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/Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
Jyotirlinga
Shri Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple
श्री त्र्यंबकेश्वर ज्योतिर्लिंग मंदिर
Location
Trimbak, Maharashtra
Darshan
05:30 – 21:00
Deity
🪔Lord Shiva (Trimbakeshwar)
Entry
Free entry
Kakad Aarti 05:30–06:00. Morning darshan 06:00–12:00. Afternoon closure 12:00–16:00. Evening darshan 16:00–21:00. VIP Donation Darshan ₹200 (queue-skip); book at trimbakeshwartrust.com/onlinevip. NOTE: Sanctum reserved for male devotees in traditional attire (dhoti) for Abhishek — women observe from outside mandapa.
Trimbakeshwar is revered as the source of the Godavari River — India's second-longest river, born from the Brahmagiri Hill here. The Jyotirlinga is unique among all 12 for having three faces representing the Hindu Trimurti: Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer), capped with a golden crown. Trimbak is also the second venue for the Kumbh Mela (held at Nashik–Trimbak, Maharashtra), drawing millions of pilgrims. It is the premier site in India for Kalsarp Puja, Narayan Nagbali, Tripindi Shraddha, and other ancestral liberation rituals.
History
The original temple was built in Hemadpanthi (black stone, no mortar) style, with the present structure constructed in ~1755 CE under the patronage of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb Peshwa) and partially supported by Ahilyabai Holkar. The temple complex includes the Kushavarta Kund (sacred tank where Godavari water is collected), Brahmagiri Hill, and several surrounding shrines. The complex was extensively renovated and expanded by the Trimbakeshwar Temple Trust in the modern era.
Mythology
The Godavari River is said to have been brought to earth by Sage Gautama's penance and Shiva's grace. When Sage Gautama was falsely accused of killing a cow (go-hatya), he beseeched Shiva at Brahmagiri to send the Ganga to purify him. Lord Shiva, pleased by Gautama's devotion, directed the celestial Ganga to flow as Godavari from Brahmagiri. Shiva then permanently manifested as the Jyotirlinga Trimbakeshwar at this spot. The three faces of the Jyotirlinga represent Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva — the full Trimurti.
05:30
Kakad Aarti
Morning waking ceremony (~30 min)
06:00
Morning Darshan
General darshan opens after Kakad Aarti
12:00
Afternoon Closure
Temple closed for afternoon; reopens at 16:00
16:00
Evening Darshan
Evening darshan; continues until 21:00