Tag: Rameshwaram

Categories
Rejuvenate Solo Women Travel Spiritual Hubs

12 Jyotirlinga of India

ShivaJyotirlinga

Jyotirlingas are the divine places of Lord Shiva where he resides in different forms. The meaning of this particular word also resembles its meaning. The word ‘Jyoti’ means light which is also called ‘radiance’ and lingam or linga means ‘sign’ or ‘image’. So the word Jyotir-linga means ‘Radiant signs of Lord Shiva’. There are currently 12 main Jyotirlingas in India and there is a story behind the formation of all these Jyotirlingas.

The Story behind the formation of Jyotirlinga

In Shiv Purana you will hear an incident that took place thousands of years ago. When Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma were discussing who is supreme and that discussion turns into an argument. Then lord Shiva appears there to settle their argument. He made the infinite pillar of light appear there and that pillar pierced all the three worlds when it appears. Then lord Shiva told both of them that whoever finds the light first will be the supreme God.

They both went in the opposite direction and after a while, they both didn’t find the end of the pillar. So Lord admitted defeat and told Lord Shiva he couldn’t find the end while Lord Brahma lied saying he did find the end of the pillar. Seeing him lying, Lord Shiva got furious and cursed Lord Brahma. That no one is going to worship Lord Brahma even though he has created this entire universe.

In that anger, the Lord Shiva infinite pillar of light appeared on the earth in 64 places in the form of Lingodbhava. From those 64 places, only 12 are majors, and they now are known as the 12 main Jyotirlingas of India. In each Jyotirlinga Lord Shiva resides in some form of deity and blesses all the people.

12 Jyotirlinga of India

Somnath Jyotirlinga

  • Deity: Somnath
  • Timing: Every day from 6 am to 9 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Somnath railway station

The Somnath Jyotirlinga, in Gujarat it’s located in Prabhas-Kshetra. This is the first Jyotirlinga, which is why it makes the most pilgrimage sites in this list. There is a story behind how this Jyotirlinga formed. The son of Lord Brahma Prajapati Daksha had 27 daughters that married the moon. The moon was paying attention to the most beautiful daughter of them all named Rohini.

Prajapati Daksha after seeing the lack of affection from the Moon towards his other daughters. He got angry and cursed him that his light and the beauty that he is so proud of will get lost. So to remove that curse The Moon worshipped Lord Shiva for a long time in this place and asked him to remove the curse. Since that time Lord Shiva resides here in the form of  Lord Somnath.

Nageshwar

  • Deity: Nageshwar
  • Timing: Every day from 5 am to 9 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Dwarka railway station

This Jyotirlinga situated in the beautiful city of Dwarka. Which is also famous for being the house of Lord Krishna as well. The Jyotirlinga of Dwarka gets visited by thousands of people every year. They come to see the statue of Lord Shiva which is 25 m tall, the garden and especially the view that you get of the Arabian sea from there. Here in this temple, Lord Shiva resides in the form of Nageshwar.

Bhimashankar

  • Deity: Bhimashankar
  • Timing: Every day from 4:30 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9:30 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Karjat station

This shrine of Lord Shiva where he resides here in the form of Bhimashankar. It’s located on the Banks of River Bhima, and there is a structure or you can say a sculpture of Lord Shiva. That sculpture worshipped by thousands of people. This beautiful shrine was built by Bhima who was the son of Kumbhakarna. In this amazing place at the time of Maha Shivratri, everyone celebrates it with great energy and enthusiasm. Also, the best thing about this place is that it shows the bond between Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati as there is a Parvati temple close by this temple.

Trimbakeshwar

  • Location: Maharashtra
  • Deity: Trimbakeshwar
  • Timing: Every day from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Igatpuri railway station

This temple situated at Brahmagiri mountain which is in the place of the origin of Godavari River. Also known as Gautami Ganga because Gautami Rishi prayed Lord Shiva to live here. So after that Lord Shiva resides there in the form of Trimbakeshwar. The best thing about this shrine is the formation and how it’s built from the inside. You can see three pillars inside this divine shrine that resemble the 3 principal dignities of the universe Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva.

Grishneshwar

  • Location: Aurangabad
  • Deity: Grishneshwar
  • Timing:  Every day from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Daulatabad Train station

This divine shrine located near the Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. One of the best things that you will see in this shrine is how massive and impressive the architecture of the temple is build. There are many Gods and Goddesses craved in the structure of this red stone temple. The temple that  Ahilyabai Holkar built in the past. Now the locals there call this as Gru Someswara and Kusum Eswarar. There are many other things that you can find by going there and hearing from the locals.

Vaidyanath

  • Location: Jharkhand
  • Deity: Vaidyanath
  • Timing: Every day from 4 am to 3:30 pm and 6 pm to 9 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Jasidih Junction

This divine temple in Jharkhand has an interesting story behind it. The most ‘Gyani Pandit’ Ravana who worshipped Lord Shiva for his entire life, he one day asked Shiva to come with him to Lanka. Then Lord Shiva told him to take this Shiv-Linga and make sure you don’t drop it or put it down anywhere. If you can do that then only I will come to your Lanka with you. When he was carrying that Shiv-Linga, Lord Vishnu tried different magics and in many clever ways made him put the Shiv-Linga down. Since that time at that place, Lord Shiva resides there in the form of Vaidyanath.

Mahakaleshwar

  • Deity: Mahakal
  • Timing: Every day from 4 am to 11 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Ujjain Junction

This divine shrine of Lord Shiva located in Mahakaleshwar was made by a 5-year-old kid named Shikar. That kid was inspired by the King of Ujjain. Since that time Lord Shiva resides here in the form of Mahakal and also this is one of the 7 Mukti-Sthal in the whole of India. The word Mukti means freedom of your souls from your body. So this is the place to go and experience the nerve ending the life of eternity.

Omkareshwar

  • Timing: Every day from 5 am to 10 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Omkareshwar road train station

The shrine of Omkareshwar which also means ‘the sound of Lord Shiva which is Om’ this Om word is often used in many mantras and to mediate all over the world. So this shrine is located in Madhya Pradesh at an Island called Shivapuri. It’s believed that thousands of years ago in this place there was a war between Gods and Demons. So all the Gods prayed to Lord Shiva to help them with the victory in this war. So Lord Shiva helped them while coming there in the form of Omkareshwar. Since that time he resides here as Omkareshwar.

Kashi Vishwanath

  • Deity: Vishwanath

This divine temple which is also called The Golden Temple of the city Varanasi. Situated in the beautiful state of Uttar Pradesh. The temple was the creation of Ahilyabai Holkar. The devotees believed that this is one of the first Jyotirlinga where the impact of God was experienced. So in this temple, Lord Shiva is worshipped and resides in the form of Kashi Vishwanath. This particular temple is believed where God blesses you, so you can have happiness and liberation.

Kedarnath

  • Deity: Lord Kedarnath
  • Timing: May to June
  • Nearest railway station: Rishikesh after that you need to change many buses and even walk in the end.

In the Himalayan Range at 1200 ft lies this amazing temple of Lord Kedarnath. This shrine is also a part of 4 Dhams and to get here you must walk a lot and there are things that you need to consider before coming here. The temple only opens from May to June as the weather conditions make it hard to visit any other month. You have to cross both holy rivers of India which are Ganga and Yamuna to get here. It’s believed that if you bath the Shiv-Linga here with the water from Ganga and Yamuna it will help you get rid of your problems, and bring you inner peace.

Rameshwaram

  • Deity: Ramanathswamy
  • Timing: Every day from 5 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 9 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Rameswaram railway station

In the city of Rameswaram, this amazing temple with a more amazing story is located. This is one of the most visited temples in the Southern part of India. It is believed that when Lord Rama had to cross the ocean by building the Rama Setu bridge to get to Lanka he worshipped Lord Shiva by making a Shiv-Linga till the time he rested in this temple. That Shiv-Linga still exists and is also named after Lord Rama. This divine shrine is also considered as one of the 4 Dhams in India.

Mallikarjuna

  • Location: Andhra Pradesh
  • Deity: Shiva, Parvati, and Bhramaramba
  • Timing: Every day from 4:30 am to 10 pm
  • Nearest railway station: Markapur railway station

In the state of Andhra Pradesh at the top of the Shri Sails Mountain, this divine shrine of Lord Shiva is situated. Once you get there you will be fascinated with the architecture and the sculpture of this holy shrine. This shrine is also listed on the 52 Shakti Peethas list of India. In this temple deities like Shiva, Parvati, and Bhramaramba resides. So if you look at it this is for sure one of the best 12 Jyotirlinga in India.

Categories
Architectural Asia South India Spiritual Hubs

Ram : An Epic Traveler

Ever wonder that Ram and Sita from Ramayana were the epic travelers, who during their exile of 14 years traversed almost the India and parts of Srilanka. 

For a few, it might be a fiction, but what is interesting is that the journey mentioned in Ramayana during his exile has its footprints across India.

Sharing the list of Places that Ram, Sita Lakshman, and his Vanar Sena traced and some places which are related to Ramayana otherwise and how these places are popularly known to the modern world.

Ayodhya

Ayodhya, a small place near Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of Ram, where he was born to Kaushalya and King Dashrath.  It is where Ram Rajya actually exists.  Currently, Ayodhya is also known as the temple city of India due to the plethora of temples. The celebration of Ramnavmi is worth watching in Ayodhya.

Janakpur

Janakpur is the birthplace of Sita. The legend goes like that she was not born to Raja Janak, instead, he found her while plowing the land and her presence brought the rains to the place, which finished the long-lasting drought of Janakpur. Ram was married to Sita in Janakpur only.

Currently, it is known as Sitamarhi and is now south-east of Kathmandu. There is a special festival and celebrations occur on the marriage anniversary of ram & Sita. Janakpur is also one of the holy sites on the route of Parikrama (holy circle) which is carried out by devout Hindus as a form of worship along with Ayodhya, Kashi, and Brij in India.

Allahabad

In order to go beyond Ayodhya, when exile was given, Lord Rama along with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman crossed the river Ganga from Prayag, which is popularly known as Allahabad now. The place is famous for its Sangam point and witness tourists during Kumbh Mela.  

Chitrakoot

Currently situated on the borders of  Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, this place is famous for its beautiful Hindu scriptures. In Ramayana, it is the place where Bharat came to persuade Ram to come back to Ayodhya, and when Ram denied, he took his slippers.  The trio spent a lot of time here. In the current Chitrakoot, everything relates to Ram.

Chitrakoot is a spiritual retreat, thronged almost throughout the year by the travelers, who have a penchant for the unknown and unexplored

Dandakaranya

Dandakaranya is a present-day Bastar which includes parts of Odisha, Chattisgarh. The trio was believed to stay in these Jungles for the majority of their exile time. Khar and Dhushan were killed by Ram in these jungles only.  

Nashik

Modern-day Nashik, is the home of the trio and find its mention in Ramayana as Panchvati. Nashik got its name because, it is here, where Lakshman actually cuts the Suparnkha nose. Ram built a small home at Panchvati and it is where events like Sita abduction happened. Visit the Kala Ram Mandir which is one of the most famous temples in Panchavati. Among other places, you could visit the Sita Gufa (The Cave of Sita) and Kapaleshwar Mandir. Every 12 years pilgrims come here to witness Kumbh Mela.

Hampi

Kishkindha or modern-day Hampi (Karnataka) was the kingdom of apes. It is the place where the famous Sugriv Bali fight happened during Ramayana. Today, Hampi is one of the UNESCO sites. Ram and Lakshman met Hanuman and Sugriv at Kishkindha only. 

You can visit Virupaksha temple, Vitthala temple.  There is a cave on the bank of the Tungbhadra river where Sugriva is said to have hidden Sita’s jewels for safety. There are marks and streaks on the rocks, which are said to have been made by Sita’s ornaments.

 

Lepakshi

Lepakshi Lepakshi is a famous archaeological place in Andhra Pradesh. In Ramayana, this is where Jatayu ( demi-god in the form of the eagle) tries to fight Ravana. Jatayu gets hurt and falls down by the time Rama arrives. Jatayu is rewarded in the form of moksha (liberation) by Rama. It is said that this event happened in Lepakshi

Veerbhadra Temple is the must-visit place while you are in the city. A large Nandi, which is supposed to be the largest in the world takes care of the city.

Rameshwaram

Rameshwaram, which is currently one of the char-dhams is the place, from, where Ram and his vanar sena actually started their journey to Srilanka. The place is famous for the beautiful Vivekananda temple and Shiv Temple. The story says, Sita also established a shivlinga on her way back from Srilanka.

Dhanuskodi

Dhanuskodi is now an abandoned coastal village. It is at the tip of Pamban Island. The interesting part of Dhanuskodi is the existence of Palk Strait (Rama Setu). It is believed that Rama with the help of apes built this bridge to go to Lanka. However, there are many mysterious things about Rama Setu which will surprise you!

Ashok Vatika

Modern-day Hakgala Botanical Garden in Srilanka is the Ashok Vatika where Sita was where Sita, was held captive after her abduction. The legend goes like, Sita denied stay with Ravana and chose to stay under the Ashok tree, waiting for Ram throughout her abduction.

Talaimannar

This was Lord Rama’s first stop in Sri Lanka from where the conflict with Ravana’s mighty army began. After a lengthy battle, Lord Rama killed Ravana and then made Vibhishana as the king.

Currently, this place is located on the northwestern coast of Mannar Island. You can reach here by road from Mannar which links the island to the rest of the country through a causeway.

Most of the above places hold prime importance and are on the pilgrims’ bucket list. Needless to say, Ram literally traveled to the whole India, parts of Srilanka and Nepal too. This travel itinerary is indeed an interesting one especially for those who want to relive mythology.

Categories
Spiritual Hubs Travel Trends

4 Dhams of India

In India, there are many different religions and cultures that we follow but the majority of the peoples are Hindu. Which is why there are many stories of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in the past that left their mark in the Hindu culture.  Thousands of people go there every day just to visit and worship the marks left by Gods and Goddesses.

What are 4 Dhams?

4 Dhams known as Char Dham in India are the names of the most pilgrimage sites in the whole of India. Many Indians just want to visit them once in their life before they die, the Char Dhams are one of the most sacred places for Hindus.

Char Dhams of India

1. Jagannath Temple, Puri

  • Location: Odisha
  • Main deity: Lord Jagannath
  • Nearest railway station/Airport: Puri Train station or Bhubaneshwar Airport 
  • Opens on: Every day for 24 Hours
  • Places to stay: Hotel Jagannath Darshan, Basanti Hotel and Hotel Oyo 6295.

The Jagannath temple is located at Puri in the state of Odisha. Here in this temple, Shri Krishna resides in the form of Lord Jagannath. This temple is the only one in the whole India where you will see Lord Krishna’s sister Subhadra and brother Lord Balabhadra getting worshipped with Lord Krishna who resides here as Lord Jagannath.

Odisha people also celebrate a special day in this temple which is known as ‘Ratha Yatra’ Ratha means chariot Yatra means journey. This is one of the most important Dham in the Char Dhams of India. In this temple it is also believed that all of them represent the main 3 deities, Lord Jagannath represents Lord Vishnu, Lord Balabhadra Represent Lord Maheshwara which is another name of Lord Shiva, and Subhadra Represent Lord Brahma.

2. Ramanathaswamy Temple

  • Location: Tamil Nadu
  • Main deity: Lord Shiva
  • Nearest railway station: Rameswaram Train station
  • Opens on:  Every day from 5 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 9 pm 
  • Places to stay: Vel Residency Hotel, Hotel Royal Residency, and Hotel Park Plaza.

In the southern part of India, there is a place called Rameswaram which is famous for being one of the Pilgrimage sites in Indian because of the Ramanathaswamy Dham. The place also has a history that during the Treta-yuga Lord Rama built a bridge of stones from here to Sri Lanka during his quest of finding Goddess Sita.

The temple is well known because while the Time Lord Rama stayed there he made a Shiv-Ling to worship Lord Shiva and since that time Shiv-Ling remains there and Lord Shiva is worshipped there in the form of Linga and named Shri Ramanath Swamy. In this story also Lord Rama represents Lord Vishnu, his brother Lord Lakshman represents Lord Shiva, and Hanuman represents Lord Brahma.

3. Dwarkadhish Temple

  • Location: Gujarat
  • Main Deity: Lord Krishna
  • Nearest railway station: Dwarka Train station
  • Opens on: Every day from 6:30 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9:30 pm
  • Places to stay: Shri Krishna Hotel, Hotel Gomti, and Hotel Nand Nandan, VITS Hotel

The Dwarkadhish Temple is located in the State of Gujarat in the city of Dwarka. This temple is situated where the Gomti River meets The Arabian sea. The temple is known as one of the Dhams as it’s the place where Lord Krishna in the Dwapar-yuga decided to make this place his residence.

https://ghoomophiro.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/video1.mp4?_=1

Since that time this place is worshipped and the Dwarkadhish temple also resembles Lord Krishna. On the day of Lord Krishna’s birth, which is known as Janmashtami, the whole city of Dwarka celebrates it with so much energy and decorates the whole city and the temple is filled with the ‘Bhog'(offering) for Lord Krishna in the Dwarkadheesh temple.

4. Badrinath Temple

  • Location: Uttarakhand
  • Main deity: Lord Vishnu
  • Nearest railway station: Rishikesh railway station, after that you need to take a bus to get there.
  • Opens on: 30 April 4:30 am till October\November.
  • Places to stay: Sarovar Portico Badrinath, New Hotel Snow Crest, and GMVN Tourist Rest House.

The Badrinath temple lies in the Garhwal Hills in the state of Uttarakhand. This divine temple of Badrinath was the first Dham in the all 4 Dhams to be found. It is said that in the Sat-yuga at this place Narayana the incarnation of Lord Vishnu came here for Tapasya. When he came there at the spot the berry tree which is called Badri in Sanskrit.

So at that place, the berry tree grows to save Narayana from sun rays and rains. It is also believed that it was Goddess Lakshmi who became that tree to save Narayana from sun and rain so he can finish his Tapasya in peace. That is why the place is called Badrinath, just like Shiva- Parvati since that time Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Narayana are also called Badri-Nath.

So as we saw that other than Badrinath temple every other Dham is very close to the railway station and opens on every day of the year. While for Badrinath temple you might need to do some planning of how you will go and where you will stay all kinds of things because you will be going in the hills.

Exit mobile version