Vaidyanath jyotirlinga, Commonly referred as Baidyanath dham or Baba dham is located in Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand. Deoghar which translates as the house of Gods is the most visited town in Jharkhand. It is mentioned in ancient texts as Ketakivan.

The manifestation of Shiva here is linked with Ravan, the king of Lanka. Lanka was a prosperous town but there was no happiness. Ravan, who was a devotee of Shiva felt that all will be good only if the Lord resides here. He prayed to lord shiva and offered his heads to impress the lord. Pleased with his prayers,Shiva appeared as a vaidya (doctor) and blessed him with his heads back on his body. Shiva also gave him a Shivling to carry back to Lanka with a warning that he should not keep it down on the way.

Omkareshwar which is situated on an island in the holy river Narmada. The place derives its name from the island which is shaped naturally like the sacred symbol ‘Om’ that adds to the divinity of the place. The island is also called Mandhata. It is named after the king Mandhata, an ancestor of Ram who ruled here in satyug. It was due to his devotion that Shiva decided to reside here.

अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम् | अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम् ‖ 3 ‖

– Meaning:

I salute that Maha Kala, Who is the lord of all devas, Who has incarnated in the city of Avanthi, For giving salvation to good people, And to save people from untimely death.

The third temple in the series of Jyotirlingas is the Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Located on the banks of river Shipra, Ujjain is among the most ancient cities of India.

श्रीशैलशृङ्गे विविधप्रसङ्गे शेषाद्रिशृङ्गेऽपि सदा वसन्तम् |
तमर्जुनं मल्लिकपूर्वमेनं नमामि संसारसमुद्रसेतुम् ‖ 2 ‖

– Meaning

I salute him who is the bridge to the ocean of life,
Who is in the company of all gods,
And living in the union of Sri Shaila,
Who resides on the peak of Thula,
And who is called Mallikarjuna

The second Jyotirlinga, Mallikarjun is situated on Mount Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. Mount Srisailam is also called Kailash of South India. It lies in the NallaMala hills and one has to pass through dense forest to reach the temple. The temple is located on the bank of river Krishna, which is here in the form of Patal-Ganga (underground spring). The unique feature of this temple is the combination of Jyotirlinga and Mahashakti in one campus and only one of its kind.

सौराष्ट्रदेशे विशदेऽतिरम्ये ज्योतिर्मयं चन्द्रकलावतंसम् | भक्तप्रदानाय कृपावतीर्णं तं सोमनाथं शरणं प्रपद्ये ‖ 1 ‖

– Meaning

I seek refuge of the Soma Nadha,
Who is in the holy and pretty Sourashtra,
Who is dazzling with light, Who wears the crescent of the moon, Who has come there to give,
The gift of devotion and mercy.

The Somnath Temple is located near Veraval (in Saurashtra region) in the west coast of Gujarat. It is the first Jyotirlinga among the twelve listed by Adi Guru Shankaracharya. The temple is considered sacred due to the various legends connected with it. The temple is known in history for the number of destructions and reconstructions it went through. The site of the temple has been a pilgrimage site since ancient days. It was known as Triveni sangam, a confluence of Three Rivers - Kapila, Hiranya and Saraswati.

Image credit: religionworld.in

According to the Hindu calendar, this is the beginning of the holy month of shravan. The month is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshipped in the form of a lingam. There are numerous Shiva temples across the country, some of them are centuries old and very famous. Among these, the twelve Jyotirlingas are considered the holiest. The Jyotirlingas are said to have self- manifested ‘swayambhoo’ on earth. Each Jyotirlinga is considered to be a different manifestation of Lord Shiva. The Jyotirlinga looks like any other Shivalinga. However, it is believed that a person who has attained a certain degree of spirituality sees these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth. Every Jyotirlinga has a different story behind how it came to be.