jyotirlinga

From Sanskrit ज्योतिर्लिङ्ग (jyotirliṅga)

jyotirlinga (plural jyotirlingas)

1. (Hinduism) A shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam (pillar) of light."

   There are twelve traditional jyotirlinga shrines in India.

• There are twelve jyothirlinga shines on the name of the presiding deity, each considered a different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.
• The twelve jyothirlinga are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttrakhand, Bhimashankar at Pune in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Tryambakeshwar at Nashik in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath in Deoghar District of Jharkhand, Aundha Nagnath at Aundha in Maharashtra, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grushneshwar in Maharashtra.