Bhimashankar Temple (Pune, Maharashtra)

Bhimashankar Temple

Bhimashankar Temple

Bhimashankar Temple is an ancient pilgrimage site near Karjat in the ghats of Sahyadri hills in Maharashtra, 111 km from Pune in the distance, 124 km from Lonavla, 210 km from Nashik, and 224 km from Mumbai is in the distance. It is one of the top pilgrimage areas of Maharashtra and one of the nearest tourist destinations to Mumbai. This Bhimashankar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered as one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas of India and one of the five temples in Maharashtra. Other Jyotirlinga temples in Maharashtra are Trimbakeshwara near Nashik, Vaidyanath near Parli, Aundh Nagnath Temple in Hingoli, and  Krishneshwar near Aurangabad. The Bhimashankar is also the source of the Bhima river, flows southeast and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur.

It is believed that the original temple of Bhimashankar was built-in the 12th century CE, however, no evidence of that period were found. The temple was renovated by Chimaji Antaji Bhide Naik in 1733 CE, followed by repair works Dikshit Patwardhan in 1766 CE. Raghunathrao Peshwa built a well in the complex. The famous Peshwa minister Nana Fadnavis made many renovations including the construction of the summit.

As indicated by legend, a demon named Bhima lived with his mother Karkati in the woods of Dakini. He once asked the mother about his existence and father. To this, his mother answered that his father's name was Kumbhakarna and Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, killed him. This infuriated Bhima and he pledged to revenge his father. To achieve this, he used made hard penance to appease Lord Brahma. The empathetic creator was pleased by the dedicated devotee and granted him huge powers. He annihilated everywhere by hurting rishis and sadhus in their virtuous deeds and he defeated King Indra and ruled over him. All this angered all the gods and all went to Lord Shiva for help and Lord Shiva agreed to help them. And he was also defeated by a devout devotee of Kamarupeshwar and asked Kamarupeshwar to worship him instead of Lord Shiva. The barbarous Bhima raised his sword to strike the Shivlinga, to which lord Kamarupeshwar was doing Abhishek and pooja. Lord Shiva appeared before him in all his grandeur and lust as he raised his sword at Bhima. A fierce battle ensued. It was then that Lord Shiva devoured the evil demon spirit up. All the gods requested Lord Shiva to make this place their residence. Lord Shiva thus appeared as Bhimashankar Jyotirlingam. After the battle with the demon, sweat grew from the body of Lord Shiva and took the form of the river Bhima.

The present Bhimashankar temple sanctuaries and peaks are built in the city or Indo-Aryan style and the statues and forms of the temple have a strong influence in Rajasthan and Gujarat. This temple is Intricate carvings adorn the pillars and door frames, raised over a Swayambhu Linga. In the temple grounds, there is another small temple dedicated to Lord Shani. There is a temple called Kamalaja near Bhimashankar Temple. Hanuman Lake, Sakshi Vinayak, Gupta Bhimashankar, Nagfani and Bombay Point are among the places to visit in Bhimashankar. Apart from being a Bhimashankar pilgrimage center, Biodiversity is the center of attraction. The forest surrounding the temple is declared as a wildlife sanctuary. Leopards, sambar, barking deer, and hyena can be found by anyone. Bhimashankar and its surrounding mountains are popular for trekking, hiking, and rock climbing. September to February is the best season to visit Bhimashankar and also, it is best for those who like the adventure of visiting Bhimashankar in the rainy season.

Temple Opening Time: 4:30 AM to 3 PM and 4 PM to 9:30 PM
Entry Fees: No Entry Fees
Duration: 2 to 3 Hrs