Mahashivratri 2023: Five Must-visit Lord Shiva Temples in India; How to Reach, Where to Stay

MAHASHIVRATRI 2023: Mahashivratri, one of the biggest Hindu religious festivals, is less than a fortnight away. This year Mahashivratri will be celebrated on Saturday, February 18. This is an important day for the devotees of Lord Shiva. Mahashivratri will be celebrated at Shiva temples all across the country with grand festivities. From aartis to decorated gopurams and even rath yatras, devotees can witness a wide range of rituals and celebrations.

Visiting a Shiva temple on Mahashivratri day and lighting the lamp the entire night at the temple is a common practice among the believers. Here’s a list of the top five temples of Lord Shiva one can make a pilgrimage to on this Mahashivratri to seek blessings.

Somnath Temple

This temple is believed to be the first of the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas in India. Located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, it serves as one of the most important tourist spots in the state. The Somnath temple has been looted, destroyed, and reconstructed several times. The current reconstruction, in the Chalukya style of architecture, was completed in 1951 under Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s leadership.

Planning to visit? Click here for how to reach and other details: https://girsomnath.nic.in/tourist-place/the-somnath-temple/

Lingaraj Temple

Situated in Bhubaneshwar, the capital city of Odisha, this grand temple is over 54 metres tall. The temple complex, built in the 11th century CE in the Kalinga architecture style, has nearly 150 small and big temples. The Shivaratri and Rukuna Rath Yatra are two big festivals celebrated with grand events. These festivities draw lakhs of devotees from across the country and abroad.

https://odishatourism.gov.in/content/tourism/en/discover/attractions/temples-monuments/lingaraja-temple.html

Kedarnath Temple

The temple is in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by snow-covered peaks. The temple was built of large, evenly cut grey slabs of stones in the 8th century CE. The inner walls feature figures of multiple deities and scenes from mythology. A rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as a form of Lord Shiva.

https://badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in/AboutUs/shri-kedarnath.aspx

Ramanathaswamy Temple

Located in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, this temple exemplifies the confluence of Shaivism and Vaishnavism. According to the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama worshipped Lord Shiva here before his sojourn to Lanka. The temple has a 38 metre tall Gopuram, long corridors, and carved pillars. This is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples in the country.

https://ramanathapuram.nic.in/tourist-place/ramanathaswamy-temple/

Trimbakeshwar Temple

This temple is situated at a distance of about 28 km from Nashik City in Maharashtra. It is also one of the much revered shrines among the 12 Jyotirlingas. The existing temple was built by the third Peshwa Balaji Bajirao in the 18th century on the site of an old temple.

https://nashik.gov.in/tourist-place/trimbakeshwar-temple/

Happy Mahashivratri 2023!

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