Jyotirlinga
Also called: Twelve jyotirlingas · Topic: Human Settlements and Urbanisation in India · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 8 "How the Land Becomes Sacred"
Meaning
The jyotirlingas are the 12 holiest shrines of Shiva. "Jyoti" means light, and each shrine is believed to hold Shiva as a pillar of light. They are spread from Gujarat to Uttarakhand to Tamil Nadu. Together they form a pilgrimage network that ties distant regions together. The 12 are Somnath, Nageshwar, Kedarnath, Rameswaram, Mahakaleshwar, Omkareshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Trimbakeshwar, Bhimashankar, Grishneshwar, Vaidyanath and Mallikarjuna.
Example
Mahakaleshwar is in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on the Shipra river. Ujjain is also one of the four Kumbh Mela sites. Omkareshwar, also in Madhya Pradesh, stands on the Narmada.
Don't confuse with
- Shakti Peetha: shrines of the Goddess, traditionally 51, some of them outside India. Jyotirlingas are 12 shrines of Shiva, all in India.