Pilgrimage Sightseeing

Ashtavinayak

Ashtavinayaka or eight Ganeshas is located in Maharashtra state of India, The Ashtavinayaka yatra or pilgrimage covers the eight holy temples of Ganesha. All the Eight Temples are Swayambhu (self-originated) and Jagrut.There are various names of Lord Ganesh for various places. The various names of Lord Ganesh are Moreshwar, Mahaganpati, Chintamani, Girijatmak, Vighneshwar, Siddhivinayak, Ballaleshwar and Varad VinayakThese Temples are situated at Morgaon, Ranjangaon, Theur, Lenyadri, Ojhar, Siddhatek, Pali and Mahad. These places are at Pune, Ahamadnagar and Raigad district. Of the 8 vinayakas, 6 are in Pune district area and 2 in Raigad district but still comparatively nearer to the Pune areas.

Jyotirling

The five Jyotirlingas of Maharashtra are Aundha Nagnath, Bhimashankar, Ghrishneshwar, Parali Vajinath, and Trimbakeshwar. Surrounded by thick dense forest, Bhimashankar is a major pilgrim place. About 25,000 pilgrims visit here to take part in the annual Maha Shivratri fair. Bhimashankar got its name due to the origin of River Bhima here.

Trimbakeshwar is a very holy place of Maharashtra. It is situated near Nasik.

It is believed that Aundha Nagnath is constructed by the eldest Pandav while they were in exile for 14 years. The Aundha Nagnath has great significance as it is considered to be the 8th of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Grishneshwar temple is located at a distance of 11km from Daulatabad near Aurangabad. Vaijinath temple is located in the parli It is 26 kilometers from Ambejogai in the Beed district.

Shirdi
The Shirdi Saibaba Temple, located at Shirdi, Maharashtra, India attracts millions of devotees of all religions, castes and creed who come to pay homage to Shri Sai Baba. The temple is a beautiful shrine that was built over the Samadhi of Shri Sai Baba.

Shakti Peeth in Maharashtra

Kolhapur Mahalaxmi : Shree Mahalaxmi is the godess of wealth, where pilgrims flock in numbers to seek her blessings , it is also known as Dakshin Kashi.

Mahalaxmi also known as Ambabai enjoys status of one of the important spiritual centers in India. Construction of the temple is initiated in 7th century by Chalukya rulers .

Tulajapur (Tulaja Bhavani) : This is a temple town which rose to prominence during the Maratha regime and the goddess was a family deity of the Bhosle rulers. Chhatrapati Shivaji used to take her blessings for success in his military campaigns. It is believed that the Tulja Bhavani presented Shivaji with the Bhavani sword. Tuljapur is one of the holy place in Maharashtra in Osmanabad district. Now it is considered one of the main holy places in India. Lakhs of devotees from all over the country visit this place. The place has religious significance during the period of "Navratra".

Vani (Saptashrungi) : Saptashrungi Devi is Durga Devi, she is located at Vani a place near the city of Nashik in the state of Maharashtra. This place is one of the 51 shakti peeth of India and Pakistan.

Mahur (Renuka Mata) : Mahur is the abode of the goddess Renuka, mother of Parshuram, an incarnation of Vishnu. The place is in Kinwat about 130 km away from Nanded. It is believed that the temple has been constructed by a Yadava king of Devgiri about eight or nine hundred years ago. The temple of Renukadevi is located on a hill top. There are carved caves in the hills around Mahur.

Pandharpur
It is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the river Bhima, which is also known as Chandrabhaga. Known as "Sourthern Kashi of India", Pandharpur proudly hosts the "Kuladivat" of Maharashtra State- Shree Vithoba and Rukmini.