Hi All
Pranams. I live in Chennai and am planning to visit
.. 5 Jyotirlingam temples in Maharashtra
.. Shirdi temple
.. Panchavati Trisangamam
.. Ellora Caves (not sure if Ajantha caves is also close by or enroute)
and any other temples that are ancient and is of significance and importance
.. Good hotels to stay at each place (prefer 3-star hotel)
Note: WE DO NOT SPEAK / UNDERSTAND HINDI. I don't think this should be a deterrent to seek blessings of Lord Shiva
Some of you may have visited these great temples and like to seek your help in planning my trip - like from Chennai which place should I reach first and the itinerary from there on
Hi All
Pranams. I live in Chennai and am planning to visit
.. 5 Jyotirlingam temples in Maharashtra
.. Shirdi temple
.. Panchavati Trisangamam
.. Ellora Caves (not sure if Ajantha caves is also close by or enroute)
and any other temples that are ancient and is of significance and importance
.. Good hotels to stay at each place (prefer 3-star hotel)
Note: WE DO NOT SPEAK / UNDERSTAND HINDI. I don't think this should be a deterrent to seek blessings of Lord Shiva
Some of you may have visited these great temples and like to seek your help in planning my trip - like from Chennai which place should I reach first and the itinerary from there on
The following are the famous 12 Jyotirlingam temples in India. I have visited eleven and am planning to cover Kedarnath in 2020.
1. Mahakaleshwar - Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
2. Omkareshwar - Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
3. Triambakeshwar - near Nasik, Maharashtra
4. Grishneshwar - Aurangabad, Maharashtra
5. Bhimashankar - near Pune, Maharashtra
6. Rameshwaram - Tamil Nadu
[Maharashtra is indeed blessed to have 3 of the 12 Jyotirling temples. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have two each.
7. Mallikarjuna - Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
8. Nageshwar - Dwarka, Gujarat
9. Somnath - Somnath, Gujarat
10. Kashi Viswanath - Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
11. Badiyanath - Deogarh, Jharkhand
12. Kedarnath - Uttarakhand
Please note that Aundha Nagnath and Parli Vaijnath (in Maharashtra) and Vasukinath in Jharkhand are not counted amongst the famous twelve Jyotirlings.
Since you are travelling from Chennai, you should take up the following route to ensure that you do not crisscross the same routes and waste time. The ideal route would be:
Chennai - Pune (by Air or Train) - I booked my Chennai Pune Return by flight well in advance and the total cost came to approx. Rs.8000.
Bhimashankar (Pune), Traimbakeshwar (Nasik), Grishneshwar (Aurangabad), Aundha Naghnath, Parli Baijnath and back to Pune would be ideal.
After covering Bhimashankar in Pune, check into a good hotel in Nasik. Triambakeshwar is an hour's drive. The next day morning you can travel to Shirdi and Sani Signapur. The best thing would be to hire a taxi for one day and cover Shirdi and Sani Signapur. Be sure to have your bath in Kushawrat Kund (Tank) in Triambakeshwar. This is a holy tank where lakhs of people have their bath during Kumbh Mela once in 12 years. The water of this tank was clean when I visited in 2018.
If by "Panchavati Trisangamam" you mean the Triveni Sangam in Nasik, you may need to stay for a minimum of 3 days in Nasik.
Stay for a minimum of two days in Aurangabad. One the first day you can cover Ellora Caves and Grishneshwar Jyotirling. From Ellora Caves the Grishneshwar Jyotirling temple is barely 2 kms away. Please note that Ajanta Caves are closed on Monday and Ellora Caves are closed on Tuesday. Ajanta caves are approx 100 kms from Ellora Caves. On the second day, you can travel from Aurangabad to Ellora and back. Buses are available for travel across Maharashtra. You also get good AC buses on some routes for e.g. Pune to Aurangabad.
I would suggest you book all train tickets and bus tickets, if possible, online. Also, book your Shirdi visit online just as you would for Tirupati. Check reviews on trip advisor before booking hotels online.
Not being able to speak and understand Hindi is definitely a drawback but you can somehow manage. It is unfortunate that the majority of Tamilians cannot speak and understand Hindi.
If you have any other queries, please let me know.
