12 Jyotirlinga Tour Package

Today you reach your first Jyotirlinga. After breakfast you drive about 17 km to Nageshwar. A very tall statue of Lord Shiva sits in the open near the temple, and you see it from far away. Devotees believe darshan here gives protection from poison and fear.

From Nageshwar you go to Okha and cross to Bet Dwarka by road on the Sudarshan Setu, a cable-stayed bridge of about 2.3 km that opened on 25 February 2024. Until then, pilgrims had to take a boat. Tradition says Lord Krishna lived here with his family. On the way back you can stop at the Rukmini temple near Dwarka.

After lunch you drive south along the coast via Porbandar, the birthplace of Gandhiji, to Somnath. The drive from Nageshwar to Somnath alone is about 245 km and takes about 4 to 4.5 hours.

Check in at Somnath. If you are not tired, attend the 7 pm aarti at the Somnath temple. Tradition counts Somnath as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas.

Special Tips for This Day: This is a long road day, so start by 8 am. Keep water and fruit in the car. At Somnath, phones, cameras and belts are not allowed inside, and lockers are given at the entrance. Non-Hindus in your group should ask at the General Manager's office of the Shree Somnath Trust for permission before entering.

Today you wake early. Darshan at Somnath starts at about 6 am and the morning aarti is at 7 am. The early hours are the calmest. You hear the waves of the Arabian Sea behind the temple while the bells ring.

The temple you see today was rebuilt after Independence. Its prana pratishtha was done on 11 May 1951 in the presence of Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. Tradition says the Moon God was freed from a curse here after praying to Lord Shiva.

After breakfast, drive about 80 km (about 1.5 hours) to Diu airport for your flight to Mumbai. Flights on this route change by season and may not run every day, and some land at the new Navi Mumbai airport, so your date is planned around the flight.

From the Mumbai or Navi Mumbai airport you drive about 180 to 190 km to Trimbakeshwar, about 3.5 to 4 hours depending on traffic. In the evening, have darshan at Trimbakeshwar. Inside the sanctum are three small lingas for Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Godavari river starts on the Brahmagiri hill nearby.

Trimbakeshwar is also known for rites for ancestors, such as Narayan Nagbali, and for Kaal Sarp puja. If you wish to do a puja, tell us a few weeks before, so we can arrange a priest through the proper channel.

Then drive about 30 km to Nashik for the night. If there is time, visit the Kalaram temple in Panchavati, with its black stone idols of Lord Ram, Mata Sita and Lakshman ji. Tradition says Sardar Rangarao Odhekar found the idols in the Godavari after a dream.

Special Tips for This Day: Keep the Diu flight time in mind before you plan the Somnath darshan. Pack a dhoti or traditional clothes in your hand bag for Trimbakeshwar, as men often go bare-chested for puja inside. Mumbai traffic can add an hour, so do not plan anything else on the way.

Today you have the longest road day of the whole yatra, so you start at dawn.

Nashik to Bhimashankar is about 215 km, about 4.5 hours, with the last part on a winding ghat road through forest. Bhimashankar sits in the Sahyadri hills, where the Bhima river begins. Tradition says Lord Shiva destroyed the demon Tripurasura here. The temple is inside the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, home of the shekru, the Indian giant squirrel. There are steps down to the temple, so elders should go slowly.

Weekdays are calmer here. Weekends and the month of Shravan bring big crowds from Pune and Mumbai.

After darshan, drive about 210 km (about 4 hours) to Shani Shingnapur. The village is known for houses without doors, because devotees believe Lord Shani protects them.

Then drive about 70 km (about 1.5 hours) to Shirdi for the night. You reach late in the evening.

Special Tips for This Day: If an elder in your group cannot manage 10 hours in the car, tell us at booking. We can add a night at Pune or Shirdi and adjust the later days. Carry a light jacket, because the Bhimashankar hills turn cool even in summer. In July and August this ghat road gets heavy rain and fog, which is one reason we avoid those months.

Today you can wake very early, if you wish, for the Kakad Aarti at the Shirdi Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir. Darshan passes and aarti tickets are booked on the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust's official system. After darshan, come back for breakfast and check out.

Drive about 100 km (about 2 hours) to Grishneshwar, near the village of Verul. It is often called the smallest of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Men must remove the shirt and vest before entering the garbhagriha, and devotees may touch the linga with their own hands, which is rare among the Jyotirlingas.

Tradition tells the story of Ghushma, who worshipped Lord Shiva every day. When her son was killed out of jealousy, she kept praying. Pleased with her faith, Lord Shiva brought her son back and stayed here.

The Ellora Caves, a World Heritage Site, are a short distance away. If you have time, see the Kailasa temple, cut from a single rock. Ellora is closed on Tuesdays, so check the day.

Drive about 30 km to Aurangabad, now officially called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, for the night.

Special Tips for This Day: Go to Grishneshwar early, before the Ellora crowd arrives. Keep a dhoti or a shawl in the car. At Ellora carry water and a cap, because there is little shade between caves.

Today you fly from Aurangabad to Indore. After breakfast, you transfer to Aurangabad airport. This usually needs a change of plane, often in Mumbai or Delhi, so it takes most of the day.

From Indore airport you drive about 60 km to Ujjain. Check in and rest.

In the evening go for darshan at Mahakaleshwar. It is the only south-facing (dakshinamukhi) Jyotirlinga. The temple has three levels: Mahakaleshwar below, Omkareshwar above it, and Nagchandreshwar at the top, which opens only on Nag Panchami. Walk through the Mahakal Lok corridor after darshan, when the lights come on.

Ujjain is one of the seven holy cities, the Sapta Puri. If there is time, visit the Harsiddhi temple, a Shakti Peetha close to Mahakaleshwar.

Special Tips for This Day: If you have booked the Bhasma Aarti for tomorrow morning, sleep early. Keep your photo ID, a dhoti for men and a saree for women ready tonight. Phones are not allowed inside for the Bhasma Aarti.

Today you start at about 3 am with the Bhasma Aarti, if you got a booking. You reach the gate before the aarti begins, which is around 4 am. Watching the ash offered to Mahakal in the lamp light is a moment you will remember.

After breakfast, drive about 150 km to Omkareshwar. The temple stands on Mandhata island in the Narmada river, and devotees see the island in the shape of Om. You cross by a footbridge or by boat. Many pilgrims also visit Mamleshwar on the other bank, as tradition joins both in the darshan.

Then drive about 85 km (about 2.5 to 3 hours) to Indore airport for the flight to Hyderabad. Check in at your Hyderabad hotel.

Indore is known for poha with jalebi at breakfast. If you have a little time, ask the driver to stop for it.

Special Tips for This Day: This is a full day after a 3 am start. Sleep in the car on the long drive. At Omkareshwar the steps near the ghat can be wet and slippery, so walk slowly with elders.

Today you take a slow morning. If you wish, see Charminar or Golconda Fort, or simply rest.

After an early lunch, drive about 210 km to Srisailam. The last part runs through the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in the Nallamala hills. The forest road is closed to all vehicles from 9 pm to 6 am to protect wildlife, so we leave Hyderabad by early afternoon to cross well before 9 pm.

Check in at Srisailam. In the evening you can walk to the temple area and see the Krishna river valley below.

Special Tips for This Day: Do not ask the driver to start late, because the forest gates close at 9 pm. Keep snacks, as there are few stops inside the forest. Watch for monkeys near the temple and keep food bags closed.

Today you have early morning darshan at Mallikarjuna. Srisailam is rare because it is both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peetha. Goddess Bhramaramba has her own shrine in the same temple complex. The forest road opens at 6 am.

After breakfast, drive about 195 km (about 4 hours) to Hyderabad airport for the direct flight to Madurai. IndiGo flies non-stop from Hyderabad to Madurai, about once a day. Check the time when you book.

In the evening, visit the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai, with its tall painted gopurams. Stay for the night ceremony if you are not tired. Try jigarthanda, the cool milk drink of Madurai.

Special Tips for This Day: Book the early darshan slot at Srisailam the day before. The drive to the airport is long, so keep a 4 hour buffer before the flight. At Meenakshi temple, keep your shoes at the counter outside the gate.

Today you drive about 175 km to Rameshwaram after breakfast. Near the end you cross the Pamban road bridge over the sea. Beside it you see the new Pamban railway bridge with its lift span, opened in 2025.

Check in and rest. In the afternoon you may visit the Panchmukhi Hanuman temple and Dhanushkodi, the ghost town at the tip of the island, destroyed by the 1964 cyclone. The road to Dhanushkodi can close in bad weather.

In the evening, walk the long pillared corridors of the Ramanathaswamy temple. These corridors are among the longest in any Indian temple.

Special Tips for This Day: Keep a full set of dry clothes and a towel in a plastic bag for tomorrow's theertham bath. At Dhanushkodi the sea is rough, so do not enter the water. Carry sunscreen and a hat.

Today you wake before dawn for the early darshan at Ramanathaswamy. The Spatika Linga darshan is held in the early morning. Tradition says Lord Ram worshipped Lord Shiva here before he crossed to Lanka.

Then take the holy bath at the 22 theerthams, the wells inside the temple. A priest pours water from each well over you, one by one. You must change into dry clothes before you enter the sanctum for darshan.

After breakfast, drive about 180 km to Madurai airport for your flight to Delhi. Check in at your hotel near the airport.

Special Tips for This Day: Leave valuables in the hotel safe before the theertham bath. Keep your phone switched off inside, as photos and videos are banned. Keep a 3 hour buffer for the drive to Madurai airport.

Today you drive about 210 km to Haridwar. Check in and rest after lunch.

In the evening, attend the Ganga aarti at Har Ki Pauri. The aarti begins around sunset. Hundreds of lamps are raised together and leaf boats with flowers float down the river. Reach an hour early to get a place on the steps.

For dinner, try the puri and aloo sabzi that Haridwar is known for.

Special Tips for This Day: Hold the hands of children and elders on the ghat steps, as the current is strong. Do not give money to anyone who asks for "aarti fees", as the aarti is free to watch.

Today you start early. The road follows the Ganga into the hills. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers meet and become the Ganga. At Rudraprayag, the Alaknanda meets the Mandakini. Stop at both to see the meeting of the waters.

You reach Guptkashi in the evening. If there is time, visit the Vishwanath temple and the Ardhanarishwar temple in the town. Tradition says Lord Shiva hid here from the Pandavas before going to Kedarnath.

Special Tips for This Day: Take car sickness medicine before you start, because the hill road has many bends. Your Char Dham registration must be done before this day. Keep your ID cards in your hand bag, as they are checked on the way.

Today you reach the highest point of your yatra. Drive to your helipad at Guptkashi, Phata or Sersi, as per your IRCTC ticket. The flight to Kedarnath takes only a few minutes.

From the Kedarnath helipad it is a short walk to the temple. Kedarnath, at about 3,583 metres, is the highest of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Tradition says the Pandavas first built the temple and Adi Shankaracharya revived it. His samadhi is behind the temple.

After darshan, take the return helicopter and drive back to Guptkashi for the night.

Special Tips for This Day: Walk slowly at Kedarnath, because the air is thin. Carry a warm jacket, cap and gloves, even in May and October. The helicopter has strict weight limits for bags, so carry only a small bag. If the weather is bad, flights stop, so keep this day flexible.

Today you leave Guptkashi early and drive about 200 km on the hill road to Jolly Grant airport at Dehradun. Your flight to Varanasi usually has a change of plane in Delhi.

Check in at Varanasi. If you land in time, go to Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening Ganga aarti. Or take a boat ride at sunset and see the aarti from the river.

Special Tips for This Day: Book an afternoon flight, so a slow hill road does not make you miss it. Keep snacks in the car. If you land late, rest, and see the aarti tomorrow.

Today you go for very early darshan at Kashi Vishwanath. The Mangala Aarti before dawn and the Sugam Darshan are booked on the official site, shrikashivishwanath.org. Since the Kashi Vishwanath Dham corridor opened, you walk from the temple straight down to the Ganga. Devotees believe that darshan in Kashi gives moksha.

After darshan you may visit the Annapurna temple near the main temple, and the Kaal Bhairav temple, the kotwal of Kashi.

After breakfast, drive about 270 km to Patna. Try litti chokha for dinner.

Special Tips for This Day: Phones and bags are not allowed inside Kashi Vishwanath, and lockers are available outside. Lanes are narrow and crowded, so keep your group together. Buy Banarasi silk only with a Silk Mark label and a bill.

Today you drive about 255 km to Deoghar. Check in, rest, and then go for darshan at Baba Baidyanath Dham. Here Lord Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanath, the healer. Devotees count it as a Jyotirlinga and also as a Shakti Peetha.

Some devotees count Parli Vaijnath in Maharashtra as the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga instead. Our yatra follows the widely held belief that it is at Deoghar. If you wish, we can add Parli Vaijnath to the Maharashtra days.

Special Tips for This Day: In the month of Shravan, lakhs of kanwariyas walk to Deoghar with Ganga water, and the queues become very long. Outside Shravan, early morning is the calmest time. Buy the famous Deoghar peda as prasad to take home.

Today you fly home. After morning darshan or a quiet breakfast, you transfer to the airport. Deoghar airport is about 12 km from the town, with IndiGo flights to cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. If your flight is from Patna, the drive is about 250 km, about 5 hours, so leave early.

With this, your darshan of all twelve Jyotirlingas is complete. Har Har Mahadev.

Special Tips for This Day: Check which days your Deoghar flight runs before you book, because routes change by season. Pack peda in a sealed box in your check-in bag. Keep your temple prasad in a clean cloth bag.