Maharashtra Jyotirliṅga Circuit

4–5 days · October–February · from Pune or Mumbai

Maharashtra holds three Jyotirliṅgas on the commonly recited list — Bhīmāśaṅkar, Tryambakeśvar and Ghṛṣṇeśvar. Some traditions also count Paraḷī Vaijnāth (Beed) as Vaidyanātha and Auṇḍhā Nāganāth (Hingoli) as Nāgeśa; pilgrims who follow those lists add them at the end.

Day 1 — Pune to Bhimashankar, about 110 km (3–3.5 hours) up a winding ghāṭ road, then steps down to the temple in the forest. Darśana and return to Pune, or continue towards Nashik.

Day 2 — Nashik and Trimbakeshwar (about 28–30 km from Nashik). Darśana, the Kuśāvarta Kuṇḍa where the Godāvarī is said to emerge, and an evening at Rāmkuṇḍ and Pañcavaṭī in Nashik. Night in Nashik.

Day 3 — Nashik to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) region, about 4–5 hours by road. Afternoon at the Ellora caves and Grishneshwar temple at Verul, about 1 km apart. Remember that Ellora is closed on Tuesdays.

Day 4 — Return to Pune or Mumbai, or begin the extension.

Extension (2–3 days) — Parli Vaijnath and Aundha Nagnath in the Marathwada region, several hours' drive east of Sambhajinagar. From Mumbai, simply reverse the route: Trimbakeshwar first (about 180 km), then Grishneshwar, ending with Bhimashankar and Pune.

Comfortable hotels, temple-trust bhakta-nivās and dharmaśālās are available in Nashik, Trimbak and Sambhajinagar; Bhimashankar has only simple stays, so most pilgrims go as a day trip. Weekends and Mahāśivarātri bring long queues. At Trimbakeshwar arrange rites such as Nārāyaṇa-nāgabali only through recognised local purohits. At Grishneshwar men remove shirts before entering the sanctum. Check each temple trust's official notices for current timings and paid-darśana rules.

4–5 days (+2–3 for Marathwada) · October–February; lush in monsoon · From Pune or Mumbai · Easy · steps at Bhimashankar

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