{"id":82906,"date":"2019-03-04T12:47:52","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T07:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/?p=82906"},"modified":"2019-03-04T12:47:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04T07:17:51","slug":"popular-shiva-temples-in-india-which-you-must-visit-once-in-a-lifetime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/travel\/popular-shiva-temples-in-india-which-you-must-visit-once-in-a-lifetime","title":{"rendered":"Popular Shiva Temples in India Which You Must Visit Once in a Lifetime"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Popular<\/a><\/p>\n

Lord Shiva, known by various names like Bholenath, Shiv Shambhu, Rudra, and Mahadev, is one of the main Gods in the Hindu religion. He is also one of the most revered Gods and is believed to be the creator of the Universe. Lord Shiva is worshipped in several forms including Shivlinga, Bhairava, Nataraj, and Rudraksha. It is often said Lord Shiva resides in the form of consciousness within a being. As per the concept of Trimurti, Lord Brahma is known as the Creator, Lord Vishnu is known to be the Preserver and Lord Shiva, the Destroyer. Legends also consider that Lord Shiva possesses a soft heart and circulates positive energy in the Universe. If you are intrigued enough and are thinking of knowing more about Lord Shiva, you must take an enchanting journey to the most significant and cherished Shiva Temples in India.<\/p>\n

Some most popular Shiva Temples in India are –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Shiva<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

Tungnath, Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Tungnath<\/a><\/p>\n

Tungnath Temple located in Rudraprayag is the highest Shiva Temple in the world. The temple is an ideal pick for the devotees who are extremely dedicated to the Lord and are equally adventurous. Located at an altitude of 3680 metres, the temple is situated just below the peak of Chandrashila. Tungnath temple, which is the highest Hindu Shrine, is believed to have a history of nearly 1000 years. It is the second in the pecking order of Panch Kedars. The temple has often been linked to Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic and it is believed that it was built by Arjun, one of the five Pandavas.
\nThe architecture of the temple is majestic and it appears heavenly once you reach the temple because of the surrounding natural beauty. The structure of the temple is built in North Indian style and it is surrounded by a number of small temples of other Gods. The idols of popular Hindu sages like Vyas and Kaal Bhairab are also enshrined in the temple.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> Haridwar is the nearest railway station to Tungnath temple. It is situated at a distance of 225 kilometres from Chopta, which is the nearest town to the temple.
\nBy Road:<\/strong> Taxi or buses are easily available till Chopta after which the journey begins on foot. A person can reach Tungnath through Kund-Gopeshwar Road.
\nBy flight:<\/strong> Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun is the nearest airport.
\nBest time to visit:\u00a0<\/strong>The temple opens in the month of April or May and remains open till the month of October. Chopta is a popular destination where one can experience snowfall during winters.
\n<\/p>\n

Kedarnath, Garhwal, Uttarakhand<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kedarnath<\/a><\/p>\n

This place needs no introduction as it is one of the most revered pilgrimage site of devotees of Shiva. It is one of the four destinations of Chaar Dham Yatra of Uttarakhand along with Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Badrinath. Kedarnath is one of the most picturesque yet difficult pilgrimage site. Thousands of devotees visit this temple every year. It is one of the most sought after site because Kedarnath is also the highest of 12 jyotirlinga where Lord Shiva manifested as cosmic light. The temple is located near Mandakini River and is perched at a height of nearly 3583 metres, Counted amongst one of the Panch Kedars, the Kedarnath Temple remains open for visitors only in April to November. Rest of the year temple remains closed because the site is covered with heavy snow.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> Rishikesh is the nearest Railway Station which is situated at a distance of 216 kilometres. You can board a bus or hire a taxi from the nearest bus station and reach Gaurikund.
\nBy Road:<\/strong> Gaurikund is the nearest area to Kedarnath which is connected by inter and intra state bus services. It is situated on NH 109.
\nBy Flight:<\/strong> Jolly Grant Airport is the nearest airport which is situated at a distance of 238 kilometres.
\nBest time to visit:<\/strong> As the temple remains opened only from April to November, one should pay a visit during these months only.
\n<\/p>\n

Kashi Vishwanath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kashi<\/a>
\nKashi Vishwanath Temple, located in the city of Varanasi, holds high historical significance as Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world. Also, as mentioned in Puranas, the city of Varanasi is considered as a favourite of Lord Shiva. Devotees from all walks of life come in large numbers to visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, located in Varanasi. While going back to the ancient times, one can find the mentions of this temple too in the Hindu scriptures. It is often said the one who takes his last breath in Kashi gets liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth as it is believed that people after death are directly taken to Mount Kailash, the home of Lord Shiva. Shiva is directly related to the Moksh; people say Lord Shiva recites the moksha mantra into the ears of the devotees who breath their last at this holy place. Located on the banks of Holy River Ganga, the temple is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> The city of Varanasi is well connected to all major cities nearby. The temple is situated at a distance of 5 kilometre from the Cantt Railway station.
\nBy Road:<\/strong> The temple is well connected by roads. One can board any public transport to reach the temple.
\nBy Flight:<\/strong> Varanasi Airport which is situated at a distance of 25 kilometres is the nearest airport to the temple.<\/p>\n

Best time to visit:<\/strong> One can visit the temple in any season but it is advised that one should visit the temple between the months of November and April.
\n<\/p>\n

Amarnath Temple, Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Amarnath<\/a><\/p>\n

Located in Srinagar, the Amarnath Temple needs no introduction to the devotees of Lord Shiva. Perched at an altitude of 3888 metres, Amarnath Temple is situated at a distance of nearly 145 kilometres from Srinagar. Devotees reach the temple through a cave where naturally a shivlinga is formed with ice every year. It is said that the frozen Shivlinga is a stalagmite and is formed because of the freezing water drops which drips from the floor of the cave. Owing to the height of the place, the temple is covered with snow for a significant amount of time throughout the year. When the temple is accessible to the general public, thousands of devotees cross mountain terrains and make their way to reach the temple. The beauty of this temple gets enhanced because of the snowy surroundings, serenity and divine bliss.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> The nearest station to Amarnath Temple is Jammu which is situated at a distance of 178 kilometres.<\/p>\n

By Road:<\/strong> Amarnath is situated at a treacherous terrain so it is not well connected by roads. One can reach Pahalgam by road and then trek or take a pony to reach Amarnath temple.<\/p>\n

By Flight:<\/strong> The nearest airport is Srinagar International Airport which is located at a distance of 72 kilometres from Amarnath.
\nBest time to visit:<\/strong> May to September is the most suitable time to visit this temple.
\n<\/p>\n

Brihadeshwara Temple,Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Brihadeshwara<\/a><\/p>\n

Also known as Rajarajesvaram or Peruvudaiyar Koyil, Brihadeshwara Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site which was built by Raja Raj Chola, the king of Chola Dynasty. This spectacular Shiva Temple is more than a thousand years old and displays a spectacular piece of architecture. Made of granite, the site displays the greatest example of Dravidian style of temple architecture. The temple also has a granite tower called the Vimana tower which is above the sanctum. It is one of the tallest towers in South India. Brihadeshwara Temple also has a big statue of Nandi at the entrance which is carved out of a single rock. Primarily built of granite the temple is the most visited tourist attraction in Thanjavur.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> Thanjavur is the nearest station which is well connected with other major railway stations.
\nBy Road:<\/strong> One can easily get regular buses to Thanjavur as it is well connected with other major cities of the country.
\nBy Flight:<\/strong>\u00a0the nearest airport is the Tiruchirapalli International Airport.<\/p>\n

Best time to visit:<\/strong> The best time to visit this temple is between the months of May and October. The temple remains closed from November to April.
\n<\/p>\n

Kotilingeshwara Temple, Kolar, Karnataka<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Kotilingeshwara<\/a><\/p>\n

Located in a small village of Kammasandra, in the Kolar district, this temple has one of the largest shiva lingams in the world. It is quite popular amongst the devotees all over Asia and around 2 lakh bhakts every year visit this shrine. The main lingam is surrounded by multiple smaller lingams which are said to be nearly a crore. There are smaller temples in the complex which are dedicated to other gods. Even devotees can install their own lingams with their names for a charge. Free mass marriages are also conducted in the temple premises with fun and frolic every year.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> The nearest Railway Station is Bangarpet which is located at a distance of 15 kilometres.
\nBy Bus:<\/strong> Kolar district is well connected by bus so one can visit the temple via road.
\nBy Flight:<\/strong> The nearest airport to the temple is Kempegowda Airport which is located in Bengaluru.<\/p>\n

Best time to visit:<\/strong> Shivratri is celebrated with enormous fervour and enthusiasm in Kotilingeshwara Temple. One can visit the temple between July and January.
\n<\/p>\n

Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Lingaraj<\/a><\/p>\n

Dedicated to Harihara, a form of Lord Shiva, this temple is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar. Marked as the most prominent landmark of the city, this temple is a major tourist attraction of the state. Quintessence of the Kalinga Architecture can be seen in this temple. Buit in deula style, this temple has four components \u2013 Vimana \u2013 Structure containing sanctum, Jagamohana \u2013 the Assembly hall, Natamandira \u2013 festival hall and Bhoga-Mandapa \u2013 Hall of offering. As per documented history, it is stated that the temple is at least 1100 years old and its mentions can be seen in ancient texts. The temple is regarded as a true fusion of dream and reality because of the breathtaking architectural style of the temple. It is counted amongst one of the most beautiful temples in the world.<\/p>\n

How to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> Bhubaneswar Railway station is the nearest railway station to this temple.<\/p>\n

By Road:<\/strong> The temple is located in the city of Bhubaneswar and is well connected by road.<\/p>\n

By Flight:<\/strong> Biju Patnaik Airport situated in Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport to the temple.<\/p>\n

Best time to visit:<\/strong> Festivals like Shivratri, Rath Yatra, and Chandan Yatra are celebrated with full fun and frolic. Visit the temple when these festivals are celebrated.
\n<\/p>\n

Taraknath Temple, Tarakeswar, West Bengal<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Taraknath<\/p>\n

Also known as Tarakeswar Temple, the Taraknath Temple is associated with deep rooted religious beliefs. It is located in Hooghly district and is said to be built in 1729 AD. The temple is thronged by visitors every day who worship Lord Shiva, the presiding deity, with full dedication. It is said that Shiva is the rescuer of all religious souls. Legends states that Raja Vishnu Das had a dream in which he found Shiv Linga amid the woods. Lord Shiva himself directed him to build this majestic temple. It is believed that the same linga is placed inside the temple. People say the one who fast in this temple without taking a drop of water eventually gets his wish fulfilled by Lord Tarak Nath.
\nHow to reach:<\/strong>
\nBy Train:<\/strong> The Kamarkandu Railway Station is the nearest location which is well connected to this town.
\nBy Bus:<\/strong> Tarakeswar is well connected by to all major cities via roads.
\nBy Flight:<\/strong> The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, is the nearest airport to the temple.<\/p>\n

Best time to visit:<\/strong>\u00a0One can visit the temple between October and March.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Adiyogi Statue<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Adiyogi<\/a><\/p>\n

Mythologies also present Lord Shiva as a Yogi and he is deduced to be the founder of Yoga which is why he is also known as Adiyogi. It is believed that he is the one who put this concept of Yoga in the mind of humans and he attained his full enlightenment by practising Yoga upon the Himalayas. Another famous place to visit is the Adiyogi statue which is 34.3 metres tall is made in Thirunamam at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. The statue is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “Largest Bust Sculpture\u201d in the world.<\/p>\n

Know More About<\/strong>: 12 Jyotirlinga Temples in India<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lord Shiva, known by various names like Bholenath, Shiv Shambhu, Rudra, and Mahadev, is one of the main Gods in the Hindu religion. He is also one of the most revered Gods and is believed to be the creator of the Universe. Lord Shiva is worshipped in several forms including Shivlinga, Bhairava, Nataraj, and Rudraksha. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":82908,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11315,5],"tags":[52,10264,10921,10922,6509,8391,5],"class_list":{"0":"post-82906","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-india","8":"category-travel","9":"tag-india","10":"tag-map","11":"tag-popular-shiva-temples","12":"tag-shiva-temples","13":"tag-temples","14":"tag-tourism","15":"tag-travel"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82906"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83981,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82906\/revisions\/83981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mapsofindia.com\/my-india\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}