This Parli Vaijnath temple guide is for pilgrims and slow travellers heading into the Marathwada interior of Maharashtra to see one of Shiva’s twelve Jyotirlinga shrines. The town sits in Beed district, a day’s journey from the better-known Ellora and Shirdi circuits, and rewards anyone who makes the detour with a working temple town rather than a polished tourist stop. This page covers darshan, the big Shravan and Mahashivratri seasons, how to reach the temple by train and road, and the other old shrines of the region you can fold into the same trip.
Parli Vaijnath is a Shiva temple in Parli Vaijnath town, Beed district, Maharashtra, counted among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines where the deity is worshipped as Vaidyanath, the lord of healing. It stands in the Marathwada region and is reached most easily by rail.
About this Parli Vaijnath temple guide and the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga
The shrine is dedicated to Shiva in his form as Vaidyanath, a name linked in devotional tradition to healing and physicians. According to the Wikipedia entry drawn from temple records, it is counted as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and one of the five such shrines within Maharashtra.
The building is in the Hemadpanthi style typical of medieval Deccan temples, built in dressed stone laid without mortar. The Wikipedia entry on the Shri Vaijnath Temple records a height of roughly 75–80 feet and a brass-plated, east-facing main door. The temple is managed by the Shri Vaijnath Devasthan Trust, whose listed address is Parali Vaijnath, District Beed, pincode 431515.
The temple was restored in the eighteenth century, a renovation widely attributed to the Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar, who rebuilt or repaired many Shiva shrines across central India. (Sources differ on the exact year, so treat dates for the restoration as approximate.)
According to local belief, Parli is tied to the legend of Savitri and Satyavan, in which Savitri wins back her husband’s life from Yama, the god of death; the sage Markandeya is also associated with the site. These are devotional stories, not documented history, and are offered here as part of the temple’s living tradition rather than as fact.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Shrine | Vaidyanath (Vaijnath) Jyotirlinga, Shiva |
| Location | Parli Vaijnath, Beed district, Marathwada, Maharashtra |
| Architecture | Hemadpanthi stone temple, roughly 75–80 feet tall |
| Managed by | Shri Vaijnath Devasthan Trust |
| Nearest station | Parli Vaijnath (PRLI), in the town |
| Big seasons | Shravan (July–August) and Mahashivratri (Feb–March) |
Best time to visit
Marathwada has hot, dry summers and a short monsoon, so comfort and crowds pull in opposite directions. For an easy darshan, the cool months from October to February are the most pleasant time to walk the town and sit in the temple courtyard. For atmosphere, the Shravan month and Mahashivratri bring the temple alive but also bring very large crowds and long queues.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Cool and dry | Oct–Feb | Pleasant days, cooler mornings; easiest for darshan and sightseeing |
| Hot and dry | Mar–Jun | Very hot afternoons; quieter temple but tiring travel |
| Shravan | Jul–Aug | Peak devotional season, daily abhishek, heavy crowds |
| Monsoon tail | Sep | Greener countryside, occasional rain, moderate crowds |
If you can choose, aim for a weekday in the cool season, or a Monday (the day of the week associated with Shiva) if you want the devotional feel without a full festival crush.
How to reach Parli Vaijnath
The town’s biggest advantage over many pilgrimage spots is that the train stops in the town itself. Parli Vaijnath railway station (code PRLI) sits on the South Central Railway, in the Secunderabad division, on the line linking Parbhani with Parli Vaijnath and onward towards Vikarabad; its Wikipedia entry lists an elevation of 461 metres (1,512 ft).
By rail, the station connects to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and other cities, and the station’s listing names services such as the Panvel–Hazur Sahib Nanded Express and the Sainagar Shirdi–Secunderabad Express among trains passing through. Train numbers, days of running and halts change, so check the exact train for your date on the IRCTC and National Train Enquiry System (NTES) portals before booking.
By air, there is no airport at Parli. The nearest airport is at Nanded (Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji airport), roughly 108 km by road, though its scheduled flights are limited; Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) airport, about 200–210 km away, usually has the widest choice of flights and is the more reliable gateway. Latur airport is closer on the map but has little or no regular scheduled service, so do not plan around it without checking.
By road, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and private buses run to Parli from Nanded, Latur, Beed, Parbhani and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The distances below are approximate road distances compiled from travel listings and should be treated as planning figures, reconfirmed locally.
| From | Road distance | Typical mode |
|---|---|---|
| Ambajogai | ~25 km | Bus or taxi |
| Nanded | ~108–128 km | Train, bus or taxi |
| Latur | ~90 km | Bus or taxi |
| Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) | ~200–218 km | Train or bus |
| Parbhani | ~60–70 km | Train or bus |
Darshan, abhishek and the temple layout
The temple is a working shrine, not a monument, so the rhythm of the day is set by worship. The Shri Vaijnath Devasthan Trust’s website shows daily worship beginning at 5 am, with sparsh (touch) darshan permitted at the linga. Abhishek (the ritual bathing of the linga) is offered in the early morning, roughly 5 am to 7 am, and again in the early afternoon window around noon to 3 pm, as of October 2026.
Evening darshan and the exact closing time shift around festivals and special days, and some visitor accounts describe the temple staying open into the night with a short afternoon break. Rather than rely on a fixed timetable, reconfirm the day’s schedule by phone with the trust (listed as 02446-222909) if your visit is on a tight connection.
General darshan is free. Some travel sites mention a paid special or VIP darshan of around ₹150 per person; treat that as an indicative figure to reconfirm at the counter, since the trust does not publish a fixed tariff online. During Shravan and Mahashivratri, queues are long and a priest-assisted abhishek is usually arranged through the trust rather than booked online.
| Spot | What it is | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Main garbhagriha | The Vaidyanath linga; the focus of darshan and abhishek | 30–60 min (longer in queues) |
| Temple courtyard and steps | Stone platform with sweeping entrance stairs, good for a quiet sit | 20–30 min |
| Town fair ground | Comes alive during the Mahashivratri fair, one of the region’s largest | Seasonal |
| Local market lanes | Puja supplies, prasad stalls and everyday Marathwada bazaar life | 30 min |
Mahashivratri, Shravan and the fair
Two periods define the temple’s year. Shravan, the lunar month that falls roughly in July–August, is sacred to Shiva across India; at Parli it means daily abhishek, bilva-leaf (bel) offerings and a steady stream of devotees, especially on Mondays. Expect the town to be busy and accommodation to tighten.
Mahashivratri, the great night of Shiva in February or March, is the single biggest event. The town’s Wikipedia entry describes the Mahashivratri fair here as one of the largest in Maharashtra, and the trust describes a multi-day celebration with formal worship and a procession. If you come for Mahashivratri, plan for enormous crowds, overnight vigils and slow queues, and book travel and rooms well in advance.
For a calmer visit with some devotional texture, a Shravan Monday outside the festival peak, or a Pradosh evening, gives you the chanting and the oil lamps without the worst of the crush.
A suggested two-day plan
Parli works well as a focused pilgrimage halt combined with Ambajogai, the nearby temple town. Two unhurried days are enough.
- Day 1: Arrive at Parli Vaijnath by morning train. Check in, rest, then take an early-evening darshan when the heat has eased. Walk the market lanes for prasad and puja supplies, and have a simple Marathwada thali for dinner.
- Day 2: Early-morning abhishek and a longer darshan before the day warms up. After breakfast, take a bus or taxi the roughly 25 km to Ambajogai to see the Yogeshwari Devi temple and the old rock-cut shrines, then return for an onward evening train or bus.
If you have a third day, extend towards Nanded for the Sachkhand Sahib gurdwara, or back towards Parbhani, both of which share the rail line.
Where to stay
Parli is a town of pilgrims and power-station workers, not tourists, so lodging is functional rather than fancy. Most options are budget and mid-range guesthouses and lodges near the temple and the bus stand, plus dharamshala-style accommodation linked to the temple for pilgrims.
- Budget (indicative ₹600–1,200 per night, reconfirm): Simple lodges and pilgrim guesthouses near the temple, often walk-in; basic rooms, fans or coolers.
- Mid-range (indicative ₹1,200–2,500 per night, reconfirm): A handful of better hotels with air-conditioning and clean bathrooms, some bookable online.
- Trust/dharamshala: The Devasthan trust and allied bodies run pilgrim accommodation; ask the trust directly, especially in Shravan and around Mahashivratri when rooms fill fast.
For a wider choice of hotels, many travellers base themselves in Latur or Nanded and make a day trip. Room rates above are indicative planning estimates for October 2026 and rise sharply in festival season, so confirm before you travel. For context on the wider state and more bases, see our Maharashtra travel guide.
Food to try
Marathwada food is earthy and grain-forward, built around jowar (sorghum) and bajra (pearl millet) rather than wheat. Around the temple you will mostly find vegetarian meals, which suits a pilgrimage visit.
- Jowar bhakri (unleavened sorghum flatbread) with a fiery thecha (crushed green-chilli and garlic relish) and seasonal vegetable.
- Zunka bhakri (a thick, spiced chickpea-flour preparation served with bhakri), a Maharashtrian staple.
- Varan-bhaat (plain lentil dal over rice), simple temple-town comfort food.
- Puran poli (flatbread stuffed with sweet jaggery-and-lentil filling), common at festivals.
- Prasad stalls and small khanaval (home-style mess eateries) near the temple serve clean, inexpensive thalis.
Carry your own water or buy sealed bottles, and eat at busy stalls where the turnover is high, especially in the hot months.
Budget breakdown
Parli is inexpensive by Indian pilgrimage standards. The table below is a per-person planning estimate for a modest two-day visit, assuming you arrive and leave by train or bus, stay in budget to mid-range rooms, and eat local vegetarian meals. All figures are indicative for October 2026 and should be reconfirmed.
| Item | Budget | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (1 night) | ₹700 | ₹2,000 |
| Food (2 days) | ₹400 | ₹900 |
| Local transport and Ambajogai day trip | ₹500 | ₹1,500 |
| Darshan and offerings | ₹100 | ₹400 |
| Rough total (excl. long-distance travel) | ₹1,700 | ₹4,800 |
Long-distance train or bus fares to and from Parli are extra and depend on where you start; sleeper-class rail fares across Maharashtra remain among the cheapest ways to travel.
Permits, photography and etiquette
No special permit is needed to visit Parli Vaijnath; it is an open pilgrimage town with no inner-line or protected-area restrictions. Standard temple etiquette applies rather than any legal rule.
- Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, as at any major Hindu shrine.
- Remove footwear before the temple; there are stands and minders for shoes near the entrance.
- Photography rules inside the garbhagriha can be restricted, particularly during worship; ask before you photograph the sanctum, and never during abhishek if asked not to.
- Festival days bring heavy crowds and tight security; follow the queue system and the trust’s volunteers.
If any of these change on the ground, the temple staff’s instruction on the day takes precedence over anything written here.
Practical tips
A few things make a Parli trip smoother. The town is small and walkable around the temple, so you rarely need a vehicle once you arrive.
- Cash and UPI: Carry some cash for lodges, buses and stalls; UPI works at many shops, but do not count on it inside the temple complex or for small vendors.
- ATMs: Available in the town, but withdraw what you need in a larger town like Latur or Nanded if you are travelling through.
- Health: Parli is a taluka town with basic medical facilities; for anything serious, Latur and Nanded have larger hospitals.
- Heat: From March to June the afternoons are punishing; carry water, a hat and electrolytes, and time darshan for early morning or evening.
- Solo women: The temple area is generally busy and family-oriented; usual precautions apply, dress conservatively, and prefer daytime travel on quieter routes.
- Packing: Light cottons and a sun layer for summer; a light sweater for cool-season mornings; modest clothing for the temple year-round.
Nearby places in Marathwada
Parli sits in a corner of Marathwada dense with old temples and towns, so it pairs naturally with a wider temple circuit.
| Place | Distance (approx.) | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Ambajogai | ~25 km | Yogeshwari Devi temple and rock-cut shrines; often called the cultural heart of Marathwada |
| Parbhani | ~60–70 km | Rail junction and regional town on the way in or out |
| Nanded | ~108–128 km | Sachkhand Sahib, a major Sikh gurdwara, and onward rail links |
| Latur | ~90 km | Larger town with more hotels, hospitals and an airport (limited flights) |
For planning a longer loop through the state’s forts, caves and coastline, our Maharashtra travel guide sets out the main regions and how they connect.
Frequently asked questions
Which Jyotirlinga is at Parli Vaijnath?
Parli Vaijnath houses the Vaidyanath (Vaijnath) Jyotirlinga, where Shiva is worshipped as the lord of healing. It is counted among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva and sits in Beed district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. It is a working pilgrimage temple rather than a ticketed monument.
What are the darshan timings at Parli Vaijnath temple?
The temple trust’s website shows daily worship starting at 5 am, with touch darshan at the linga and abhishek offered in the early morning and early afternoon, as of October 2026. Evening and closing times vary with festivals and special days, so reconfirm the day’s schedule with the trust (02446-222909) before a tight visit.
How do I reach Parli Vaijnath by train?
Parli Vaijnath station (code PRLI) is in the town itself, on the South Central Railway, with services connecting Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune among others. Because train numbers and halts change, check the exact train and its stop at Parli for your date on the IRCTC and NTES portals before booking a ticket.
When is the best time to visit Parli Vaijnath?
For comfort, visit between October and February, when Marathwada’s days are cool and pleasant and queues are shorter. For devotional atmosphere, come in the Shravan month (July–August) or at Mahashivratri (February–March), but expect very large crowds, long queues and tighter accommodation during those peaks.
Is there an entry fee for Parli Vaijnath temple?
General darshan at Parli Vaijnath is free. Some travel sites mention a paid special or VIP darshan of around ₹150 per person, but the trust does not publish a fixed tariff online, so treat that figure as indicative and reconfirm at the counter. No permit is required to enter the temple town.
What else can I see near Parli Vaijnath?
Ambajogai, about 25 km away, has the Yogeshwari Devi temple and old rock-cut shrines and is often called the cultural heart of Marathwada. Further out, Nanded’s Sachkhand Sahib gurdwara and the rail town of Parbhani combine well with Parli into a two or three-day Marathwada temple circuit.
Last updated and sources
Parli Vaijnath suits pilgrims and unhurried travellers who want a genuine temple town rather than a polished attraction. Go in the cool months for comfort, or in Shravan and at Mahashivratri for the full devotional swell, and pair it with Ambajogai for a satisfying two-day Marathwada trip.
Last updated: 3 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.
Sources: Shri Vaijnath Devasthan Trust official website (vaijnathjyotirling.com); Wikipedia, Shri Vaijnath Temple (en.wikipedia.org); Wikipedia, Parli Vaijnath town (en.wikipedia.org); Wikipedia, Parli Vaijnath railway station (en.wikipedia.org); Maharashtra Tourism, Parli Vaijnath temple listing (maharashtratourism.gov.in); Parbhani district administration, How to Reach (parbhani.gov.in); IRCTC and National Train Enquiry System (NTES) for live train schedules. Accessed October 2026.
