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Shiva is a Hindu deity worshipped by Shaivaites in India as the destroyer of ignorance spread all across the universe. As one of the three main gods in the Hindu pantheon, there are many temples dedicated to his worship in India (and abroad). The most prominent of these are the Jyotirlinga temples and Mellacheruvu Swayabhu Shambhulingeshwara Swami.
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Jyotirlinga temples
The 12 Jyotirlinga temples as mentioned in the Shiva Purana are as listed below.
Pancha Bootha Sthalas (Five Elemental Manifestations)
In South India, five temples of Shiva are held to be particularly important, as being manifestations of him in the five elemental substances.
Panchaaraama temples
The Pancharama Kshetras (or the Pancharamas) are five ancient Hindu temples of Lord Shiva situated in Andhra Pradesh. The Sivalingas at these temples are made from a single Sivalinga. As per the legend, this Sivalinga was owned by the demon king Tarakasura. No one could win over him due to the power of this Sivalinga. Finally, Lord Kumaraswamy, the son of Lord Shiva broke the Sivalinga into five pieces and killed Tarakasura. The five pieces of Sivalinga fell at five different places on earth namely,
Sabha temples
The five temples located in Tamil Nadu where Shiva is believed to perform Bharata Natyam dance are: