Shiva temples in India attract pilgrims from various parts of the country. Lord Shiva is revered as one of the most significant Hindu pantheons. India boasts of innumerable temples which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Considered as a "kind" God who always obliges his devotees, Lord Shiva is also known as `Bhole Shankar`. The temples of Lord Shiva display remarkable architectural grandeur, thereby attracting a large number of tourists and worshippers.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh
Kashi Vishwanath temple located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is one of the most prominent Shiva temples in India. The term `Kashi` is obtained from the word `kas`, which means to shine. The ancient Hindi scriptures like Upanishads, Puranas and Brahmanas contain several references of the Kashi. It is believed that the place of Kashi has been formed by Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Several invasions had destroyed in the past, though it was reconstructed again in 1776 by Rani Ahilyabai, the Queen of Indore. This temple occupies a centre stage of spiritual traditions of India, having visited by holy men like Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Guru Nanak, Swami Vivekananda, Adi Shankaracharya and Ramakrishna Paramahansa, among various other religious-social reformers of India.
Amarnath Temple, Kashmir
Amarnath cave temple, which is situated about 145 km from the eastern part of Srinagar, in Kashmir is another well-known temple of Lord Shiva. The Shiva Linga` of this temple draws the maximum devotees, as its size and shape undergoes a miraculous transformation every season. The Linga is composed of ice, and it becomes smaller with the waning of the moon, while it enlarges during waxing of the moon. It attains a height of about 6feet on full-moon days, which is the maximum size. During a full-moon day, every year, a festival is arranged to honour Lord Shiva, which is generally between the months of July and August. As per a popular belief, this was the first auspicious time when Lord Shiva had appeared. This temple is built at a height of 13,700 feet. The length of the temple is 90 feet while 150 feet is its height. It contains a few other ice formations in the cave temple, which is believed to be the resemblances of various Gods, besides the main deity. Hindus consider the journey to Amarnath, known as `Amarnath Yatra`, one of the most sacred pilgrimages of Hinduism.
Lingaraja Temple, Orissa
Lingaraja Temple, located in Orissa, boasts of brilliant architecture built in the 11th century. Lingaraja Temple contains beautiful stone art and a tower which is 54 metre in height. Spectacular carvings of Gods and Goddesses adorn the external walls of the temple. The southern portion of the Lingaraja Temple contains the statue of Lord Ganesha, while the back portion has the image of Goddess Parvati. Lord Kartikeya`s image is placed on the northern side of the temple entrance. The presence of pillars and halls enhance the aesthetic charm of the temple.
Somnath Temple, Gujarat
Somnath Temple is believed to be one among the 12 `Jyotirlingas` of Lord Shiva. It stands about 79 km from Junagadh. It is said that the Somnath temple is a very ancient temple, constructed by Moon God. The architecture of this temple is magnificent and it overlooks Arabian Sea. It has endured the assaults of several conquerors. The name of the Moon God is `Soma`, who, according to Indian Mythology, Daksha`s son-in-law.
Eklingji Temple, Rajasthan
Eklingji, or Lord Shiva is considered the protector God of Mewar and the Eklingji temple is one of the holiest temples of India. It is located at a distance of 12 miles from the city of Udaipur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is said that the temple was created by Acharya Vishwaroopa, whose contemporary saint was Adi Shankaracharya. Eklingji temple has a height of 65 feet and an area of 2500 sq. feet. Massive walls surrounding the temple on all sides protect it. Visitors are greeted by a large hall, supported by marvellously carved pillars. Two statues of `Nandi` are placed inside the temple, out of which one is composed of brass and the other of black stone. Parvati, Ganesha, Saraswati, Ganga and Kartikeya are the other deities which are present in the temple complex. `Nathon ka Mandir` is another ancient temple structure inside the Eklingji temple, which dates back to 10th century. No worshipping is performed in this temple.
There are various other temples in India, which are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Devotees from the length and breadth of the nation visit these temples to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and worship the Lord. Thanjavur Temples, Mukteswara Temple, Sri Chandreshwar Temple, Baijnath Temple, Badami Cave Temples, Gundala Mallikarjuna Swami Temple, Parasurameswara Temple, Kedarnath, Lakha Mandal Temple, Rameshwaram Temples, Bull Temple, Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Bijli Mahadev Temple, Bhootnath Temple, Vaikom Temple, Sri Manguesh Temple, Leaning Temple, Shankeshwar Temple, Sudh Mahadev Temple are a few of the renowned Indian Shiva temples.
