Famous Shiva Temples In India-Most Famous Shiva Temple in India

By Ấn ĐộMaster On May 8, 2024

[ad_1]

Lord Shiva, the destroyer is the most powerful and fascinating deity of the Hindu trinity and has 1008 names and worshiped in many forms mostly in the form of Lingam. Various interesting myths and legends have been centered on the supremacy of Shiva resulting to the formation of famous pilgrimage circuits like twelve jyotirlingas, Panch Kedar in different corners of the country. Around hundreds of temples are found in India, which is particularly dedicated to Lord Shiva. Let’s take a step forward to sharpen our knowledge about the most famous Shiva Temples in India!

Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand

Source-: Shaq774/wiki

Located atop the Himalayan Range, on the protracted land near the Mandakini River in Kedarnath, the holy Kedarnath temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity, Shiva and is one of the grand temples of India. This Shiva shrine is counted among the four destinations of Chardham Yatra of Uttarakhand along with Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Badrinath. The temple also happens to be one of the 12 jyotirlingas of the lord. The temple is believed to have been built by Pandavas, they were supposed to have pleased Shiva by doing penance in Kedarnath. The current shrine is said to have been built near the old temple by the Hindu mystic and spiritual leader, Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD. The greatest allure of the Kedarnath temple is the arduous trek up from Gaurikund amidst some of the most difficult yet breathtaking places in the country. Besides, the Kedarnath Temple, the Shankaracharya Samadhi, and Gandhi Sarovar are the other worth visiting places. The temple remains open for the devotees during April (Akshay Tritiya) –November (Kartik Poornima). During winters, the idol of the temple is brought all the way to ukhimath.

Somnath Temple, Gujarat

Source-: Anhilwara /wiki

Located in the Prabhas Kshetra in Saurashtra, the Somnath is one of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. The meaning of Somnath is the ‘Protector of God Moon’. The temple has been a witness of severe historical incidents and has been ruined by foreign invaders for its exclusive repository of gems and jewelry. This famous holy shrine had been destroyed and rebuilt six times. Therefore, it is popularly known as ‘the Shrine eternal’. Somnath Temple has been revered as the first jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva and it is said to have been built by the moon god after Lord Shiva freed him from the curse of wanting. The temple has been restored several times since then. The first temple of Somnath was built before the commencement of the Christian era. The second time the temple was built by, Vallabhi King in 480-786 AD. The present day structure of Somnath was built in 1947 in the Chalukya style of architecture. The eye-catching part of the temple is an Arrow-Pillar, known as ‘Baan Stambh’. The temple is sited in such a manner that no mass of land can be seen from Somnath seashore till Antartica. This information is presented in an inscription, written in Sanskrit, on the Arrow-Pillar of the sea-protection wall at the temple. More than 2000 brahmins were busy in temples activity and revenue collected by them is used for maintenance of villages. Somnath temple stands as a symbol of rich cultural heritage of India. The mention of this ancient temple has been made in the scriptures like ‘Rig Veda’ of the Hindu origin. The great history and religious importance of Somnath temple attract pilgrims as well as tourists from all over India.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh

Kashi Vishwanath Temple,

Source-:Robertsganj

This temple is located in one of the holiest and oldest cities of the world, Varanasi. This jyotirlinga temple’s main deity is Vishwanatha or Vishweshwara, which means ruler of the universe. Kashi Vishwanath possesses an important position in Shaivism and it is during Shiva Ratri festival that the temple gets decked in its best. Like Somnath temple, this too has been destroyed and built a lot of times. Mughal Emperor Akbar gave permission to build the original temple, which was later destroyed by Aurangzeb. The Kashi Vishwanath temple was rebuilt and restored to its glory by the Queen of Indore; Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar. She took the initiative to restore the temple and also provided the funds for it. After the Queen of Indore re-built the temple, Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Indore donated almost a ton of gold to ensure that the towers of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple are gold plated. The temple has a golden chakra on top. It is believed that any wish is fulfilled if it is made after seeing the chakra. The temple has an inner sanctum that comprises of a linga made up of black stone placed in a silver altar. The temple is open around the year, with devotees thronging to get a glimpse of their most venerated, from all over the world. There are 5 main Aartis that are performed in this temple and if you happen to witness them, you sure won’t forget the sight in this lifetime at least. There is also a Temple for Shanidev outside the Vishwanath Temple.

Amarnath Temple, Kashmir

Source-: Gktambe/wiki

Amarnath Temple is a cave temple located in Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the venerable pilgrimage places for Hindus. The temple is located at the height of 12,760ft. the ancient cave of Amarnath is situated at the end of Lidder Valley and it is 48km long. Here, the Lord Shiva is worshiped in form of ice lingam. Lord Shiva in the form of ice-lingam conferred immortality to gods and thus he is known as ‘Amresh’ or ‘Amreshwar’. Along with Shiva lingam, two more ice formations can be seen in the cave, which represents Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha. The Amarnath temple and cave has a great significance. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva had chosen this cave to narrate the immortal secrets and formation of the universe to Goddess Parvati. There is no clear cut information on the discovery of this place. As per legend, the credit of discovery goes to a shepherd Buta Malik, it is said that he was given a bag full of coal by a saint. When the shepherd opened to see in his house it was a bag full of gold. The happy shepherd went back to thank the saint but found a cave with a lingam inside it. Then onwards this place has become the sacred place of pilgrimage. Another legend says that Kashyap a sage drained the lake of Kashmir and found the cave along with the lingam in it. As people started hearing about the lingam, Amarnath for them became Shiva’s abode and a center of pilgrimage. Since then the lacs of devotees perform the pilgrimage through terrain and avail eternal happiness. The trek to Amarnath is usually started in the month of shavan (July-August). There is a 141 km journey from the temple to Srinagar and can be reached through the town of Pahalgam. Snowy mountains and snow itself covers the cave almost all the year and has a small period of summer. In this short period, pilgrims rush to the cave like ants for sugar. The weather conditions of the regions are very extreme and unpredictable. The journey is neither easy nor comfortable, but it is because of their faith and the blessings they receive, that each year thousands of devotees undertake the Amarnath Yatra.

Kotilingeshwara Temple, Karnataka

Source-: Mithila /wiki

The Kotilingeshwara Temple is located in the Kolar district of Karnataka, never ceases to amaze anyone who comes near it. This temple is well known to have the biggest Shiva Linga in the world, measuring 108ft, the only of its kind. Associated with the tallest Shiva Lingam is a 35ft tall Basava, surrounded by numerous small Shivalingams, which spread over an area of 15 acres. The first Linga was installed on 10 October 1980, followed by many Lingas in the subsequent years. Apart from these innumerable Lingas, there are 11 temples of various Gods and Goddesses. Out of these, the popular ‘Trimurtis’ attract many devotees where Gods namely Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are combined together. According to the great epic Ramayana, there was a deadly battle between Lord Sri Ram and the demon king Ravana. Lord Rama won the battle and in order to offer salvation to those who have perished in the battle from both sides, he has traveled to Rameshwaram and installed a Linga and offered prayers to Linga and for the people who lost their lives in the war. By following the similar footprints of Lord Rama, the present Kotilingeshwara temple was constructed in order to install the culture of divinity combined with peace and prosperity in the present Kaliyug. The annual Maha Shivratri Festival celebrated at the temple attracts thousands of devotees from all over India.

Tungnath Temple, Uttarakhand

Source-: Varun Shiv Kapur/flickr

Tungnath Temple is located in Rudraprayag district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. An ideal pick for the devotees who are equally dedicated to adventure activities, the temple of Tungnath is the highest known Shiva Temple in the world. Located at an altitude of a little over 12,000 feet at the base of Chandrashila peak, this temple is one of the Panch Kedar. Tungnath temple has many myths and legend in its bag. According to Hindu mythology, soon after the Mahabharat war, Pandav brothers wanted to see Lord Shiva seek his pardon for the sins committed by them in the war. But in order to keep away from them, Lord Shiva took in the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe shelter at Guptakashi. Pandavas chased him and tried to hold on to the tail and legs of the bull. But, Shiva’s body in the form of bull body parts vanished at Guptakashi and then reappeared in 5 different places that known as the ‘Panch Kedar’. Where Pandava brothers built Lord Shiva temples at each location, to worship and idolize, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each bull’s body part is identified with their body names: Tungnath Temple is identified as the place where the bahu (arms) were seen. Tungnath temple has the local priest from nearby a local Maku village, unlike the other Kedar temples, where the priests are from South India. The temple complex consists of two mare small temples devoted to Goddess Parvati and Vyas. Tungnath literally means Lord of the Peaks and the place remains true to its name. Today, this ancient temple bounded by peaks like Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, and Neelkanth, this place is breathtakingly beautiful and offers the perfect break that a traveler looks for. However, during winters the temple is closed due to snow and idol Lord Shiva is shifted to Mukunath village. This temple attracts tourists in large number especially during the festival of Shivaratri.

Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain

Source-: Ssriram mt/wiki

It is famously said to be one of the 12 jyotirlingas, which are considered to be the most consecrated abodes of Shiva. In India, out of the 12 jyotirlingas, only Mahakaleshwar of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh is situated in the South direction. The lord is worshiped in the form of Shivalinga, believed to be a Swayambu (emerged on its own). The Shiva temple looks enthralling as it is located on the banks of the Rudra Sagar Lake. Sri Mahakaleshwar also happens to be one of 18 Maha Shaktepeeths, where different body parts of Sati Devi’s bodies fell. Ujjain Temple has been rebuilt a number of times over thousands of years. Sultan Shah-ud-din Iltutmish destroyed the older temple and the present day structure was built in 1736 AD. Now, it is noted to be a saintly place where one can attain absolute peace of mind and indulge in meditation. Every day thousands of devotees visit this temple and in the month of ‘Sawan,’ there is no count of the devotees who arrive here as they are many. The various ‘Aartis’ (Hindu religious rituals of worship) performed every day in Ujjain temple, especially the “Bhasam Aarti”, are the famed and prominent rituals that one must attend while visiting. Mahakaleshwar temple timings must be kept in mind by visitors as that would help equip them with a better plan to go about attending the Aartis and various other rituals that the temple plays host to. The temple is open from 4 AM to 11 PM, on all the seven days of the week. With its aesthetically pleasing structure and varied kinds of decorations that embellish the sanctified jyotirlinga each day, Mahakaleshwar temple possesses the power to leave every visitor awestruck.

Murudeshwara Temple, Karnataka

Source-: Thejas Panarkandy/flickr

Murudeshawara is a well-known pilgrimage and beach destination located in the Bhatkal Taluk of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is bounded by the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats. Murudeshwara is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. As per the legends and mentions in the chapters of the epic Ramayana, Kaikesi who was the mother of Ravana worshiped Lord Shiva ardently. She used to make Lingus out of the beach sand and pray to them daily. However, every night the Lingas used to get washed away by the sea. Seeing the distraught mother, Ravana promised to her that he will proceed to Mount Kailash and bring back Lord Shiva’s Atma Linga itself to her, also he attain immortality by getting the ‘Atma Linga’ pleased by his prayers, Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. By this time Narada had asked Lord Vishnu to change Ravana’s mind. As a result of this plot, Ravana asks for Goddess Parvati instead of Atma Linga and Lord Shiva offers Parvarti to Ravana. On his way back to Lanka Narada tricks Ravana that the real Parvati was in Pathala. So Ravana lets off Parvati and went to Pathala and marries a king’s daughter thinking that she was Parvati. When he returns back to Lanka his mother then asks for Linga. Ravana then realizes that he was tricked, and then he worshipping Lord Shiva with much more strong devotion. Lord Shiva appears and Ravana asks for his forgiveness and this time Ravana requests the Atma Linga as his boon. Lord Shiva agreed to give him boon with a condition that it should never be placed on the ground. If the Atma Linga was ever placed on the ground, all the powers would return to Lord Shiva again. Having obtained his boon, Ravana started back on his journey to Lanka. All the other Lords were disturbed by the occurrence as they were sure that Ravana will misuse the Atma Linga to create havoc in the world. Narada approached Lord Ganesha to request help for interrupting Ravana’s journey. Lord Ganesha knew that Ravana was a very devoted person who used to perform a prayer ritual in the evening every day without fail. With the help of Lord Vishnu, who blotted out the sun to give an appearance of dusk, Lord Ganesha turned himself into a small boy. Ravana now had to perform his evening rituals but was worried because, with the Atma Linga in his hands, he would not be able to do his rituals. At this time, Lord Ganesha, disguised as a Brahmin boy came near to him, Ravana requested him to hold the Atma Linga until he performed his rituals, and asked him not to place it on the ground. Ganesha had a deal with him saying that he would call Ravana thrice and if Ravana did not return within that time, he would place the Atma Linga on the ground. As predicted, before Ravana could return after completing his rituals, Ganesha had already placed the Atma Linga on the ground. Lord Vishnu unblocked the sun and it was daylight again. The place where Lord Ganesha placed the idol is known as Gokarna. Ravana, realizing that he had been tricked, tried to uproot and destroy it; due to the force exerted by Ravana, some pieces were scattered. He threw the case covering the Linga, which fell to a place called Sajjeshwara, 23 miles away. The lid of the case, which held the Linga fell in a place called Gunavanthe, 10-12 miles away, and the string covering the Linga fell at Dhareshwara, 10 miles away. Finally, he threw the cloth covering the Linga to a place called Mrideshwar. Mridehwara has been renamed to Murudeshwar. The entire story of Murudeshwar temple is beautifully sculptured in the cave below the Lord Shiva statue in Kanduka hill. The statue is known for the world’s second-tallest Shiva statue. A lamp or Diya is kept inside the main shrine of Lord Murudeshwar, is said to be burning since this temple was built. It is believed that pouring oil into it then glancing at your image on the oil surface blesses one with luck and prosperity.

Ramanathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu

Ramanathaswamy Temple

Source-: Ryan/flickr

One of the most popular temples of South, Ramanathaswamy Temple is the abode of Lord Shiva. Located on the eastern side of the Pamban Island, the Ramanathaswamy Temple is the most prominent attraction of Rameshwaram. It is also among the 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in the country and is the among the Char Dham pilgrimages mandated by Adi Shankaracharya. Legend has it that Rameshwaram was Rama’s final stop before he was to reach Lanka, fight the battle against Ravana and bring back his wife, Sita. While at Rameshwaram, Rama prayed to Shiva in order to seek his blessings. After he returned victorious with Sita, his brother Lakshmana and Hanuman, Sita insisted that he thank Shiva before they continue with the journey to Ayodhya. There is two linga inside the sanctum; one built by Goddess Sita and the other was brought by Lord Hanuman. While the sand linga made by Sita is referred to as Ramalingam and the one Hanuman brought is called Vishwalingam. The Ramanathswamy temple has the longest corridor in the world. The temple complex is also home to 22 theerthams, or holy water bodies in the form of tanks and wells. These theerthams represent the 22 arrows in Rama’s quiver. It is considered essential to every devotee to bath before entering the sanctum sanctorum.

Bijli Mahadev Temple, Himachal Pradesh

Source-:motoadventuregal.com

This temple is located in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh at a distance of 11km from the Kullu valley. As its name goes, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva (Mahadev) and is also renowned as the ‘Temple of Lightning’. This place is full of mystery and miracles. The name comes from the fact that, the lightning strikes the Shiva linga inside the temple and breaks into pieces. Each time this phenomenon occurs, the Shiva linga is replaced by the priest, by covering it with sattoo (a paste of roasted gram and wheat powder) and butter. Another legend associated with this shrine at Kullu narrates that Vashishth muni prayed at the temple site to Lord Shiva and requested him to absorb the energy of the lightning in order to save the world. His prayer was answered by the lord. This miracle took place at the confluence of the Beas River and Parvati river. To mark this incident a temple was, constructed here and named Bijli Mahadev. Built by following the Pahari idiom of temple architecture, there is an impressively carved image of the Nandi bull at the entrance of Bijli Mahadev Temple. Situated on a Himalayan hilltop the temple offers a panoramic view of the Kullu and Parvati valleys below. It can be approached by the rewarding trek of 3km. One can witness the charred part inside the temple, which is due to the flames resulted during lightning. Devotees can give offerings in the Hundi only kept inside the temple. Photography is not restricted anywhere in the place. During ‘Shivratri’ every year, the great rush of devotees gather here to pay homage to Lord-Shiva.

[ad_2]

Source link