Journey to 12 Jyotirlingas uninterrupted- Courtesy Indian Railways

Journey to 12 Jyotirlingas uninterrupted-Courtesy Indian Railways

Spiritual Tourism is at an all time high in India as many youngsters are interested to learn about Indian religious as well as Heritage destinations. While flight connectivity to many such locations is limited and expensive, the Indian Government has taken an initiative to strengthen the connect among the religious sites. The Indian Railways have announced a monumental project to improve the rail connectivity to Jyotirlingas in India with three new rail line projects in the state of Maharashtra (Trimbakeshwar, Bhimashankar, Grishneshwar,Parli Vajinath,Aundha Nagesh ), Uttar Pradesh (Kashi Vishwanath), and Madhya Pradhesh(Ujjain).

Out of 12 Jyotirlingas, three major shrines along with three more most visited Lord Shiva temples are located in Maharashtra, therefore connectivity to Maharashtra is key. According to reports, the new projects include the construction of the Jalgaon–Manmad fourth line (160 km), the Bhusaval–Khandwa third and fourth lines (131 km), and the Prayagraj–Manikpur third line (84 km), covering a total of 375 km. The project is not just strategic but also environmentally friendly; these routes will save CO2 Emission by 271 crore kgs, which is equivalent to planting 11 crore trees and saves around 15 crore gallons of diesel annually.

These lines will further pave the way to heritage sites like Ajanta Ellora, Khajurao (UNESCO World heritage site), Devgiri Fort, Shirdi among many others in all the states. Interestingly, Indian Railways and Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has regular cost-effective packages that cover all 12 Jyotirlingas that comprises AC Road transportation, Accommodation, as well as travel insurances for devotees. These packages are updated regularly on their website or apps. These lines will not only enhance the connectivity for devotees but also boost tourism sector.

The 12 shrines are considered to be Pillars of Light that were transformed into Lingas and are extremely pious and important in Hindu culture. The literal translations would Jyoti (radiance) and Linga (Signs). They are as follows:

Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh)

Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra)

Vaidyanath (Jharkhand)

Mahakaleshwar (Madhya Pradesh)

Kedarnath (Uttarkhand)

Vishwanath (Uttar Pradesh)

Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu)

Shaila Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh)

Somnath (Gujarat)

Grishneshwar (Maharashtra)

Nagnath (Gujarat)

Bhimashankar (Maharashtra)