Highlights
- Traditional order, Morgaon first and last
- Pali at sunrise, when the light falls on the idol
- Abhishek in the sanctum at Mahad
- Evening aarti at Theur
- Lenyadri's 307 steps in morning daylight, doli if needed
- Private car and driver for all three days
This is the yatra done the traditional way, in three days from Pune. You start at Mayureshwar in Morgaon, go round the other seven temples in the customary sequence and come back to Morgaon to finish. The route crosses the Western Ghats twice, so the days are long, but each one ends at a hotel rather than in the car.
Day-wise itinerary
Day 1: Pune to Morgaon and Siddhatek, then west towards the ghats
Pickup from your home, hotel or Pune station around 5 am. First darshan at the Mayureshwar temple in Morgaon, where the yatra traditionally begins. Then about 100 km to Siddhatek on the Bhima for Siddhivinayak. After lunch comes the longest drive of the trip, west past Pune and up the expressway, to a hotel near Lonavala or Khopoli so you’re close to Pali in the morning.
Day 2: Pali, Mahad and Theur
An early start for Ballaleshwar at Pali. The temple faces east, and the morning sun on the idol is worth the early alarm. Then Varadvinayak at Mahad near Khopoli, where you can enter the sanctum and do abhishek yourself. In the afternoon we drive back over the ghats to Theur, 22 km short of Pune, for Chintamani and the evening aarti. Night in Pune.
Day 3: Lenyadri, Ozar, Ranjangaon and back to Morgaon
Leave Pune by 6 am up the Nashik highway to Lenyadri, so you climb the 307 steps while the cave is lit by morning daylight. Ozar’s Vighneshwar temple is about 15 km away. After lunch, drive to Mahaganapati at Ranjangaon, then 50 km to Morgaon for the closing darshan that completes the yatra. Drop in Pune late in the evening.
Why go back to Morgaon?
Tradition holds that the yatra is complete only when you return to Mayureshwar at Morgaon, the temple Maharashtra Tourism calls the first and last stop. It adds about two hours to the last day. If anyone in the group is tired, we can split day 3 and add a night near Ranjangaon, which turns this into the 3N/4D easy-pace package.
What's included and what isn't
Included
- Two nights in hotels near Lonavala/Khopoli and in Pune, with breakfast
- Private car with driver for all three days, pickup and drop in Pune
- Toll, parking and driver allowance
- Route planned in the traditional order, starting and ending at Morgaon
- Help arranging a doli at Lenyadri if needed
Not included
- Train or flight to Pune (quoted on request)
- ASI entry ticket at Lenyadri and doli charges
- Lunches and dinners
- Pujas, abhishek, offerings and donations
- Tips and personal expenses
Visa, costs, best time and travel tips: Ashtavinayak Yatra Packages.
