Nanded, Basara & Aurangabad Darshan Yatra

Highlights & Route

This seven-day journey joins three very different places of faith within a few hours’ drive of each other. It begins in Aurangabad, now officially Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, home to Grishneshwar, the twelfth Jyotirlinga, and to the rock-cut wonders of Ellora and Ajanta. It then moves east to Nanded on the Godavari, where Guru Gobind Singh spent his last days and where Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, one of the five Takhts of the Sikh faith, stands. It ends with a day visit across the Telangana border to Basara, whose Gnana Saraswati temple is one of the very few in India dedicated to the goddess of learning.

The pace is relaxed, with three nights each in Aurangabad and Nanded and no early-morning rush except for darshan days. Families travelling with children often time the Basara visit for the child’s Akshara Abhyasam, the first-writing ceremony, and Sikh and Hindu members of a family find that this circuit gives each of them a place of their own. Our vehicle and driver stay with you throughout, and hotels include breakfast.

October to February is the most comfortable season here, with cool mornings and clear skies; March to May is hot but manageable for temple visits done early. The caves and temples are open all year, but note that Ajanta is closed on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays, and we arrange the day order so that neither closure falls on your visit.

Route

Aurangabad → Bibi Ka Maqbara → Khuldabad (Bhadra Maruti) → Ajanta Caves → Ellora Caves → Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga → Jalna → Nanded → Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib → Nanded gurdwara circuit → Basara (Gnana Saraswati temple) → Nanded

Good to know before you book

• Pickup is at Aurangabad and the yatra ends at Nanded; both have railway stations and airports. Book your arrival into Aurangabad and departure from Nanded.
• Ajanta Caves are closed on Mondays and Ellora Caves on Tuesdays. Entry tickets are paid directly at the ASI counters.
• At Grishneshwar, male devotees are asked to remove their shirt and upper garment before entering the inner sanctum; the queue can be long on Mondays and in Shravan.
• Heads must be covered and shoes removed inside Hazur Sahib and the other gurdwaras; scarves are available at the entrance. Langar is served to everyone.
• Basara temple is about 100 km from Nanded by road across the Telangana border; Akshara Abhyasam tickets are bought at the temple counter, and the temple sees heavy crowds during Navratri.
• Ajanta involves a fair amount of walking and steps in the open; carry a hat, water and good footwear, especially from March to June.