Quick answer: The 12 Jyotirlingas are Somnath and Nageshwar (Gujarat), Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh), Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar (Maharashtra), Kashi Vishwanath (Uttar Pradesh), Baidyanath (Jharkhand) and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu). They lie in eight states. Most families complete them in four or five regional yatras rather than one long journey.
Updated for the 2027 yatra season (facts checked October 2026).
A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Bhagwan Shiva is worshipped as a column of light (jyoti). The twelve are named in the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram, which many families recite daily, and darshan of all twelve is one of the great sankalps of a Shiva bhakt’s life.
This guide gives the complete list with states and nearest towns, explains the places where tradition is divided, and suggests a practical yatra plan grouped by region, with the season to watch for each.
The Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram
The order and places of the twelve come from this well-known shloka:
सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्।
उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥
परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्।
सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥
वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे।
हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥
The stotram continues that one who recites these names morning and evening is freed from the sins of seven births. Many families recite it before starting each leg of their Jyotirlinga yatra.
12 Jyotirlinga list with states
| # | Jyotirlinga | Place | State | Nearest major gateway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somnath | Prabhas Patan, near Veraval | Gujarat | Veraval railway station; Diu and Rajkot airports |
| 2 | Mallikarjuna | Srisailam, on the Krishna river | Andhra Pradesh | Hyderabad, about 215 km by road |
| 3 | Mahakaleshwar | Ujjain, on the Shipra river | Madhya Pradesh | Ujjain station; Indore airport, about 55 km |
| 4 | Omkareshwar | Mandhata island, on the Narmada | Madhya Pradesh | Indore, about 80 km |
| 5 | Kedarnath | Rudraprayag district, about 3,583 m | Uttarakhand | Rishikesh/Haridwar; trek of about 16 km from Gaurikund, or helicopter |
| 6 | Bhimashankar | Sahyadri hills, Pune district | Maharashtra | Pune, about 110 km |
| 7 | Kashi Vishwanath | Varanasi, on the Ganga | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi station and airport |
| 8 | Trimbakeshwar | Near the source of the Godavari, Nashik district | Maharashtra | Nashik, about 28 km |
| 9 | Baidyanath (Vaidyanath) | Deoghar | Jharkhand | Deoghar airport; Jasidih railway station |
| 10 | Nageshwar | Near Dwarka | Gujarat | Dwarka, about 17 km |
| 11 | Ramanathaswamy (Rameshwaram) | Rameswaram island | Tamil Nadu | Madurai, about 170 km |
| 12 | Grishneshwar (Ghrishneshwar) | Verul, beside the Ellora caves | Maharashtra | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), about 30 km |
Distances are approximate road distances and are given only to help planning.
How many Jyotirlingas are in each state?
- Maharashtra: 3 (Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar), or 5 if you follow the traditions that place Vaidyanath at Parli and Nageshwar at Aundha.
- Gujarat: 2 (Somnath, Nageshwar)
- Madhya Pradesh: 2 (Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar)
- One each: Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu
Where is tradition divided?
For three Jyotirlingas, more than one temple is honoured by devotees as the true seat. It helps to know this before you plan:
| Jyotirlinga | Most widely visited | Other temples honoured as the Jyotirlinga |
|---|---|---|
| Vaidyanath | Baba Baidyanath Dham, Deoghar (Jharkhand) | Parli Vaijnath, Beed district (Maharashtra), which matches the word “Paralyam” in the stotram |
| Nageshwar | Nageshwar near Dwarka (Gujarat) | Aundha Nagnath, Hingoli district (Maharashtra); Jageshwar near Almora (Uttarakhand) |
| Bhimashankar | Bhimashankar, Pune district (Maharashtra) | A temple near Guwahati (Assam) is honoured by some, reading “Dakinyam” as the north-east |
Many families simply include both temples where it is practical. Parli and Aundha are reachable on a Maharashtra circuit, and Jageshwar fits naturally into a Kumaon or Adi Kailash yatra from Uttarakhand.
Short notes on each Jyotirlinga
- Somnath: the first in the stotram, on the Arabian Sea shore. The evening aarti and the light-and-sound show draw large crowds.
- Mallikarjuna: in the Nallamala forest at Srisailam. The Bhramaramba temple in the same complex is also revered as a Shakti Peeth.
- Mahakaleshwar: the south-facing (Dakshinamukhi) Jyotirlinga, famous for the pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti, which needs advance booking through the temple’s official system.
- Omkareshwar: on an island in the Narmada said to be shaped like ॐ. Mamleshwar (Amaleshwar) on the south bank is part of the darshan.
- Kedarnath: the highest and the only one closed in winter. The trek and the season need their own planning.
- Bhimashankar: in a forest wildlife sanctuary, source of the Bhima river. Monsoon is lush but slippery.
- Kashi Vishwanath: at the heart of Varanasi, now reached through the Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor from the ghats.
- Trimbakeshwar: the linga has three small faces representing Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Also known for Narayan Nagbali and Kaal Sarp pujas.
- Baidyanath: busiest in the Shravan month, when kanwariyas carry Ganga jal from Sultanganj, about 105 km away.
- Nageshwar: usually combined with Dwarkadhish and Bet Dwarka.
- Rameshwaram: also one of the four Char Dham of India. Yatris bathe in the 22 teerthams inside the temple.
- Grishneshwar: often described as the smallest of the twelve temples, a short drive from the Ellora caves. By tradition, men remove their upper garments to enter the sanctum.
Which other tirthas fit with each Jyotirlinga?
Most Jyotirlingas sit within a day’s drive of other great tirthas, so each leg can become a complete yatra rather than a single darshan:
- Somnath and Nageshwar: Dwarkadhish temple and Bet Dwarka (one of the four Char Dham), and Porbandar on the way.
- Mahakaleshwar: Harsiddhi Mata (revered as a Shakti Peeth), Kal Bhairav, Sandipani ashram and the Shipra aarti at Ram Ghat.
- Omkareshwar: the Narmada parikrama ghats and the Mamleshwar temple; Maheshwar is a short drive away.
- Trimbakeshwar: Panchavati and Ramkund at Nashik, Shirdi and Shani Shingnapur.
- Grishneshwar: the Kailasa temple at Ellora; Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath for those who wish to include them.
- Mallikarjuna: the Bhramaramba Devi temple in the same complex, and Sakshi Ganapati on the approach.
- Rameshwaram: Meenakshi Amman at Madurai, Dhanushkodi, and the four Pancha Bhoota Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu.
- Kashi Vishwanath: Prayagraj Sangam, Ayodhya and, for pind daan, Gaya.
- Kedarnath: Badrinath as a Do Dham yatra, or the full Char Dham from Haridwar.
A practical 12 Jyotirlinga yatra plan
Doing all twelve in one continuous journey takes about four weeks and a great deal of travel. Most families, especially those with seniors, split it into regional legs:
| Leg | Jyotirlingas | Typical days | Start / end | Season to watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Malwa | Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar | 2–3 | Indore / Ujjain | Year-round; Shravan and Mahashivratri are very crowded |
| 2. Maharashtra | Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar, Bhimashankar (plus Parli, Aundha if wished) | 5–7 | Nashik to Pune | Avoid the peak monsoon at Bhimashankar if mobility is limited |
| Legs 1 + 2 together | Five Jyotirlingas | About 11 | Indore to Pune | October–March is most comfortable |
| 3. Saurashtra | Somnath, Nageshwar (with Dwarka) | 3–5 | Rajkot / Dwarka / Veraval | October–March; summers are hot |
| 4. South | Mallikarjuna, Rameshwaram | 3 + 3 (or 7 with other Tamil Nadu temples) | Hyderabad; Madurai or Chennai | October–February |
| 5. Ganga and east | Kashi Vishwanath, Baidyanath | 3 + 3 | Varanasi; Deoghar | October–March; Shravan is very crowded at Deoghar |
| 6. Himalaya | Kedarnath | 5–6 from Haridwar | Haridwar / Dehradun | Only between spring opening and autumn closing; May–June and September–October preferred |
Tips for planning the full set
- Start with the season-bound one. Kedarnath is open only from about late April or May to around Bhai Dooj in October or November. Its opening date is traditionally announced on Mahashivratri, which falls on 6 March in 2027. Fix this leg first.
- Avoid festival peaks unless they are your sankalp. Mahashivratri, Shravan Mondays and Kartik Purnima bring the longest queues everywhere.
- Book special darshans in advance. Bhasma Aarti at Ujjain and certain pujas at Kashi, Trimbakeshwar and Somnath are booked through each temple’s official website or counter. Use only official channels.
- Keep the dress code in mind. Several temples ask for traditional dress for sanctum entry or special pujas.
- Keep a record. Many families keep a small diary or photograph at each temple, and complete the sankalp over two or three years.
What we arrange
We organise every leg of the Jyotirlinga yatra with hotels near the temples, early-morning darshan timing, private vehicles and help with official darshan bookings. Popular choices are the 11-day Panch Jyotirlinga Yatra from Indore to Pune (listed from ₹60,000), the 5-day Somnath and Dwarka yatra including Nageshwar (from ₹22,000), the 7-day Tamil Nadu Jyotirlinga Yatra to Rameshwaram (from ₹37,000) and the 3-day Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga yatra (from ₹22,000). For Kedarnath see our Kedarnath Yatra and the Kedarnath guide. Every individual Jyotirlinga package is on our Jyotirlinga yatra page. To plan your sequence, use the enquiry form on this page or call/WhatsApp us (numbers on our Contact page).
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the 12 Jyotirlingas?
Somnath, Mallikarjuna, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Kedarnath, Bhimashankar, Kashi Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Baidyanath (Vaidyanath), Nageshwar, Rameshwaram (Ramanathaswamy) and Grishneshwar. This is the order of the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram, which begins with Somnath in Saurashtra and ends with Grishneshwar (Ghushmesham) near Ellora. They are spread across eight states of India.
Which state has the most Jyotirlingas?
Maharashtra, with three: Bhimashankar near Pune, Trimbakeshwar near Nashik, and Grishneshwar near Ellora. If you follow the traditions that place Vaidyanath at Parli and Nageshwar at Aundha, Maharashtra has five. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have two each, and five other states have one each.
Which is the first Jyotirlinga?
Somnath in Gujarat is listed first in the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram, as ‘Saurashtre Somanatham’. It stands on the Arabian Sea coast at Prabhas Patan, near Veraval. Many families begin their Jyotirlinga sankalp here, though there is no rule that the yatra must follow the order of the stotram.
How many days are needed to visit all 12 Jyotirlingas?
In one continuous journey, about four weeks with a mix of flights, trains and road. Most families split it into five or six regional legs of 3 to 11 days each, such as Malwa and Maharashtra together, Saurashtra, the south, Kashi and Deoghar, and Kedarnath. Kedarnath must fit its season, which runs from about May to October or early November.
Which Jyotirlinga is closed in winter?
Only Kedarnath. Its doors close for winter around Bhai Dooj in October or November, and Bhagwan Kedarnath’s doli moves to Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath for winter puja. The opening date for the next season is traditionally announced on Mahashivratri, which falls on 6 March in 2027. All the other eleven are open throughout the year.
Is Baidyanath in Deoghar or Parli?
Both are honoured. Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand, is the most widely visited and is where the Shravani Mela is held. Parli Vaijnath in Beed district, Maharashtra, is regarded as the Jyotirlinga by many devotees, since the stotram says ‘Paralyam Vaidyanatham’. Many families visit Deoghar and add Parli on a Maharashtra circuit.
Can senior citizens do the 12 Jyotirlinga yatra?
Yes. Eleven of the twelve are reached by road with short walks, and many temples have wheelchair support or separate queues for the elderly at some times. Kedarnath needs a 16 km trek, a pony, a palki or a helicopter. Splitting the yatra into short regional legs with early-morning darshan avoids long queues and heat.