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Shiva

Shiva

Also known as: Mahadev, Shankar, Bholenath, Neelkanth

The destroyer and transformer, part of the Trimurti

Om Namah ShivayaMahamrityunjaya Mantra
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Temples of Shiva

Amarnath Temple

Amarnath Temple

📍 Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir

A sacred Himalayan cave shrine at about 3,888 m housing a naturally formed ice Shiva lingam that waxes and wanes with the moon. It is one of Hinduism's holiest and most challenging pilgrimages.

Arunachaleswarar Temple

Arunachaleswarar Temple

📍 Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu

One of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, representing the element of fire (Agni), at the foot of the sacred Arunachala hill. It is one of the largest and most revered Shiva temples in South India.

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Baijnath Temple

📍 Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh

A beautifully carved 13th-century Nagara-style Shiva temple on the banks of the Binwa river in the Kangra Valley, where Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanath, the lord of healing.

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Jyotirlinga

Bhimashankar Temple

📍 Pune, Maharashtra

A Jyotirlinga hidden in the forested Sahyadri hills near Pune, cradled within the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is the source of the Bhima river and a haven of both faith and biodiversity.

Bhojpur Shiva Temple

Bhojpur Shiva Temple

📍 Raisen, Madhya Pradesh

An awe-inspiring, unfinished 11th-century temple housing one of the largest single-stone Shiva lingams in India. Built by the legendary king Raja Bhoj, it is nicknamed the 'Somnath of the East'.

Brihadeeswara Temple

Brihadeeswara Temple

📍 Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

A UNESCO World Heritage marvel and the supreme achievement of Chola architecture, whose towering granite vimana is among the tallest of any Hindu temple. It is famed for the belief that its shikhara never casts a shadow on the ground at noon.

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

📍 Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu

One of the Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, representing Akasha (space/ether), and the celebrated home of Shiva as Nataraja, the Lord of the Cosmic Dance. It is one of the most philosophically profound temples in India.

Dharmasthala Temple

Dharmasthala Temple

📍 Dharmasthala, Karnataka

A remarkable temple of religious harmony where a Shiva lingam is worshipped by Vaishnava priests under Jain administrators, alongside guardian deities. It is famed for its vast free-meal service.

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Ekambareswarar Temple

📍 Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

One of the largest temples of Kanchipuram, enshrining the Prithvi (earth) lingam among the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams, and famed for its 1,000-pillared hall and ancient mango tree.

Eklingji Temple

Eklingji Temple

📍 Udaipur, Rajasthan

A grand temple complex near Udaipur, dating in origin to the 8th century, with 108 shrines within its walls. Its four-faced Shiva lingam is the ruling deity of the Mewar dynasty.

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Gauri Shankar Temple Delhi

📍 New Delhi, Delhi

A historic Shiva temple on Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, enshrining a lingam said to be around 800 years old, set beside its famous white-marble facade.

Gorakhnath Temple Gorakhpur

Gorakhnath Temple Gorakhpur

📍 Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh

The principal seat of the Nath Sampradaya, dedicated to the great yogi Guru Gorakhnath, from whom the city of Gorakhpur takes its name.

Grishneshwar Temple
Jyotirlinga

Grishneshwar Temple

📍 Aurangabad, Maharashtra

The twelfth and last of the Jyotirlingas, standing close to the UNESCO-listed Ellora Caves. The present red-stone temple was lovingly rebuilt in the 18th century by Rani Ahilyabai Holkar.

Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple

Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple

📍 Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu

The oldest temple in the sacred city of Kanchipuram, built by the Pallavas around the 8th century. Its delicate sandstone carvings make it a treasured masterpiece of early Dravidian art.

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

Kapaleeshwarar Temple

📍 Chennai, Tamil Nadu

The great Shiva temple of Mylapore in Chennai, crowned by a vividly sculpted gopuram, dedicated to Shiva as Kapaleeshwarar and Parvati as Karpagambal.

Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

Kashi Vishwanath Corridor

📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

The grand revitalised pathway that reconnects the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple directly to the ghats of the Ganga, transforming the pilgrim experience in Varanasi.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Jyotirlinga

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

📍 Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

One of the holiest of all Shiva temples, rising on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi, the eternal city of light. Here Shiva is worshipped as Vishwanath, the 'Lord of the Universe'.

Kedarnath Temple
Char Dham

Kedarnath Temple

📍 Kedarnath, Uttarakhand

The highest of the 12 Jyotirlingas at 3,583 m in the Garhwal Himalayas, and part of both the Char Dham and Panch Kedar circuits. Reaching it is one of the most demanding and rewarding pilgrimages in India.

Lingaraj Temple

Lingaraj Temple

📍 Bhubaneswar, Odisha

The largest and grandest temple of Bhubaneswar, the 'Temple City of India', and a superb example of Kalinga architecture from the 11th century. Here Shiva is worshipped as Harihara, uniting Shiva and Vishnu.

Mahabaleshwar Temple Gokarna

Mahabaleshwar Temple Gokarna

📍 Gokarna, Karnataka

An ancient and immensely powerful Shiva temple in the coastal town of Gokarna, enshrining the sacred Atma Lingam. Gokarna is revered as the 'Dakshin Kashi', the Varanasi of the South.

Mahabalipuram Shore Temple

Mahabalipuram Shore Temple

📍 Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

A UNESCO World Heritage 8th-century structural temple standing on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, a masterpiece of Pallava architecture and a symbol of Tamil maritime heritage.

Mahakaleshwar Temple
Jyotirlinga

Mahakaleshwar Temple

📍 Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

One of the 12 Jyotirlingas and the presiding deity of the ancient city of Ujjain. Its lingam is uniquely dakshinamukhi (south-facing), a feature found in no other Jyotirlinga.

Mallikarjuna Temple
Jyotirlinga

Mallikarjuna Temple

📍 Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

The second Jyotirlinga, set amid the forested Nallamala Hills on the banks of the Krishna River. It is one of the rare shrines that is simultaneously a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha.

Mangeshi Temple

Mangeshi Temple

📍 Ponda, Goa

The largest and most visited Hindu temple in Goa, dedicated to Lord Manguesh (a form of Shiva). Its gleaming white deepstambha (lamp tower) is a signature of Goan temple architecture.

Murudeshwar Temple

Murudeshwar Temple

📍 Murudeshwar, Karnataka

A spectacular seaside Shiva temple on the Karnataka coast, crowned by one of the tallest Shiva statues in the world (about 37 m) and a soaring 20-storey gopura. The Arabian Sea surrounds it on three sides.

Nageshwar Temple
Jyotirlinga

Nageshwar Temple

📍 Dwarka, Gujarat

A Jyotirlinga near Dwarka on the Saurashtra coast, marked by a towering 25-metre seated statue of Lord Shiva visible from far away. Its name means 'Lord of the Nagas (serpents)'.

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

Neelkanth Mahadev Temple

📍 Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

A sacred Shiva temple set amid the forested Garhwal Himalayas near Rishikesh, marking the spot where Shiva drank the world-destroying poison of the Samudra Manthan. His throat turned blue, giving him the name Neelkanth.

Omkareshwar Temple
Jyotirlinga

Omkareshwar Temple

📍 Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh

A Jyotirlinga set on a river island in the Narmada that is itself shaped like the sacred syllable 'Om'. It is one of the most serene Shaivite pilgrimages in central India.

Ramanathaswamy Temple

Ramanathaswamy Temple

📍 Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu

The great Char Dham shrine of Rameswaram, celebrated for having the longest pillared corridor of any Hindu temple in India. Pilgrims bathe in its 22 sacred wells before darshan.

Rameshwaram Temple
Char Dham

Rameshwaram Temple

📍 Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu

Both a Jyotirlinga and a Char Dham shrine on Pamban Island, celebrated for its breathtaking pillared corridors — the longest of any Hindu temple in India. It is where the north and south of sacred India meet.

Somnath Temple
Jyotirlinga

Somnath Temple

📍 Veraval, Gujarat

The first among the 12 Jyotirlingas, standing on the western coast of Gujarat where the Arabian Sea meets the shore. It is among the most sacred and storied Shiva temples in all of India.

Srikalahasti Temple

Srikalahasti Temple

📍 Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh

A great Shaivite temple near Tirupati enshrining the Vayu (air) lingam, one of the five Pancha Bhoota Sthalams representing the elements. It is the foremost centre for Rahu-Ketu remedies.

Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple

Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple

📍 Kurukshetra, Haryana

An ancient Shiva temple in sacred Kurukshetra where, by tradition, the Pandavas worshipped for victory before the Mahabharata war. It gives the region of Thanesar its name.

Trimbakeshwar Temple
Jyotirlinga

Trimbakeshwar Temple

📍 Nashik, Maharashtra

A Jyotirlinga near Nashik at the source of the sacred Godavari river, famous for its rare lingam bearing three faces — Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is one of the four sites of the Nashik Kumbh Mela.

Tungnath Temple
Panch Kedar

Tungnath Temple

📍 Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand

The highest Shiva temple in the world at about 3,680 m, the third and loftiest shrine of the Panch Kedar in the Garhwal Himalayas.

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Ujjain Mahakal Lok

📍 Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

A grand corridor unveiled in 2022 that leads to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, narrating the legends of Shiva through 108 murals and nearly 200 statues. It has transformed the pilgrim experience at Ujjain.

Vadakkunnathan Temple Thrissur

Vadakkunnathan Temple Thrissur

📍 Thrissur, Kerala

One of the oldest Shiva temples in Kerala, an architectural gem at the heart of Thrissur, and the focal point around which the spectacular Thrissur Pooram unfolds.

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Jyotirlinga

Vaidyanath Temple

📍 Deoghar, Jharkhand

Revered as Baba Baidyanath Dham, this Jyotirlinga is worshipped as the 'divine physician' who heals body and soul. It is also counted among the Shakti Peethas.

Virupaksha Temple

Virupaksha Temple

📍 Hampi, Karnataka

An ancient, continuously worshipped temple at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage ruins of Hampi, dedicated to Shiva as Virupaksha. Its worship has continued unbroken since at least the 7th century.

Festivals dedicated to Shiva

🎉 Maha Shivaratri🎉 Hartalika Teej

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