The Twelve Jyotirlingas — Part 2

Kashi Vishwanath (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh): Kashi is called Shiv's own city. Tradition says it rests on Shiv's trident and is not destroyed even at the end of an age. Here Shiv dwells as Vishwanath, lord of the whole world, and devotees believe that in Kashi Shiv himself shows the path to liberation.

Trimbakeshwar (Nashik, Maharashtra): Some sages, jealous of the sage Gautam, tricked him so that he was blamed for a cow's death. Grieving, Gautam did tapasya to Shiv. Pleased, Shiv brought forth Ganga there as the Godavari and settled himself as Tryambak, the three-eyed Shiv.

Vaidyanath: Ravan pleased Shiv with severe tapasya and asked to take his linga to Lanka. The condition was that he must not set it on the ground on the way. On the journey Ravan handed the linga briefly to a cowherd, who put it down. The linga stayed fixed there. Popular belief places it at Deoghar in Jharkhand, while the stotra tradition names Parli in Maharashtra.

Nageshwar (near Dwarka, Gujarat): A demon named Daruk and his wife Daruka tormented people in the forest. They imprisoned Supriya, a merchant devoted to Shiv. Even in prison, Supriya kept chanting Shiv's name. Shiv appeared, destroyed the demons and stayed there as Nageshwar.

Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu): According to the Shiv Puran, before going to Lanka, Shri Ram set up a Shivling on the seashore, worshipped Shiv and asked for the blessing of victory. Shiv appeared and, at Ram's request, settled there as Rameshwar. So this place unites devotion to both Ram and Shiv.

Grishneshwar (near Ellora, Maharashtra): A devotee named Ghushma made one hundred and one clay Shivlings every day, worshipped them and immersed them in a pond. Out of jealousy, her sister Sudeha killed Ghushma's son and threw him into that same pond. Though weeping, Ghushma did not give up her worship. Her son came back alive from the pond. Shiv was about to punish Sudeha, but Ghushma asked forgiveness for her sister.