SHIV DHAM – A WAY TO MOKSHA

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Shiv Dhams and their significance [1]:

1. In the Sanskrit Shloka in Shiva Puran (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॥ एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥ एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति। कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥), the places and importance of dwadasha jyotirmaylinga are described.
2. The shloka mentions about 12 jyotirmaylinga.
3. Shiva manifested as fiery column of light at jyotirmaylinga.
4. The shloka mentions that who recites these Jyotirmaylingas every evening and morning, he is relieved of all sins committed in past seven lives and one who visits these, gets all his wishes fulfilled and one’s karma gets eliminated as Maheshwara gets satisfied to the worship.

The details of 12 jyotirmaylinga are as under:​

1. Somnath (situated on sea shore of Arabian sea in Saurashtra, Gujarat)
2. Mallikarjunam (situated near Krishna river in Kurnool district near Sri Sailam, Telenganga)
3. Mahakaleshwar (situated near Shipra river in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh)
4. Omkar -Amaleshwar (situated on banks of Narmada river in vindhyanchal mountain range of Madhya Pradesh)
5. Baidhyanath (near three rivers, Brahma, Venu and Saraswati, in Parali village, Beed district of Maharashtra). It is also widely believed that it is in Deogarh, Jharkhand.
6. Bhimashankar (situated on the banks of the Chandrabhaga – Bhima river near Pune, Maharashtra)
7. Rameshwaram (situated on sea shore of Indian Ocean in Tamil Nadu)
8. Nageshwar (situated in Darukavanam of Gujarat)
9. Vishwanath (situated near Ganga in Varanasi, UP)
10. Triambakeshwar (situated on banks of Gautami river near Nashik, Maharashtra)
11. Kadarnath (situated on snow clad Himalayas in Uttarakhand)
12. Grishmeshwar (situated near Aurangabad in Maharashtra)

Amleshwar, MP

Vaidyanath, Deogarh, Jharkhand

Vaidyanath, Parli, Maharashtra

Bhimashankar, Pune, Maharastra

Grishmeshwar, Maharashtra

Kedarnath, Utarakhand

Mahakaleshwar, Ujjain, MP

Mallikarjunam, Telangana

Nageshwar, Gujarat

Omkareshwar, MP

Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

Somnath, Saurshtra, Gujarat

Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra

Kashi vishwanath, Varanasi, UP

Among other important Shiv Dhams are:

1. Kailash Parbat in Tibat, China is abode of Shva.
2. Amarnath cave in Jammu & Kashmir state. Shiva Lingam is formed naturally of an ice. It is mentioned in scriptures that Shiva narrated amar katha (story) to Parvati in Amarnath cave.
3. Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, Nepal
4. Lingraj temple in Bhubneshwar,
5. Tanjore, Tamil Nadu
6. Natraj, in Chitambaram, Tamil Nadu,
7. Jambukeshwar in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
8. Arunachaleshwar, Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu
9. Kalahastheeswar, Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh
10. Ekambareshwar, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu​

Kailash Parbat in Tibet is abode of Shiva

Kailash Parbat in Tibet is abode of Shiva

Golden Kailash Parbat in Tibet is abode of Shiva

Lingraj, Bhubneshwar, Orissa

Amarnath cave in Kashmir