How to Visit Every Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra from Bengaluru

Maharashtra has three jyotirlingas on the standard list and two more that local tradition adds. See where each jyotirlinga in Maharashtra sits, how far apart they are, and how a Bengaluru pilgrim covers three in three days or all five in five.

Many Bengaluru pilgrims plan Maharashtra around Shirdi, then find that the Shiva shrines they want to add sit hours apart on very different roads. If Sai Baba darshan anchors your trip, our Shirdi Sai Baba travel guide covers the aarti clock first.

This guide maps every jyotirlinga in Maharashtra: the three on the standard list, the two that are disputed, the real road distances between them, and the number of days each route takes.

The Short Version

1. Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar, and Bhimashankar appear on the standard list of twelve.
2. Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath are also claimed, so many pilgrims count five.
3. From Shirdi, the three main shrines sit roughly 95 to 175 km away.
4. Allow three days for the three main temples and five days for all five.
5. Book the Bhimashankar darshan pass online before you leave Pune.

How Many Jyotirlingas Are In Maharashtra?

The standard list places three jyotirlingas in Maharashtra: Trimbakeshwar near Nashik, Grishneshwar beside the Ellora Caves, and Bhimashankar in the Sahyadri hills north-west of Pune. Two more, Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath, are also claimed, which is why many pilgrims and local guides count five.

A jyotirlinga is a shrine where Shiva is believed to have appeared as an endless pillar of light, and the Shiva Purana names twelve of them across India.

The dispute comes from the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram, the short hymn that lists the twelve. It describes each location poetically rather than precisely, so more than one temple reads its line as its own.

1. Nageshwar: the standard list places it at Dwarka in Gujarat, while Aundha Nagnath in Hingoli district and Jageshwar in Uttarakhand also claim it.
2. Vaidyanath: the standard list names Deoghar in Jharkhand, but the hymn places Vaidyanath at Parali, which keeps Parli’s claim strong.
3. The standard three: Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar, and Bhimashankar are the ones most short tours cover, partly because all three sit within a day’s drive of Shirdi or Pune.

So when someone asks how many jyotirlingas are in Maharashtra, three and five are both defensible answers. The count matters less than the map, because the disputed pair sits well over 200 km east of Grishneshwar, in Marathwada.

Where Is Each Jyotirlinga In Maharashtra Located?

The jyotirlinga temples in Maharashtra fall into three clusters. Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar sit within about 125 km of Shirdi, Bhimashankar is a hill drive from Pune, and the disputed pair of Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath lie about 118 km apart in Marathwada.

Road time sets the pace more than distance does. Bhimashankar is the slowest jyotirlinga in Maharashtra to reach per kilometre, because the last stretch climbs ghat roads through the sanctuary, and the 110 km from Pune takes three to three and a half hours.

Short on time? Bhimashankar and Grishneshwar pair well with Shirdi, which is how our Shirdi with 2 Jyotirlinga trip fits both into a single night, flying in and out of Pune.

How Do You Cover Three Jyotirlingas In Three Days?

Fly into Pune, visit Bhimashankar on the way to Shirdi, give Trimbakeshwar its own day via Nashik, and pair Grishneshwar with Ellora on the way back. This loop covers the three main shrines plus Sai Baba darshan in two nights, with Shirdi as your base.

1. Day 1, Pune to Shirdi via Bhimashankar: about 110 km to the temple, then roughly 175 km on to Shirdi.
2. Day 2, Trimbakeshwar and Nashik: 110 to 125 km each way, with time for Panchavati and the Godavari ghats.
3. Day 3, Grishneshwar and Ellora: about 95 km from Shirdi, then Shani Shingnapur if time allows, before the drive to Pune airport.

Day one is the long one, close to 285 km, including the ghat road up to Bhimashankar and back down. Take the earliest flight you can, carry snacks for the ghat, and treat the Shirdi check-in as the only fixed point of the evening.

Day two is the most flexible. Trimbakeshwar queues are shortest early on weekdays, so the Nashik temples and the ghats work better after darshan than before it.

On day three, fit Ellora inside its 9 am to 5 pm hours, since Grishneshwar stays open well into the evening. At the caves, give most of your time to Cave 16, the Kailasa temple, a Shiva shrine carved out of a single rock.

A Maharashtra jyotirlinga tour package built on this loop takes the driving off your hands. Our Shirdi with 3 Jyotirlinga itinerary follows this order, with Bhimashankar on day one and Grishneshwar on the way home.

Should You Visit Three Jyotirlingas Or All Five?

Choose three if this is your first trip or you travel with elders, and all five if completing the count matters to you. The full circuit adds Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath, at least 345 km of extra driving through Marathwada, and two more days.

If you want to see each jyotirlinga in Maharashtra in one trip, plan a four-night, five-day loop. Sequence Aundha and Parli after Grishneshwar, since both lie east of it, and plan the final day around the long drive back to an airport.

Aundha rewards the extra distance. Tradition holds that the temple turned to face the poet-saint Namdev after he was refused entry because of his caste, which is why worshippers now enter from what was once the back of the temple.

What Rules Apply At Each Temple?

Each shrine runs its own system. Trimbakeshwar sells a ₹200 donation darshan pass, Grishneshwar asks men to enter the sanctum bare-chested, and Bhimashankar has used online darshan passes since it reopened in June 2026.

1. Trimbakeshwar: the general queue views the hollow linga from a distance, and men need a dhoti for rituals inside the sanctum. Phones, belts, and leather items go into lockers at the gates.
2. Grishneshwar: devotees may touch the linga with their own hands, a privilege few jyotirlingas allow. Phones stay at counters outside the entrance.
3. Bhimashankar: a redevelopment kept the temple closed for most of the first half of 2026, and it reopened on 15 June with registered entry and a daily cap. Book through the Shree Kshetra Bhimashankar Trust’s darshan pass page before you set out.
4. Aundha Nagnath: you step down into a sanctum below ground level, inside a 13th-century Hemadpanti stone temple.
5. Parli Vaijnath: devotees may touch the linga here too, and the temple was renovated under Ahilyabai Holkar.

Dress modestly at any jyotirlinga in Maharashtra. A saree or salwar kameez works for women, a dhoti or plain trousers for men, and shorts or sleeveless tops are discouraged at the sanctum door.

When Is The Best Time To Visit The Jyotirlingas?

October to February is the easiest window, because the Deccan is dry and mild and the Bhimashankar ghat is safer. Monsoon turns the Sahyadris green but slippery, while Mondays, Shravan, and Mahashivratri bring the longest queues at the major temples.

The year 2027 needs its own plan. The Simhastha Kumbh Mela at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar formally opens on 31 October 2026 and runs until July 2028, with the main bathing days falling in August and September 2027.

Expect Trimbakeshwar at its most crowded around those bathing days, with road restrictions near the town. Pune’s district administration also expects Bhimashankar’s footfall to approach one lakh a day during the Kumbh, which is why a new sabhamandap and stairway are part of its redevelopment.

Summer is the season to avoid for the full circuit. Marathwada gets very hot from April, and the long road days to Aundha and Parli become tiring for older travellers.

How Do You Plan The Trip From Bengaluru?

Decide the count first, then work backwards: choose an airport, sequence the temples by road, and book darshan passes before hotels. For the three-temple loop, Pune is the most practical gateway from Bengaluru, because Bhimashankar sits on the first day’s drive.

1. Fix the count. Three for a first visit or a trip with elders, five if completing the list matters to you.
2. Pick the gateway. Pune suits the three-temple loop, and Shirdi’s own airport has limited flights, so check your dates before planning around it.
3. Sequence by road. Place each jyotirlinga in Maharashtra on the map before booking hotels, and use Shirdi as a two-night base.
4. Book passes early. Reserve the Bhimashankar slot online, and consider the Trimbakeshwar donation pass for weekends and Mondays.
5. Check closing days. Ellora shuts on Tuesdays and Ajanta on Mondays, so time your Grishneshwar day around them.
6. Pack for the sanctum. Carry a dhoti or plain kurta, photo ID, and as little leather and electronics as possible.

If you have a fourth day, Ajanta’s painted caves make a strong finish, which is how our Shirdi with Ajanta and 3 Jyotirlinga tour ends before the flight home.

Ready To Plan Your Jyotirlinga Yatra?

Start with the three main shrines if this is your first visit, and add Aundha and Parli when completing the count matters. Browse our Maharashtra tour packages, or share your dates, and we will plan each jyotirlinga in Maharashtra you want to see around your flights and darshan passes.