Aundha Nagnath Temple - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 25 km from Hingoli, 61 km from Nanded, and 204 km from Aurangabad, Aundha Nagnath Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Aundha Nagnath in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra, India. This is one of the top places of pilgrimage in Maharashtra, and among the best places to visit near Aurangabad.

Aundha Nagnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered one of the 12 holy Jyotirlinga shrines in India. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Vaidyanath near Parli, Trimbakeshwara near Nashik, Grishneshwar near Aurangabad, and Bhimshankar. Also, the temple is very closely associated with the lives of saints like Visoba Khechara, Namdev, and Jnanesvar. Namdev went to Jnanesvar temple where he was instructed to visit Aundha Nagnath Temple to search for a proper guru.

The present temple is said to have been built by the Seuna (Yadava) dynasty and dates to the 13th century. It is believed that Dharmraj (eldest of Pandavs) has constructed the temple first time while they were expelled for 14 years from Hastinapur. It has been stated that the temple was seven-storyed before it was ransacked by Aurangzeb. Later, Rani Ahalyabai Holkar, Queen of the Maratha Malwa Kingdom, repaired and renovated the temple.

Spread over an area of 60,000 sq. ft, Aundha Nagnath Temple was built in Hemadpanthi architectural style. However, its upper portion was repaired during the later period and is in the style which was prevalent during the Peshwa's regime. The temple has exquisite carvings. The Jyotirlinga is located below the ground level accessed by two deep steps. The Aundha Nagnath premises also house 12 small temples for the 12 Jyotirlingas. One can also visit 108 temples and 68 shrines, all belonging to Lord Shiva within the premises of the Naganath temple. It is common to see the Nandi statue facing the Lingam in every temple but in the Aundha Nagnath Temple, the Nandi statue is located behind the shrine. This is a rather peculiar feature of this Jyotirlinga temple, in which the reason behind such a feature is still unknown.

The best time to visit the temple is during the festivals of Ekadashi, Vijayadashami, and Maha Shivaratri when a large number of devotees come to visit this temple.

Timings: 4 AM - 9 PM