Why Aurangabad Is the Best Starting Point for the Maharashtra Jyotirlinga Circuit

Most people starting this yatra choose Mumbai or Pune as their base, which makes sense if you’re flying in from another state. But if you’re coming from within Maharashtra or from central India, Aurangabad offers something those cities can’t — it’s geographically central to all five shrines, has its own Jyotirlinga (Grishneshwar) right at its doorstep, and gives you the bonus of the Ajanta–Ellora caves for the non-pilgrim members of your group.

From Aurangabad, you can reach Grishneshwar in 35 minutes. Trimbakeshwar in about 2.5 hours. Bhimashankar in 4–5 hours. Aundha Nagnath in 3 hours. And Parli Vaijnath in about 4 hours. The distances are manageable, the roads are mostly good, and the route flows naturally without unnecessary backtracking — which is more than can be said for most multi-Jyotirlinga circuits.

The Five Jyotirlingas of Maharashtra — What Makes Each One Different

Every Jyotirlinga has its own story, its own specific energy. When you’ve been to all five, you start to understand that they aren’t interchangeable — each one leaves a different kind of impression. Here’s what you need to know about each one before you go:

The Recommended 5-Day Itinerary: Starting from Aurangabad

This is the route we’ve refined over many group yatras — designed to minimise driving fatigue, respect darshan timings, and give you meaningful time at each shrine rather than rushing through. You can extend it to 6 or 7 days if your group prefers a more relaxed pace, or compress it to 4 days if needed.

Which Vehicle Should Your Group Use for the 5 Jyotirlinga Yatra?

This is genuinely important because the circuit covers 1,200–1,500 km over 5 days, and not all roads are comfortable highway drives. Bhimashankar has a long mountain stretch. Aundha Nagnath involves some rural roads in Hingoli district. You need a vehicle that’s reliable, has good AC for Maharashtra’s heat, and ideally has a driver who knows these routes.

For small families of 4–6, the Toyota Innova Crysta is the ideal choice — comfortable, spacious, handles ghat roads well, and gives you enough luggage space for a 5-day trip. For groups of 10–17, the Force Tempo Traveller is the standard pilgrim vehicle and handles these routes excellently. For a more premium experience, the Force Urbania with its better suspension makes the mountain roads to Bhimashankar noticeably more comfortable for elderly passengers.

Browse our complete vehicle options on the Singhavis Tours fleet page, and check our complete tour packages for pre-structured Jyotirlinga yatras on the tour packages page.

Why Book Your Jyotirlinga Yatra with Singhavis Tours?

When you’re undertaking something as significant as a Jyotirlinga yatra, you want a travel partner who understands the spiritual purpose of the journey — not just someone who punches in the route on a GPS and drives. Our drivers are experienced with pilgrimage circuits across Maharashtra. They know where to park at each temple, which gate has the shortest queue, where to find clean, affordable vegetarian food on the route, and when to give your group quiet time and when to offer helpful information.

We’ve run this circuit many times — with elderly devotees in their 80s who needed gentle pacing, with large joint families of 25, with small groups of two who wanted a private, contemplative journey. Every group is different. We treat every yatra as the unique, sacred experience it is. Read more about who we are and what drives us.

You can also explore our full range of services — including international tour packages, flight bookings, passport assistance, and airport transfers — at the Singhavis Tours services page.

Questions Pilgrims Ask Us Most Often