Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra — The 5 Sacred Shrines

The five Jyotirlingas of Maharashtra

A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Shiva is worshipped as a “pillar of light.” Twelve are spread across India; five of them lie within Maharashtra, falling naturally into two clusters — a western pair around Pune and Nashik, and a Marathwada trio in the east.

• Bhimashankar — in the Sahyadri hills of Pune district; the sixth Jyotirlinga and the source of the Bhima river.
• Trimbakeshwar — near Nashik at the foot of Brahmagiri; home to a rare three-faced lingam and the source of the Godavari.
• Grishneshwar — beside the Ellora Caves near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad); traditionally the twelfth and last Jyotirlinga.
• Aundha Nagnath — in Hingoli district, Marathwada; revered by many as the first (Adya) Jyotirlinga.
• Parli Vaijnath — in Beed district; worshipped as Vaidyanath, the lord of healing.

Distances and how to cover all five

The two western shrines are easily reached from Pune and Nashik and are often done as a short trip on their own. Covering all five means continuing east into Marathwada, which is best planned over 5–6 days.

A logical west-to-east sequence, usually started from Pune or Mumbai:

• 1. Bhimashankar — about 110–125 km from Pune (approx 3.5–4 hours by road through the ghats).
• 2. Trimbakeshwar — via Nashik; roughly 220–230 km onward (approx, 5–6 hours).
• 3. Grishneshwar — near Ellora / Chh. Sambhajinagar; roughly 200–215 km onward (approx).
• 4. Aundha Nagnath — in Hingoli; roughly 210–230 km onward (approx).
• 5. Parli Vaijnath — in Beed; about 119 km from Aundha Nagnath (approx 2.5–3 hours). Exit via Latur or Nanded.

When to go

October to February is the most comfortable window, with cool, pleasant weather for the long drives. Mahashivratri is the biggest festival at every Jyotirlinga, and the monsoon month of Shravan draws very large crowds — plan extra time for darshan on Mondays and festival days.