What are the Jyotirlingas?
The Jyotirlingas are twelve shrines of Shiva regarded in Hindu tradition as the holiest places of his worship, where he is revered as a 'linga of light'. They are spread across India from Kedarnath in the Himalaya to Rameshwaram in the south. Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi is one of them.
On this page
Start here
- What is a Jyotirlinga? — the meaning and the story of the pillar of light
- The 12 Jyotirlingas of India — every shrine, with locations
- Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga — the Jyotirlinga of Kashi
- History of the Jyotirlinga tradition at Kashi
- Planning a Jyotirlinga pilgrimage
The twelve at a glance
| # | Jyotirlinga | Location | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somnath | Prabhas Patan, near Veraval, Gir Somnath district | Gujarat |
| 2 | Mallikarjuna | Srisailam, Nandyal district | Andhra Pradesh |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Ujjain, on the Shipra river | Madhya Pradesh |
| 4 | Omkareshwar | Mandhata island, Narmada river, Khandwa district | Madhya Pradesh |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Kedarnath, Rudraprayag district, Garhwal Himalaya | Uttarakhand |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Bhimashankar, Sahyadri hills, Pune district | Maharashtra |
| 7 | Kashi Vishwanath | Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi | Uttar Pradesh |
| 8 | Trimbakeshwar | Trimbak, near Nashik | Maharashtra |
| 9 | Vaidyanath | Deoghar (Baidyanath Dham), Jharkhand — also claimed by Parli Vaijnath, Maharashtra | Jharkhand / Maharashtra |
| 10 | Nageshwar | Near Dwarka, Devbhumi Dwarka district — also claimed by Aundha Nagnath and Jageshwar | Gujarat (also claimed in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand) |
| 11 | Rameshwaram | Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram island, Ramanathapuram district | Tamil Nadu |
| 12 | Grishneshwar | Verul, near the Ellora Caves, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) district | Maharashtra |
In this section
- What Is a Jyotirlinga?What 'Jyotirlinga' means, the Shiva Purana story of the infinite pillar of light, how Jyotirlingas differ from other Shiva lingas, and why pilgrims visit all twelve.
- 12 JyotirlingasAll 12 Jyotirlingas of India with their locations and states — Somnath to Grishneshwar — plus the traditional hymn, disputed identifications and pilgrimage planning.
Frequently asked questions
How many Jyotirlingas are there?
Twelve, according to the Shiva Purana and the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram.
Is Kashi Vishwanath a Jyotirlinga?
Yes. It is one of the twelve — seventh in the Shiva Purana's list.
Sources and further reading
We link to primary and authoritative sources. External links open in a new tab.
- Jyotirlinga (encyclopaedia entry with cited references) (opens in a new tab)
Wikipedia — Reference work, checked September 2026
- Banaras: City of Light — Diana L. Eck (Knopf, 1982; Columbia University Press reprint) (opens in a new tab)
Columbia University Press — Scholarly source, checked September 2026
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Written and maintained by the KashiVishwanathTemple.net Editorial Team. Last updated . Found an error? Tell us — see our editorial policy.
Related guides
- 12 JyotirlingasAll 12 Jyotirlingas of India with their locations and states — Somnath to Grishneshwar — plus the traditional hymn, disputed identifications and pilgrimage planning.
- Kashi VishwanathKashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi: what makes it unique among the twelve, the traditions of Kashi and liberation, and how to plan darshan today.
- Jyotirlinga HistoryHow the Jyotirlinga tradition developed, what the Shiva Purana and the Jyotirlinga Stotram say about Kashi, and the tradition of the linga's survival through history.
- Jyotirlinga TripHow to plan a Jyotirlinga yatra: grouping the 12 Jyotirlingas into practical regional circuits, seasons to consider, and where Kashi Vishwanath fits.
- BhimashankarBhimashankar Jyotirlinga in the Sahyadri hills of Pune district: its tradition, the source of the Bhima river, the surrounding sanctuary and visiting tips.
- GrishneshwarGrishneshwar (Ghrishneshwar) Jyotirlinga near Ellora in Maharashtra: the Ghushma tradition, the temple rebuilt under Ahilyabai Holkar and tips for visiting.