Twelve Jyotirlingas

 On the day of Mahashivratri, celebrations take place in all the Shiva temples across India. Mahashivratri Festival is particularly awaited by Hindu women. On Mahashivratri, married and unmarried women perform puja with great faith, as Goddess Parvati who is also called 'Gaura', is regarded as the giver of 'suhag' - good husbands, marital bliss and a long and prosperous married life. One can therefore see find women enthusiastically observing the fast and performing the rituals Shiva Pujas on the day.

The Shiva Linga is the most common object of worship all over India. But twelve such stones are considered more important and are known as Jyotirlinga. They are situated in the following places: 

1. 
   
   Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh
   
   


2. 
   
   Rameshwar in Tamil Nadu
   
   


3. 
   
   Bhimashankar in Daminyal near Pune in Maharashtra
   
   


4. 
   
   Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh
   
   


5. 
   
   Somanath in Saurashtra
   
   


6. 
   
   Nageshwar in Dwarka
   
   


7. 
   
   Mallika1 in Uttar Pradesh
   
   


8. 
   
   Kedarnath in the Himalayas
   
   


9. 
   
   Dhushmeshwar in Ellora near Aurangabad
   
   


10. 
    
    Trimbakeshwar near Nashik
    
    


11. 
    
    Vishvanath in Benares and
    
    


12. 
    
    Vaidyanath in Parli in Marathvada