History Of Sri Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Temple

In Shri Dwadasha Jyotirlinga temple, the  12 representative Jyothirlingas of the  original Puranik, which are in different parts of our country, are in one temple, each with an individual Garbhagraha and Vimanagopuram. The Dwadasha is very sacred and auspicious and different from the ordinary Shiva Lingas. If anyone gets the darshanof a single Jyothilinga, it will lead to Moksha. Jyothi means light.  A  Jyothilinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva, is worshipped in the form of a Jyothilinga or “Linga of light”. Puranas say that Lord Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyothilinga on the night of the Arudra Nakshatra and thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga.  The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana. This Dwadasha Jyotirlinga temple is in the Omkar ashram which is an abode of temples and religious activities, namely  Shri Matsya Narayana temple, Shri Vanadurga temple, Shri Nagadevatha temple, Shri Muneeshwara temple, Goshala, Vishwamitra Veda Vidyalaya, Sacred Banyan tree, religious harmony memorial, a giant tower clock which is one of the biggest clocks in the world and a monastery.  It is believed that a piligrimage to this Dwadasha Jyotirlinga kshetra and having darshan of all the temples and the blessings of sanyasins, will remove all the Nava Graha doshas.
The temple is bulit by Brahmaleena Sadguru Shri Shivapuri Mahaswamiji, with the objective of providing an opportunity to each and every devotee, for Jyothilinga Darshanam. It also serves the purpose of propagating awareness, significance and uniqueness of these twelve Jyotirlingas to the younger generation.  The construction of the temple was started in 2002 by the Shri Shivapuri Mahaswamiji, and it continued for many years. However before he could complete this divine task, he attained Samadhi. Later his disciple, Shri Madhusudhanananda Puri Swamiji became his successor, (The Peetadhipathi of Omkara Ashrama Mahasamsthana), and continued the temple work. The Pranaprathishta of the 12 Jyotirlingas and Mahakumbhabhishekam of the temple was done by Shri Swami Madhusudhanananda Puri on the auspicious day of Wednesday, 16 February 2011, in the divine presence of many saints, holy men, purohits and others with elaborate rituals, prayers, homams and poojas.
Inside the main temple, the 12 Jyothirlingas are seen along with Shri Vidyaganapathi, Shri Subrahmanya, Shri Kalabhairava, Shri Chandikeshwara, Ekadasha (11) Rudradevatas, Panchaloha Nataraja weighing around 1000 kg and the Divine Mother Shakti in the form of Shri Yantra. Out of these twelve Jyotirlingas, the Omkareshwara Jyothirlinga measuring around 6 Feet in height, is at the centre of the temple, encircled by the other Eleven Jyotirlingas. Omkareshwara Jyotirlinga is the main Jyotirlinga of this temple. In this Shri Dwadasha Jyothirlinga Devasthana,  all the 12 Jyothirlingas are along with the Shakthi in the form of Shri Yantras.  The Spatika Shri Yantra is in the Omkareswara Jyothirlinga and in the remaining 11 jyothirlingas Panchaloha Shri Yantras are there. All the 12 Jyotirlingas face east.
The Shri Matsyanarayana temple is unique and the only temple in Karnataka for Bhagavan Shri Matsyanarayana Swamy. Shri Matsanarayana temple is facing in the east direction and is located behind the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga temple in Omkar hills. Bhagavan Shri Matsyanarayana is the first Avatara among the Dashavataras (Ten Avataras) of Bhagavan MahaVishnu in the form of fish to protect the creation from great deluge.  By worshiping him, generally one gains health, wealth, peace and prosperity with his grace , specially one gets cured of rare skin diseases and gains abundant wealth. Wherever Bhagavan Shri Matsyanarayana’s presence is there,  all the Vastu Doshas will get nullified.
The Divine mother Shri Vana Durga is the presiding deity and the sthana-devata of the Omkara Hills. Vana Durga is one of the numerous forms of Goddess Durga. As the name indicates, she resides in forests and hills. The temples of Vana Durga are always open to air. She is a living deity staying under the sacred banyan tree at,  the top of the Omkar Ashram hill. Time and again, many blessed devotees’ vivid experiences about the goddess testify her divine presence in Omkar hills.
Shri Nagadevata temple in Omkara hills has a unique male and female Nagadevata. To the right of the Nagadevata is a banyan tree and to the left is a neem tree. Daily pujas will be done to the devata.
A massive bronze bell, weighing around 1200 kg, which is one of the biggest and heaviest bells in the country, is placed in the Dwadahsa temple complex for the temple use.

1. All the 12 Jyotirlingas are Narmadeshwara Lingas (also known as Baana Lingas), and are made from the stones of the river Narmada, which is very auspicious for Shivalinga.

2. Below each and every Jyotirlinga, 1000 Small Narmadeshwara Lingas measuring around 1 inch in length are placed. But beneath the Shri Omkareshwara linga, 2000 Small Narmada Lingas are placed.
So in tota,l the temple consists of visible 12 main Jyotirlingas and 13000 (thirteen thousand) invisible Narmadeshwara Lingas.

3. Beneath each and every Jyotirlinga, Saligramas, many rare herbs, precious stones (Navarathna), metals, grains, good quantity of Mercury and specially worshipped Yantras are also placed along with Small Narmadeshwara Lingas.