Top 9 Most Visited Lord Shiva Temples In India
Lord Shiva is one of the main three supreme gods in Hinduism, called the trinity or trimurti. He’s responsible for destroying and restarting the universe at the end of time. This endless cycle of birth and rebirth of the cosmic creation is the core fundamental belief of Hinduism, where destruction is inevitable, be it the life of living beings, planets, or the universe as a whole.
Everything and anything that exists physically in the universe must be destroyed for the new creation to form. Lord Shiva, being the supreme lord of destruction, is thus worshiped by millions of devotees worldwide. According to the ancient scriptures of Hinduism, he’s the only eternal who exists even when all the creations cease to exist.
Therefore, it’s needless to say that Lord Shiva is an inseparable part of the entire Hindu belief system. And it can be seen just by the sheer number of temples Lord Shiva has to his name throughout India. Here, you will find Shiva temples in every nook and corner of the country, but in this post, I’ve curated a list of the top 9 most visited Shiva temples that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Kedarnath Temple
Location: This famous temple of Kedarnath is located on the Garhwal Himalayan range, near the Mandakini river in the state of Uttarakhand.
Opening Time: The Kedarnath temple only opens six months a year from April to November. The temple opens daily around 7 am, performs the morning aarti, and closes between 3-5 p.m. The evening aarti begins at 6:30 pm, and the temple closes for the day around 8:30 p.m.
Facts Of Kedarnath Temple:
Somnath Temple
Location: Somnath temple is also known as the Somnath Jyotirlinga temple. It’s located in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Opening Time: Anyone from any caste or race can enter the temple, but only the temple priests are allowed to enter the main sanctum. The temple opens daily at 6 am and performs the morning aarti at 7 am. After completing the evening aarti at 6:30pm, the temple closes at 10 pm.
Facts Of Somnath Temple:
Omkareshwar Temple
Location: Omkareshwar temple is located at the Khandwa district in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Opening Time: Visiting the Omkareshwar temple is free and open all days of the month. Throughout the day, the temple opens twice: at 5 am to 12 pm, and at 5 pm to 10 pm.
Facts Of Omkareshwar Temple:
Kashi Vishwanath Mandir
Location: This famous temple of Kashi Vishwanath Temple is located on the western bank of the Ganges river in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Opening Time: The temple is open daily from 2 a.m. in the early morning to 11 p.m. at night. Throughout the day, the temple performs five times.
Facts Of Kashi Vishwanath Temple:
Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple
Location: The temple of Mallikarjuna Swamy is yet another Jyotirlinga based on the bank of the Krishna river in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Opening Time: 04:30 am – 10:00 pm
Facts Of Mallikarjuna Temple:
Mahakaleshwar Mandir
Location: Mahakaleshwar Temple is located in the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
Opening Time: The temple is open daily from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. Devotees are encouraged to take part in various rituals performed throughout the day, such as three times aarti in the morning, midday and evening.
Facts Of Mahakaleshwar Temple:
Kailashnath Temple
Location: Situated at Ellora, near Aurangabad, Kailashnath temple is a remarkable example of Rashtrakuta architecture.
Opening Time: There are no visiting fees, and the facility is open for two shifts a day, from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Facts Of Kailashnath Temple:
Amarnath Temple
Location: Situated in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India, this Amarnath temple is located in a hallowed cave, also known by the name of Lord Amarnath.
Opening Time: From June to September is the best time to visit the Amarnath temple. Because only at this time of the year does the famous Amarnath yatra begin.
Facts Of Amarnath Temple:
Tarakeshwar Temple
Location: Located in the state of West Bengal, the Tarakeshwar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Hundreds of thousands of devotees visit this temple each year.
Opening Time: The temple is open all days of the month, and the entry fee is free. The temple conducts worship of the presiding deity twice a day, one in the morning and another in the evening.
Facts Of Tarakeshwar Temple:
- The Tarakeshwar Temple is one of the most well-known temples in the entire West Bengal state. This temple is very ancient and is believed to have been built in 1729 by King Bharamalla the Second.