The three undisputed Maharashtra Jyotirlingas plus the two the state also claims — Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath — driven west to east so no road is repeated.
Three of the twelve Jyotirlingas stand in Maharashtra without dispute: Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar. Two more are claimed here and elsewhere. Aundha Nagnath in Hingoli district is regarded by many as the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, while the temple near Dwarka in Gujarat is the other claimant. Parli Vaijnath in Beed district is held by many to be the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, while Baidyanath Dham at Deoghar in Jharkhand is the other.
We are not going to tell you which tradition is right. What we will do is drive all five properly, west to east across the state, so that nothing is covered twice — and tell you honestly that the last two days add real driving through parts of Marathwada where the roads and the hotels are plainer than on the first half of the trip. If you want only the three, that itinerary is five days and it is on this site.
Not sure which circuit suits your time? Compare all seven Jyotirlinga circuits — days, hotel bases and driving, side by side — or read our guide to the twelve Jyotirlingas and where they are.
Days 1 to 5 are the same well-paced route as our five-day Maharashtra itinerary. Days 6 to 8 add the two contested shrines and they involve longer drives — we have not smoothed that over. Distances and drive times below are approximate and confirmed on your final itinerary. Temple timings are checked with each temple for your dates rather than copied from a page.
We meet you at Pune and drive up into the Sahyadris. The last stretch is a narrow ghat road, so we set off early.
Darshan at the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. There are steps down to the temple from the road head.
A quiet evening. The surrounding forest is a wildlife sanctuary and the home of the Indian giant squirrel, Maharashtra's state animal.
An early darshan if you wish, then down out of the hills.
Arrive Shirdi and rest before darshan. Shirdi is not a Jyotirlinga; it is on the road, and we drop it if you would rather keep the trip purely to the Jyotirlingas.
Darshan and the evening aarti.
Drive to Nashik on the Godavari, and on 30 km to Trimbakeshwar.
Darshan at the Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga. The Godavari rises here at Kushavarta kund.
Back to Nashik for the Ramkund ghats at dusk.
A relaxed start and the drive east.
Check in and rest — deliberately the easiest afternoon of the trip, before the cave day and the long Marathwada drives that follow.
Bibi ka Maqbara or Panchakki, if you have the energy.
Darshan at the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Ellora village.
The Ellora caves, minutes away — Buddhist, Hindu and Jain excavations side by side, and the Kailasa temple cut downward from a single rock.
Back to town.
A long drive south-east into Marathwada, through Jalna and Parbhani.
Darshan at Aundha Nagnath in Hingoli district. The temple is old, low and heavily carved, and quite unlike the crowded shrines of the first half of the trip.
Overnight at Hingoli, Parbhani or Nanded, whichever has the better stay on your dates.
Drive south-west to Parli in Beed district.
Darshan at Parli Vaijnath, set on a small hill with a long flight of steps up to the temple.
Overnight at Parli, Ambajogai or Latur.
A final darshan if you wish.
Transfer to Nanded airport, Latur, or a railway station on your route home.
Onward.
Every itinerary above is available in the comfort level that suits you.
Clean 3★ stays & homestays, smart pacing.
Boutique 4★ hotels with the best views.
Premium resorts, private guides & experiences.
Iconic retreats & bespoke touches throughout.
Tuned for couples or families — rooms, pace & extras.
Three are undisputed: Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar. Two more are claimed here and elsewhere. Aundha Nagnath in Hingoli is regarded by many as the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga, with the temple near Dwarka in Gujarat as the other claimant. Parli Vaijnath in Beed is held by many to be the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, with Baidyanath Dham at Deoghar in Jharkhand as the other. We do not take a side. We drive all five and let you decide what the journey means.
Three, in five days, if this is your first Jyotirlinga trip or you want an easy pace — that itinerary is on this site. Five, in eight days, if you want the complete Maharashtra circuit and you are content with two longer driving days and plainer hotels at the eastern end. Both are honest options; they suit different people.
About 1,050 km in total, one way, across eight days. The longest single day is the drive from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Aundha Nagnath, roughly 230 km and about five hours. Distances are approximate and confirmed on your final itinerary.
Plainer than Nashik or Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Around Hingoli, Parbhani and Parli you are looking at clean, simple hotels rather than four-star properties. We will tell you exactly what is available on your dates rather than promising a standard that is not there.
Pune in, Nanded or Latur out, driven west to east so no road is repeated. We can reverse it, start from Mumbai, or finish back at Pune if your flights need it — that adds a day of driving and we will say so.
They vary by temple, by season and by festival, and they change. We confirm the current timings with each temple for your travel dates and build the day around them rather than printing numbers here.
Yes, on day 2, because it sits on the road between Bhimashankar and Nashik. It is not a Jyotirlinga. If you would rather keep the yatra purely to the Jyotirlingas we drop it and shorten the day.
The first five days are, comfortably. Days 6 to 8 involve longer drives on rural highways, and Parli Vaijnath has a flight of steps up to the temple. For an older group we would usually recommend the five-day three-Jyotirlinga circuit instead, and say so plainly rather than sell you the longer trip.
October to March. The monsoon makes the Sahyadris around Bhimashankar green but the roads slower, and Shravan brings very large crowds to every Shiva temple in the state.
No. Every journey is private and built around your dates, group size and hotel tier, so we quote once we know those. Itemised, no hidden charges, and a proper GST invoice.
Tell us your dates and how you love to travel. Your personal designer will send a tailored itinerary and quote within one working day — no obligation, no hidden charges.