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<\/span><\/p> 1) SOMNATH TEMPLE, GUJARAT Somnath located near Veraval ,\r\nGujarat is considered first and foremost of all Jyotirlings. It is named after\r\nthe Moon (Soma) who worshipped Shiva to get rid of a curse put on him by his\r\nfather-in-law, Daksha. On getting Shiva\u2019s blessings, the moon regained his\r\nlight and this is why this town is also referred to as Prabhas. The original\r\nSomanth temple was built by the moon in pure gold and later rejuvenated by\r\nRavana in silver, by Krishna in sandalwood and finally by Bhimadeva in stone.\r\nThereafter, this temple was raided multiple times by invaders in the medieval\r\ncenturies. The latest temple is made with reddish yellow stones and was\r\ninaugurated by the first Indian President Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1951. One can\r\nexperience complete ecstasy looking at the sight of the gigantic waves of the\r\nArabian Sea hitting the sturdy walls of Somnath temple. Veraval is well\r\nconnected to all important cities of India via roads and railways. <\/span><\/p> 2)MALLIKARJUNA TEMPLE, SRISAILAM, ANDHRA PRADESH The second jyotirling of Shiva ,\r\nnamed Mallikarjuna Swamy is located in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, also termed\r\nas Kashi of the South. It is located at a distance of around 215 kms from\r\nHyderabad in Nallamala hill forests along the banks of Krishna river. Legend\r\nhas it that Shiva and Parvati descended to this place to appease an agitated\r\nKartikeya since his younger brother Ganesha was getting married before him. The\r\ngigantic fort like temple complex houses Mallikarjuna Swamy and Bharmaramba\r\nDevi as its main deities. The other important attractions in the area include\r\nthe Panchamathams, temple of Istakmeswari, Sakshi Ganes, Sikharam and Srisilam\r\nDam. The best time to visit Srisailam is the monsoon season when the forests\r\nare green offering spectacular views. <\/span><\/p> 3) MAHAKALESHWAR JYOTIRLING, MADHYPRADESH. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirling and\r\nTemple is the most important temple in Ujjain. The Jyotirling here is\r\nDakshinmurti Swayambhu \u201cself manifested\u201d which derives power within itself\r\nunlike others where lingas are installed. The Omkareshwar linga, on the first\r\nfloor, is open for visitors round the year whereas the Nagchandreshwara linga,\r\nsituated on the third floor is open only on the day of Nagpanchmi. The temple\r\nhas over hundred small shrines of various deities. The Koti Teertha, a large\r\nwater body inside the temple complex, is believed to contain celestial water\r\nand devotees are expected to take a dip here. If you are an early riser, you\r\ncould also participate in the Bhasma aarti that takes place at 4.00 am although\r\na pass is required for this a day in advance. The temple has its own\r\ndharamshala and prasad is offered free of cost. Mahakaleshwar Temple is just 2\r\nkms from the railway station and the Bus stand of Ujjain.<\/span><\/p> Click to plan for your Jyotirling Temple Darshan.<\/a> 4)OMKARESHWAR, MADHYA PRADESH Omkareshwar Jyotirling is situated\r\nin an Om-shaped island called Mandhata on Narmada River in Madhya Pradesh which\r\nis around 80 kms from Indore. There is another jyotirling temple by the name of\r\nMamaleshwar situated on the main land. The legend behind this jyotirling states\r\nhow Sage Aghastya crushes the ego of the mighty Vindhya Mountain who was\r\nblessed by a boon from Shiva. The Omkareshwar temple is an awe-inspiring\r\nthree-storied structure supported by huge pillars made up of intricately carved\r\ngranite stone. One cannot miss the huge Omkareshwar Dam seen from two bridges\r\nthat connect Mandhata island from the mainland. A lot of devotees also perform\r\nthe five km long circumambulation of the Mandhata island. There are a number of\r\nshrines enroute. The closest railway station in on Omkareshwar Road, the\r\nnearest point of transit is Indore. Apart from accommodation in the Omkareshwar\r\nTemple itself there are very few ordinary hotels and hence a stay in Indore is\r\nrecommended. <\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/p> 5) BAIJNATH Deoghar, Jharkhand This is the most disputed\r\njyotirling as there are three places in India whose natives claim that their\r\ntemple houses this jyotirling. During a severe penance, Ravana offered his\r\nheads to Shiva. When he is about to cut off his tenth head, Shiva appears\r\nbefore him and offers him a jyotirling which he can take to Lanka but without\r\nplacing on the ground anywhere on the way. However, he is tricked by Ganesha\r\nand the linga is installed at the same place. The first one is at Deoghar,\r\nBihar that has a huge complex with twenty two temples of different deities\r\namong which Shiva\u2019s is one. The nearest railway station is Jaisidih, seven kms\r\naway on the Patna Howrah route. Parli-Vaijanath near Latur, Mahashtra, is the\r\nsecond one that was constructed by Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar in typical Maratha\r\nstyle architecture and this explains its fort like appearance. The third one\r\nmade in Nagara style is 1000 year old temple in Baijnath town situated in\r\nDhauladhar range of Western Himlaya in Himachal Pradesh. If you love panoramic\r\nhilly landscapes, then take the heritage toy train from Pathankot. As a mark of\r\nrespect to Ravana, people of Baijnath don\u2019t celebrate Dusshera. <\/span><\/p> 6) BHIMASHANKAR, MAHARASHTRA Bhimashankar is the sixth\r\njyotirling of Shiva situated on the hills of Sahyadri Range in Maharasthtra,\r\n110 kms away from Pune. This is also the place where the Bhima river, the\r\nlargest tributary of Krishna river, originates. The Maratha styled temple is\r\nmade of black stones. Everyone is allowed to enter the sanctorum and touch the\r\njyotlirling. The story behind this jyotirling goes thus: Shiva took a ferocious\r\nform and reduced the oppressive demon Bhima, the son of Kumbhakarna, to ashes\r\nand remained here in the form of a jyotirling. The area is very scenic and\r\noffers breathtaking beauty, especially the neighboring peak called Nagfani.\r\nConnectivity is not a problem with many state buses plying from Pune every half\r\nan hour. The other eight km route from Khandas village near Karjat is a\r\ntrekker\u2019s paradise. <\/span><\/p> 7) RAMESHWARAM, TAMIL NADU Rameshwaram is a small town\r\nsituated in the Pamban island in Tamil Nadu state of India. Lord Rama built a\r\nbridge starting from here right up to Sri Lanka to wage a war against Ravana\r\nafter he abducted Sita. Dravidian styled Ramanathaswamy Temple has two\r\njyotirlings; one made by Lord Rama and another brought by Hanuman from Kashi,\r\nthis is a replica of the Kashi Vishwanath jyotirling. As per one of the\r\ntraditions of the temple, devotees are expected to first bathe in twenty two\r\nwater bodies present in the temple complex and then pay reverence to the\r\njyotirling. Another important landmark in Rameshwaram is the Kothandaramaswamy\r\nTemple where the first meeting of Rama and Vibhishana took place. There are lot\r\nof mesmerizing places in Rameshwaram, such as Dhanushkodi, Agneeteertham,\r\nGandhamathan Parvat, Rama Teerth, Lakshman Teerth and Pamban Bridge. This\r\nisland can be reached by road in addition to the direct trains from Chennai,\r\nMadurai and Kanyakumari. <\/span><\/p> 8) NAGESHWAR, GUJARAT Nageshwar Jyotirling Temple is\r\nlocated at a distance of 18 kms from Dwarka in Gujarat which is one of the top\r\nseven Hindu holy cities of India. There is a narration from Shiv Purana that\r\nShiva in Nageshwar form (body full of serpants) defeated a demon named Daruka\r\nand his army to rescue his imprisoned devotee named Supriya. The temple is\r\nbuilt with pink stone and the idol is Dakshinamurti. Devotees are allowed to go\r\ninside the sanctorum and perform abhishek on this linga along with the local\r\npriest albeit only in traditional attire. There is a huge statue of a sitting\r\nShiva in the temple complex which can be seen from a distance. An idol of Shani\r\nis also worshipped in the temple complex below a huge pipal tree. Apart from\r\nmunicipal sightseeing buses, auto rickshaws and cabs can be hired to visit this\r\ntemple. Like Baijnath, this Jyotirling is also disputed . There are two more\r\ntemples; Jageshwar in Almora, Uttarakhand and Nagnath in Aundha, Maharashtra\r\nthat are said to be contenders as well. <\/span><\/p> 9) KASHI VISHWANATH TEMPLE (VARANSI) Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling is situated in the\r\nholy city of Kashi (Varanasi). Even though this jyotirling is ninth on the\r\nDwadasha Jyotlirling Strotram, it is arguably, the most important jyotirling.\r\nAll the important saints such as Goswami Tulsidas, Adi Shanakaracharya, Guru\r\nNanak, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekanand, Sant Kabir etc. have visited\r\nthis temple. The temple has been raided many times by invaders but has been\r\nreconstructed time and again. The present Kashi Vishwanath Temple was renovated\r\nby Ahilyabai Holkar, the queen of Maheshwar. Raja Ranjit Singh covered the two\r\ndomes of the temple with gold in the eighteenth century. The temple receives\r\nclose to five thousand visitors per day and on some auspicious days like\r\nMahashivratri, the count goes right up to two lakh. Security provisions are\r\nstrict and one has to deposit mobile phones and cameras outside the temple. A\r\nwalk to this temple would take you through the famous narrow lanes of Kashi,\r\ndon\u2019t miss the variety of food items and other knick knacks that can be picked\r\nup as well. <\/span><\/p> 10) TRIMBAKESHWAR, MAHARASHTRA Trimbakeshwar is a pious\r\ntemple-town located on the banks of the River Godavari, near Nasik,\r\nMaharashtra. It is among the four Hindu cities where the Kumbh Mela is held\r\nevery 12 years. The legend of Trimbakeshwar states the entire pantheon of three\r\ncrore Hindu deities including Shiva appeared to see the great penance of Gautam\r\nRishi and his wife Ahilya. Shiva not only granted a jyotirling but also\r\nreleased a stream of Ganges from his hairlocks, now known as Godavari or Ganga\r\nof the South. In addition to this, saint Nivruttinath took samadhi here. Guru\r\nGorakhnath of the Nath Sect also meditated in a cave near the hills of\r\nTrimbakeshwar. A temple has also been constructed at the place where Rama is\r\nsaid to have performed the shraddh ceremony of his ancestors. In addition to\r\nthe temple, one can visit Kushavarta, a big water tank located in the center of\r\nthe town and an important landmark. Genuine Rudraksha is sold here as there are\r\nmany trees in this vicinity. Buses are the best form of transport. They ply\r\nfrom the Nasik CBS bus stand every half an hour. <\/span><\/p> <\/span><\/b><\/p> <\/span><\/b><\/p> 11) KEDARNATH, UTTARAKHAND Kedarnath is the highest and\r\nfarthest among all jyotirlings. This temple is name after King Kedar who ruled\r\nhere in Satyuga. The temple is situated at an altitude of 3583m in the Himalaya\r\nin the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand. It is one among the Chardham Yatra\r\ndestinations and is open only for six months a year due to severe climatic\r\nconditions. There is no motorable road to Kedarnath and one either has to trek\r\n14 kms from Gaurikund or ride a horse to reach the temple. The other way is\r\nthrough helicopters. The temple is surrounded by imposing ice capped peaks that\r\nmake for a picturesque trek. It is said that after the Mahabharata war, the\r\nPandavas carried out penance here. Adi Shankaracharya who revived Hinduism in\r\n800 CE is also said to have taken samadhi here and a temple is dedicated to\r\nhim. After the torrential rains of 2013 it has become mandatory for devotees to\r\ntake permission before visiting this Jyotirling. <\/span><\/p> 12) GRISHNESHWAR, AURANGABAD Grishneshwar Temple is situated in\r\nthe Verul village near Ellora Caves , 11 kms from Daulatabad and 30 kms from\r\nAurangabad , Maharashtra. According to a legend, Shiva, pleased by the selfless\r\ndevotion of Ghushma, revived her son after he was killed by her own sister,\r\nSudeha. This temple is made in Maratha style and looks extremely beautiful with\r\nits red and black stone work. The carvings on the temple walls are intricate\r\nand a sight to behold. Grishneshwar Temple is one of the most remote\r\njyotirlings in the interiors of Maharashtra and very few people visit except on\r\nholidays and auspicious days. If you wish to perform a puja peacefully, this is\r\nthe best of all jyotirlings to do so since it is free from large crowds. There\r\nare many historical places like Shahaji Raje\u2019s Samadhi, Aurangazeb\u2019s Tomb,\r\nDaulatabad Fort and Ellora caves situated near this temple. Best way to reach\r\nhere is to take a cab from Aurangabad. <\/span><\/p> \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/p> <\/span><\/p>","image":"img_1622714712.jpg","date":"2021-05-01","created_by":"0","create_at":"2021-06-03 03:05:12","updated_at":"2021-06-03 03:05:12","status":"0","day":"01","month":"May"},{"id":"6","title":"Places to visit near Aurangabad","content":"
<\/span><\/p>
<\/span> <\/span><\/p>Aurangabad is a city in\r\nMaharashtra state, in India. It\u2019s known for the 17th-century marble Bibi ka\r\nMaqbara shrine, styled on the Taj Mahal. The nearby <\/span>Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu<\/span> Museum,\r\ndedicated to the Maratha king <\/span>Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj<\/span>, displays war weapons and a coin\r\ncollection. North of the city, the Aurangabad Caves comprise ancient, rock-cut\r\nBuddhist shrines. West of the city, battlements surround the medieval\r\nDaulatabad Fort.<\/span>
<\/span>Ellora Caves
\r\n<\/span><\/u><\/b>The Ellora caves are\r\nsituated in state of Maharashtra about 30.7 kilometres northwest of the city of Aurangabad<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>.
<\/span><\/span>\r\nBesides, dashavtaras, there are many other beautiful sculptures and statues\r\nhere to stare at. Pillars here have adorable carvings to take you back to the\r\nancient era.<\/span><\/span>
<\/b><\/span><\/span>Daulatabad Fort
<\/span><\/u><\/b>Daulatabad Fort<\/span><\/b>, also known\r\nas Devagiri<\/b> or Deogiri<\/b>, is a historic fortified\r\ncitadel located in Daulatabad (Devagiri) village near Aurangabad<\/span><\/a><\/span>, Maharashtra<\/span><\/a><\/span>.
<\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\nFort has many beautiful monuments located within it namely Chini Mahal, Chand\r\nMinar, and Elephant Tank. The path to the top of the Fort is a narrow bridge\r\nallowing only two persons at one time to walk through. This fort has a wide\r\nditch beside it and remains full of crocodiles.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span>Bhadra Maruti\r\nTemple
<\/span><\/u>Bhadra Maruti Temple, Khultabad is a temple dedicated to the\r\nHindu deity Hanuman, located at Khuldabad, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
<\/span>Bhadra Maruti Temple is one of those rarest places to visit\r\nnear Aurangabad which is entirely dedicated to the Hindu deity, Lord\r\nHanuman. The statue of Lord Hanuman rests here in a sleeping position and is\r\ncovered all over by Sindoor.<\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\r\nAs there is religious significance behind this posture of Lord Hanuman, locals\r\nmake it a point to reach here with great devotion. If you are fortunate enough,\r\ndo try to plan your trip during Hanuman Jayanti or Ram Navami. The beauty of\r\nthis place and its spirituality increases multi-fold and indulges you in its\r\nspiritual aura.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Bibi ka Maqbara
<\/span><\/u><\/b>A symbol of remembrance, Bibi Ka Maqbara<\/strong> is\r\nalmost indistinguishable from another memento of love and its inspiration,\r\nthe Taj Mahal<\/span><\/a><\/span>. It\r\nmight be a derivative of the Taj but the mausoleum stands proud as an\r\nexpression of a son\u2019s love for his mother and has its own wandering evocations.\r\nAlso called the Tomb of the Lady.
Jayakwadi Dam
<\/span><\/u><\/b>Jayakwadi dam is an earthen dam located on Godavari river at\r\nthe site of Jayakwadi village in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad district in\r\nMaharashtra.
<\/span>Stand at the top of this\r\nmagnificently carved Paithan Dam standing juxtaposed a beautifully flowing and\r\npious Godavari River. Locally reckoned as Paithan dam (Jayakwadi Dam), this is\r\na significant irrigation project undertaken by Government of Maharashtra.<\/span>
<\/span>A simple reason to visit here with your children is to introduce them with a\r\nhighly sophisticated irrigation project of the Government to supply water to\r\nthe nearby agricultural land as well as the drought-prone areas. You can see\r\nhow the same dam that quenches the thirst of locals also provides water for\r\nindustrial applications.<\/span>
<\/span>This is one of the most fascinating tourist places near aurangabad. Best time\r\nto visit here is either morning or evening. There are facilities such as food\r\nstalls to satiate your hunger throughout your visit.<\/span>
Ajanta Caves
<\/span><\/u><\/b>The Ajanta Caves are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments\r\nwhich date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of\r\nMaharashtra state of India.
<\/span>Reckoned as the historical\r\nheritage of Maharashtra, Ajanta Caves exhibits a blend of awe-winning\r\nstructures and magnificent carvings. Dating back to the ancient era, these\r\ncaves reflect the richness of ancient Indian culture and this is one of\r\nthe best places to visit near Aurangabad<\/span>
<\/span>The architecture reflects a Buddhist influence and the count of the caves here\r\nis around 29. Every single cave is known for its exquisite wall paintings\r\nforming the center of tourist attraction. If you are familiar with the tales of\r\nJataka, you can easily co-relate it with the wall paintings.<\/span>
<\/span>Pitalkhora Caves
<\/span><\/u><\/b>Considered as the oldest\r\ncave complex, Pitalkhora Caves now stands as a reserved part of forests.\r\nAmongst the best places to visit near Aurangabad, this cave exhibits a\r\nrevolutionary architecture of cave engineering.
<\/span>The count of cave monuments here is around 14 and are divided into two\r\ndifferent groups \u2013 one containing 10 cave monuments and the other one\r\ncontaining about 4. There are steep concrete stairs juxtaposed a waterfall.\r\nHowever, be careful; as the stairs might be slippery due to water droplets\r\nfalling onto it.<\/span>
<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Shani Shingnapur
<\/span><\/u><\/b>The beauty of black stone\r\nwith a high spirituality can be felt at no other place except Shani Shingnapur.\r\nWhat makes this place unique is that you do not need to stand in long queues\r\nhere to seek divine blessings of Lord Saturn. Within a fraction of minutes, you\r\nare done with your visit. Locals here offer pooja and Abhishek on every\r\nSaturday and Monday and this is one of the best places to visit near\r\nAurangabad<\/span>
<\/span>However, you need to be specific about a few religious traditions here. While\r\noffering either a Pooja or Abhishek, you should take a head bath and reach\r\ntemple while still, you are wet from head to toe. Another thing to take care of\r\nis that only male devotees from your family are eligible to step up to the\r\ncentral platform while all females have to stand at a distance apart.<\/span>