Tirth Yatra GuideTrimbakeshwar jyotirlinga
Nashik district, Maharashtra: the story, the temple and what to know before you go.
About Trimbakeshwar
- Place
- Trimbak, at the foot of the Brahmagiri hill, where the Godavari rises
- District and state
- Nashik district, Maharashtra
- Deity
- Shiva, as a jyotirlinga (a column of light)
The jyotirlinga at Trimbak is unusual: the lingam has three small faces, standing for Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is near the source of the Godavari, the river sometimes called the Ganga of the south, and so is linked to the Nashik Kumbh Mela, held here in a twelve-year cycle.
The tradition is that the sage Gautama brought the Ganga to the south to remove a false accusation of cow-killing and Shiva, at his request, remained here. The temple is built of black stone in the Hemadpanti style. The Kushavarta kund is a holy tank near it.
Getting there and when to go
Trimbak is about 30 km from Nashik, which has a railway station, and from there buses and taxis are regular. Rituals such as the Narayan Nagbali are performed here; please book through the temple trust, not through agents.
Read our guide to planning a yatra and the notes on temple etiquette. This is jyotirlinga number 8 in the usual list of twelve; see all twelve.
Previous: Kashi Vishwanath · Next: Vaidyanath
Questions people ask
Where is Trimbakeshwar?
Trimbak, at the foot of the Brahmagiri hill, where the Godavari rises, in Nashik district, Maharashtra.
What is a jyotirlinga?
A jyotirlinga, "lingam of light", is a place where Shiva is believed to have appeared as a column of light. Twelve are named in the Shiva Purana tradition.
Temple rules, opening seasons, booking arrangements and routes change. Before you travel, check the official website of the temple or the state tourism board, and be careful of anyone who asks for money to book darshan or a stay by phone or message. We do not sell tours or packages. Information on this page was last checked in November 2026.