Shri Jyotiba Temple, Wadi Ratnagiri
Jyotiba hill, Wadi Ratnagiri, Panhala taluka, Kolhapur district · Shri Jyotiba (Kedarnath / Kedareshwar), revered as a combined form of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
The 'King of the Deccan' on his hill above Kolhapur, where the whole mountain turns pink with gulal at the Chaitra yatra.
Jyotiba, called the King of the Deccan (Dakkhancha Raja) and Dakshin Kedar, is the family deity of a large part of rural Maharashtra. His temple stands on a hill about 3,100 ft above sea level, about 17.5 km north-west of Kolhapur, in the village of Wadi Ratnagiri. The black-basalt Hemadpanthi-style complex has three main temples, of which the main one is old and the other two date from the 18th century. Pilgrims chant 'Jyotibachya navana changbhala' and shower gulal (pink powder) and coconuts, and on Chaitra Purnima lakhs of devotees climb the hill with towering sasan kathi poles.
Timings
- Temple entry (current notice): 7:00 AM – 12:00 noon and 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (notice on the official site, Oct 2026)
- Ritual day (official pooja schedule): Temple opens 4:00 AM with the bell and closes 11:00 PM
- Festivals: Open longer; all night on the Navaratri Jagar and Dasara nights
Darshan types and costs
- General darshan – Free
- E-pass darshan – Check on the official site
Sevas and costs
- Abhishek (donation) – ₹251 (Morning abhishek time)
- Shashvat (perpetual) Abhishek – ₹10,001 (Once a year on a chosen date, permanently)
- Panchamrut Abhishek and Mahapuja – Free to watch (8:00 AM abhishek; 9:00 AM Khadi Puja)
- Chaitra Yatra and sasan kathi procession – Free (Chaitra Purnima (March–April))
- Navaratri Jagar – Free (Seventh night of Navaratri (Sep–Oct))
How to book darshan
Darshan is free. Abhishek donations can be made online through the official site; an e-pass darshan link is also on the official home page.
Shri Jyotiba temple official site
Dress code
Modest dress. Expect to get gulal on your clothes.
Best time to visit
October to February for clear weather. Sundays and full moons are crowded. The Chaitra yatra (March–April) is the great festival but draws several lakh pilgrims.
How to reach
- air: Kolhapur airport (Ujalaiwadi) is about 30 km away.
- rail: Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus, Kolhapur, is about 20 km away.
- road: About 17.5 km north-west of Kolhapur by a hill road; MSRTC buses, taxis and shared jeeps run from Kolhapur.
Festivals
- Chaitra Yatra – Chaitra Purnima (Mar – Apr); 2026: around 2 April
- Khete – Five Sundays of Magh (Feb – Mar)
- Shravan Shashthi – Shravan Shuddha Shashthi (Jul – Aug)
- Navaratri – Sep – Oct