. This temple is one of the famous temples in Gujarat and all over India. This temple looks very beautiful as it is located on the edge of the sea, and this temple has been attacked many times by Terrorists, Mughals, and many more.

8. Daksheshwar Temple

This temple is located in Kankhal Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The distance of this temple from Haridwar is about 4 km. This temple is also called Daksha Mahadev Temple. This temple is named after Prajapati Daksha, the father of Goddess Sati. The Ghats of the Ganga River is also built near this temple. Here, Shiva devotees consider themselves blessed by worshiping Lord Shiva.

9. Kailasanathar Temple

This temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is built in Dravidian architectural shape in Tamil Nadu, India. The temple's structure consists of a total of 58 small shrines dedicated to various forms of Lord Shiva. This temple is a historic monument in Kanchipuram, and it is one of the oldest standing structures in India. The design of this temple is very attractive.

10. Rameswaram Temple

Rameswaram Temple is one of the four Dhams of India, which is located in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu. The importance of Rameswaram in the south is as much as that of Kashi in the north. This temple is not an ordinary temple, it is said that there is an ocean of religion and faith here. This temple looks very beautiful to see.

It is said that by anointing the Lingam with Ganga water in this temple, a person's desires are fulfilled. Apart from being one of the four Dhams, the Lingam of Rameshwaram Temple is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. There are some natural springs here that are called Teertham. People believe that anyone who takes a dip in the holy water of this spring, all the troubles of that person will vanish. There are two Lingams in this temple, one is Vishwalingam, and the other is Ramalingam.

11. Brihadishvara Temple

South India is not only known for its natural beauty but also its cultural beliefs and religious activities. Thanjai Periya Kovil or Rajarajeswaram Temple are other names for this temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple is a well-known Hindu shrine on the banks of the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district. This temple is made entirely of granite. In addition to that this is the world's first granite temple. This temple stands 216 feet tall, making it the world's tallest temple.

12. Tungnath Temple

Uttarakhand is a state of India which is known all over the world for its religion and belief. Tungnath is a mountain in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, and Tungnath Temple is located on this mountain, which is 14000 feet above sea level. Among the Panch Kedar, this temple is the most important. It is believed that this temple is thousands of years old. This temple is located on the highest place among the Panch Kedar. There is no other Shiva temple in the world at a higher place than this temple.

13. Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple

Trimbakeshwar Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva built in Trimbak in Trimbakeshwar tehsil, about 30 km from the city of Nashik in Maharashtra, India. This temple is situated at the foothills of Brahmagiri mountain, and this temple is built on the banks of the river Godavari, which has been constructed with black stones. This temple is also one of the 12 Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, considered sacred in India. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga has three faces, i.e., one of Lord Brahma, one of Lord Vishnu, and one of Lord Rudra. The Lingam is surrounded by a jeweled crown, known as the mask of the Tridev. It is said that this crown has been here since the time of Pandavas; there are many gems embedded in this crown. There is a pool in the Trimbakeshwar temple complex that contains the water of the Godavari river and it is said that whosoever anoints the Shiva after taking a bath from this pool, all their wishes are fulfilled.

14. Kashi Vishwanath Temple

This temple is located in Kashi, considered the oldest city globally known as Varanasi. Lord Shiva worshippers consider this temple one of the most important Shiva temples. It is considered that the Jyotirlinga of Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the most important. The Ganga Arti of Kashi is world-famous.

15. Mallikarjuna Temple

Sri Mallikarjuna Temple of Andhra Pradesh in South India is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India. This temple is on the banks of the Krishna River on the Srisailam mountain. We also call this mountain the Kailash of the South. These are unique among all Jyotirlingas because both Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati are present here.

Conclusion

There are many famous temples of Lord Shiva in India and abroad. In this article, we have mentioned some famous and important Shiva temples. Some other famous Shiva temples are Lingaraja Temple, Jambukeswarar Temple, and Pashupatinath Temple. If you are a Shiva devotee or like to explore different places then all these places and temples are best for you.