Pilgrimage circuits

Yatra Circuits of India

Which shrines belong to each circuit, in what order pilgrims cover them, and how many days it really takes

Most pilgrimage in India is organised around circuits rather than single temples — the twelve Jyotirlingas, the seven Saptapuri cities, the four Char Dham. These guides cover what each circuit contains and how it is usually planned. For darshan timings of an individual temple, follow the temple links inside each guide.

12 Jyotirlingas · 9 states

Dwadash Jyotirlinga Yatra

The twelve Jyotirlingas, where each one is, and how pilgrims usually plan the circuit

12 places

Commonly split across 3-4 separate trips rather than one journey

2 Jyotirlingas · 3–4 days · one road

Malwa Teerth — Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar

Two of the twelve Jyotirlingas sit 140 km apart in Malwa, with Maheshwar's ghats between them — the shortest circuit in India that includes two.

8 places

3–4 days from Ujjain, or 4–5 adding Mandu

7 cities · 6 states

Saptapuri — The Seven Sacred Cities

Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Kanchipuram, Avantika and Dwarka

7 places

Usually done as two or three regional trips

4 dhams · 4 corners of India

Char Dham Yatra

Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameshwaram — and how this differs from the Uttarakhand Chhota Char Dham

4 places

Typically three or four separate trips

Mathura · Vrindavan · Govardhan · Barsana

Braj Darshan — Mathura and Vrindavan

The Krishna heartland, what to see in what order, and how many days it really needs

6 places

2 to 3 days for the main places; longer for the Braj Chaurasi Kos circuit

Kashi Vishwanath · the ghats · Sarnath

Kashi Darshan — Varanasi

What to see in Varanasi, in what order, and how long the city actually takes

5 places

2 to 3 days

Shakti Peeths · Devi shrines

Devi Darshan — Shakti Temples of India

What the Shakti Peeths are, and the Devi temples pilgrims most often plan around

8 places

Planned as regional groups, not one circuit

Route guides

Road distance, travel time, trains and planning tips for the legs pilgrims ask about most.