Maharashtra Jyotirlinga
Pilgrimage Tour

The Gateway of India, built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, stands as the proud icon of Mumbai - a grand arch of yellow basalt overlooking the Arabian Sea.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Gateway of India - the iconic arch overlooking the Arabian Sea
• Marine Drive - the glittering Queen's Necklace promenade along Back Bay
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (UNESCO) - the spectacular Victorian-Gothic railway station
• Dhobi Ghat - the world's largest open-air laundry
• Shree Siddhivinayak Temple - seek the blessings of Lord Ganesha
• Haji Ali Dargah - the 15th-century shrine set on an islet (subject to tide timings)
• Overnight: Hotel in Mumbai

The Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, house magnificent rock-cut temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The masterpiece is the towering Trimurti - a 20-foot sculpture of the three-faced Sadashiva.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Morning: Take a scenic ferry from the Gateway of India across Mumbai harbour (approx. 1 hour)
• Arrive at Elephanta Island - climb the gentle slope to the caves
• Explore the rock-cut cave temples (UNESCO) carved in the 5th-6th century
• Admire the majestic Trimurti Sadashiva, Ardhanarishvara and Nataraja sculptures
• Return ferry to Mumbai and transfer back to the hotel
• Overnight: Hotel in Mumbai

Pune, once the seat of the Maratha Empire under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is today a vibrant blend of heritage, spirituality and learning - the ideal gateway to Bhimashankar.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Pune (approximately 150 km, 3-4 hours) along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway
• En-route, enjoy views of the Sahyadri ghats and the Lonavala-Khandala hills
• Arrive in Pune and check into the hotel
• Evening at leisure - optional visit to the Aga Khan Palace (memorial to Mahatma Gandhi)
• Overnight: Hotel in Pune

Legend says Lord Shiva manifested here as the Jyotirlinga of Bhimashankar to slay the demon Tripurasura. The ancient temple stands amid the lush Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the rare Indian giant squirrel.

• Early breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Bhimashankar (approximately 110 km, 3-3.5 hours) through scenic ghat roads
• Darshan at Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga - the sixth of the twelve sacred Jyotirlingas
• Walk around the Nagar Khana, Shaneshwar temple and the sacred water tank
• Enjoy the forest ambience of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary
• Return drive to Pune
• Overnight: Hotel in Pune

Nashik, on the banks of the sacred Godavari, is one of the four cities of the Kumbh Mela. In the Ramayana, this is Panchavati - where Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana spent fourteen years of exile.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Nashik (approximately 200 km, 4-5 hours)
• Arrive and check into the hotel
• Evening visit to Panchavati - the sacred grove of five banyan trees
• Visit Sita Gufa - the cave where Goddess Sita is believed to have been held by Ravana
• Kalaram Temple - the black-stone temple of Lord Rama
• Evening Ganga Aarti at Ram Kund on the Godavari
• Overnight: Hotel in Nashik

Trimbakeshwar is home to one of the twelve Jyotirlingas and is revered as the source of the holy Godavari river, which emerges from the Brahmagiri hills nearby. The temple is famed for its unique linga with three faces of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Trimbakeshwar (approximately 36 km, 1-1.5 hours)
• Darshan at Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga - the eighth of the twelve Jyotirlingas
• Visit Kushavarta Kund - the sacred bathing tank where the Godavari begins its journey
• Optional rituals and pujas can be arranged with local priests
• Return drive to Nashik
• Overnight: Hotel in Nashik

Shirdi is the eternal home of Shri Sai Baba, the great saint revered by people of all faiths. His Samadhi Mandir draws millions of devotees from around the world seeking peace, healing and blessings.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Shirdi (approximately 90 km, 2-2.5 hours)
• Check into the hotel and freshen up
• Evening visit to the Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir for darshan and Aarti
• Visit Dwarkamai - the mosque where Sai Baba lived, and Chavadi
• Overnight: Hotel in Shirdi

Aurangabad, named after the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, is the base for two of India's greatest wonders - the Ellora and Ajanta caves. The city itself boasts the beautiful Bibi Ka Maqbara, a miniature Taj Mahal.

• Morning Sai Baba darshan before breakfast
• Drive to Aurangabad (approximately 200 km, 4-5 hours)
• Arrive and check into the hotel
• Evening at leisure - optional visit to Bibi Ka Maqbara and the Aurangabad Caves
• Overnight: Hotel in Aurangabad

Grishneshwar, the last of the twelve Jyotirlingas, sits at the foot of the hills beside the legendary Ellora caves. The Kailasa Temple at Ellora is a marvel - an entire temple complex carved top-down from a single rock, 32 metres high.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Darshan at Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga - the twelfth and final Jyotirlinga of the twelve
• Proceed to the Ellora Caves (UNESCO) - 34 rock-cut monasteries and temples
• Marvel at Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) - the world's largest monolithic structure
• Explore the Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves carved between the 6th and 10th centuries
• Return drive to Aurangabad
• Overnight: Hotel in Aurangabad

Hidden in a horseshoe-shaped gorge, the Ajanta Caves preserve some of the finest surviving paintings of ancient India. These 29 Buddhist caves, dating from the 2nd century BC, depict the Jataka tales with astonishing colour and life.

• Early breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Ajanta (approximately 105 km, 2.5-3 hours)
• Explore the Ajanta Caves (UNESCO) - 29 Buddhist cave temples and monasteries
• Admire the exquisite murals of the Jataka tales and the famous Padmapani Bodhisattva painting
• Note: photography is not permitted inside the caves
• Return drive to Aurangabad
• Overnight: Hotel in Aurangabad

Aundha Nagnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is a temple of great antiquity - legend holds that it was originally built by Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandavas, and later rebuilt by the Yadavas.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out
• Drive towards Nanded, en-route stopping at Aundha Nagnath (approximately 180 km from Aurangabad)
• Darshan at Aundha Nagnath Jyotirlinga - a revered shrine of Lord Shiva
• Continue the drive to Nanded (approximately 120 km further)
• Arrive in Nanded and check into the hotel
• Overnight: Hotel in Nanded

Parli Vaijnath, the ninth of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is associated with the legend of Ravana's devotion to Lord Shiva. An ancient stone temple with an imposing shikhara, it is the perfect finale to the five-Jyotirlinga circuit.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out
• Drive to Parli Vaijnath (approximately 130 km, 2.5-3 hours)
• Darshan at Parli Vaijnath Jyotirlinga - the final Jyotirlinga of your pilgrimage
• Continue the drive to Ahmednagar (approximately 200 km, 4-4.5 hours)
• Arrive in Ahmednagar and check into the hotel
• Overnight: Hotel in Ahmednagar

The journey back to Mumbai carries the quiet grace of a completed pilgrimage - five Jyotirlingas blessed, Sai Baba's grace received, and the timeless art of the Deccan absorbed.

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out
• Morning at leisure - optional visit to the historic Ahmednagar Fort (where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was once interned)
• Drive back to Mumbai (approximately 270 km, 5-6 hours)
• Arrive in Mumbai and check into the hotel
• Evening free for shopping or a final walk along Marine Drive
• Overnight: Hotel in Mumbai

As your sacred journey concludes, carry the blessings of the Jyotirlingas, the serenity of Shirdi, and the wonder of the ancient caves with you - until we welcome you on your next pilgrimage.

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Check out and transfer to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as per your flight schedule
• Depart Mumbai with the blessings of Lord Shiva