Bhimashankar Jyotirling (Marathi:भीमाशंकर ज्योतिर्लिंग, Hindi:Bhimashankar Jyotirling) is an ancient shrine, enshrining Bhimashankara one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. Bhimashankar is located in the village of Bhorgiri 50 km north west of Khed, near Pune, Maharashtra.
Bhimashankar Temple - Abstract
Primary Diety and Significance:
Bhimashankar: Jyotirling
Ammavaru: Kamlaja(Parvati Devi)
Important Festival(s)
- Kartik Poornima
- Mahashivratri
- Ganesh Chaturthi
- Dipawali
Bhimashankar-Jyotirlinga-Maharashtra
Kamalaja(Parvati Mata)
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| From | To | Activity |
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| 4:30 AM | 5:00 AM | Temple opens in the Morning with Kakad Aarti |
| 5:00 AM | 5:15 AM | Nijarup Darshan |
| 5:15 AM | 11:30 AM | Regular Pooja Abhishek starts, Normal Darshan |
| 11:30 AM | 11:50 AM | No Abhishekams, Normal Darshan |
| 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | Maha Puja |
| 12:30 PM | Maha Nivedhyam | |
| 12:30 PM | 2:30 PM | Abhishekam and Normal Puja |
| 2:45 PM | 3:15 PM | Shringar Puja |
| 3:15 PM | 4:00 PM | Aarti, (No Darshan for 45 min) |
| 4:00 PM | Shringar Darshan (No Abhishek inside) | |
| 7:30 PM | Aarti | |
| 9:30 PM | Mandir Closed |
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- The Bhimashankar temple is a composite of old and the new structures and is built in the Nagara style of architecture. It is a modest temple yet graceful temple and it dates back to mid 18th century. The shikhara of the temple was built by Nana Phadnavis. The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is also said to have made endowments to this temple to facilitate the carrying out, of worship services. As with other Shiva temples in this area, the sanctum is at a lower level.
- Although the structure here is fairly new, the shrine Bhimashankaram (and the Bhimarathi river) have been referred to in literature dating back to the 13th century CE. Saint Jnaneshwar is said to have visited Tryambakeshwar and Bhimashankar.
- Historical figures like Chatrapati Shivaji and Rajaram Maharaj were known to visit this shrine. This was a favourite palce for Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath and Raghunath, Raghunath Peswa had a well dug up here. The Diwan of the Peshwar, Nana Phadanvis renovated this temple. A court hall was built by a Pune trader or Sahukar by the name Chimanji Antaji Nayik Bhinde in 1437 AD.
- The temple of Bhima Shankara is built in Hemadpanthi style. It is decorated with the Dashavatar statues. These are very beautiful to look at. The Nandi temple is close to the main temple. A huge bell weighing 5 mans(1 man=40 seens) is located close to the temple. It has 1721 AD inscribed on it. When this bell is rung, the entire temple echoes with its sound.
Architecture:
- Dating back to the 18th century, the Bhimashankar Jyothirlinga Temple was built by a Peshwa ruler in the Nagara style of architecture and also has influences from the Indo Aryan style of architecture.
- This ancient Jyothirlinga temple is said to have constructed over a Swayambhu (self-emanated) Shiva Linga
- The temple has a wooden entrance which is beautifully carved. The sanctum is seen at a lower level. The pillars and gateways of the temple are adorned with carvings of scenes from mythology.
- Nana Phadnavis, (a great prime minister of the Maratha Empire during the Peshwa rule in Pune), built the shikhara (the rising tower) of the temple.
- There is also a small temple dedicated to Lord Shani within the Bhimshankar temple premises. At the entrance of the temple is the image of Nandi (the celestial bull). A shrine dedicated to Kamalaja, an incarnation of Goddess Parvati, is situated near the Bhimashankara Temple.
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Shivtirtha Bhimashankar,
Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar,
Via – Dimbhe Colony,
Taluka – Khed,
Dist – Pune.
Pincode : 410509
Email: thebhimashankar@gmail.com
ganesh@bhimashankar.in
Mobile: 9970045972 (Ganesh Gawande)
Mobile: 9421057723 (Arun Gawande)
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By Flight
Pune Lohegaon Airport is the nearest airport.
By Train
Karjat Railway Station, managed by the Central Railways, is the nearest railhead to reach Bhimashankar Temple is at Pune. The temple can be reached from Karjat on the Pune – Mumbai section of the Central railway.
By Bus / Road
Easiest way to reach Bhimashankar Temple by road is to drive from Pune along the Pune – Nasik highway and turn off at Manchar, situated around 65 km from Pune. Bhimashankar is around 68 km from Manchar. (Driving route will be like this Pune – Rajguru Nagar – Manchar – Ghodegoan – Bhimashakar)
If coming from Mumbai Take Mumbai Pune Expressway, exit at Talegaon, from Talegaon – Chakan – Left Turn – Rajgurunagar – Manchar – Left Turn Drive 50 km Bhimashankar
State buses ply from Pune to Bhimashankar twice a week. During the Mahasivaratri festival, buses ply frequently. As there is no proper road from Karjat to Bhimashankar, pilgrims who wish to go on foot during festivals use this road. Pilgrims near Mumbai drop in to Bhimashankar from Karjat via Khandas.
It is said that King Kamrupeshwar, the king of Kamrup, was a very ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. One day, a demon appeared in his kingdom and started troubling his subjects.
The demon also tried to kill King Kamrupeshwar with his sword. However, he missed the target and the sword feel on the Shiva Lingam worshipped by the king. As soon as this happened, Lord Shiva appeared at the site and killed the demon. It is believed that after killing the demon, Lord’s sweat drops fell to the ground and were transformed into a stream. The stream later got converted into the Bhima River. Being situated close to the river, the temple also came to be known as the Bhimashankar Temple.
Bhimashankar Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated in Bhavagiri (Bhorgiri) village, 50 km north-west of Khed, in Maharashtra, India. Bhimashankar Shiva Mandir is about 110 km from Pune in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri hills (Sahayadri Ranges). The temple is situated on the banks of River Bhima, it is from here Bhima Rive flows south east and merges with the Krishna River near Raichur. Bhima Shankar Temple gives a beautiful view of the forts, the rivers and the hill stations nearby.
Vinayak in Theertham
Nandi at the entrance of the Temple
Gupt Bhima Shankar located near Bhima river
Theertham near Temple
Hanuman Lake
Sri Ram Mandir
Big Bell at Bhimashankar
Bhimashankar DeepMala
Shringar to Bhimashankar
Anjani Mata Temple
Hanuman Temple
13th-century-carvings
Sakshi Vinayak
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Believed to be associated with Kaushik Rishi, it also has a shrine of Kamalaja Devi, a form of Durga.
- In the battle against Tripurasur, Shiv was supported by Parvati, and Brahma had therefore worshipped her with lotus (Kamal) flowers. As a result, she was instated as Kamalaja.
- According to a local legend, a woodcutter found a Jyotirling in the 14th century and he built a small Shiv temple here.
- Noted saints Gyandev and Namdev, who laid the foundations of the Maratha religion, have also visited this place..
- One can rid of all types of sins and attain moksh by worshipping the Bhimashankar Jyotirling and taking a dip in the holy pond..
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It is also popular among nature lovers owing to its natural beauty and biodiversity. Here, one can find the Jyotivanti tree and creatures like the Shekhru.
Other Attractions to visit near Bhimashankar Temple:
Now known as Hutatma Babu Genu Sagar. Hutatma means martyr and Sagar means sea. Babu Genu hailed from this area. Surrounding Pune are many dams,
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Shivneri is the Birth Place of the Great Maratha King Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Chhatrapati Shivaji was born at the fort on 19 February 1630, and spent his childhood there.he got his name SHIVBA here. Inside the fort is a small temple dedicated to the goddess Shivai Devi, after whom Shivaji was named.
There are statues of Jijabai and young Shivaji. At the centre of the fort is a water pond which is called ‘Badami Talav’. To the South of ‘Badami Talav’ are the statues Jijabai and a young Shivaji. In the fort there are two water springs, called Ganges and Yamuna, which have water throughout the whole year. Two kilometers away from this fort there are the Lenyadri caves which is one of Ashtavinayak temple in Maharastra. It has been declared as a protected monument.
The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is considered as one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India. The other famous tourist attractions around the sanctuary include the Bombay point, Nagphani point, Hanuman tank, Vanaspati point, Gupt Bhimashankar, etc. The Dimbhe dam is another popular picnic spot located about 40 kms away from the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary has a proper environment for wildlife that remains the same for most of the time in a year. The sanctuary receives heavy rainfall during the monsoons and as a result, the area remains wet, almost throughout the year. It sees monsoon during the months of mid-June to September. The period between the months of October and May is considered the best time to visit the sanctuary, as the weather remains predictable and comfortable, during this period.
Natural vegetation in the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is a combination of shrubs, magical herbs and plant life. The sanctuary natural vegetation consists of dense forests and numerous important plant species. The main forest type in this sanctuary is the southern tropical semi evergreen forest. The plant species found in the sanctuary have both medicinal and commercial values and some of them are considered as endangered or threatened.
Panther
The faunal composition in the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary is quite rich with many varieties of fauna species like mammals, reptiles or birds. The most notable mammal fauna species in the sanctuary is definitely the Tiger, which is considered as threatened species. Another very important mammal species of the sanctuary is the Great Indian Squirrel, which is also considered as threatened species. Apart from Tiger and Great Indian Squirrel, the other most commonly found mammal fauna species in the sanctuary include Leopard, Panther, Sambar, Sloth Bear, Four-Horned Antelope, Barking Deer, Wild Dog, Wild Boar, Chinkara, Blue Bull, Hyena, Bear, Langur, Jungle Fowl, Crocodile, etc.
Red Vented bulbul
Some of the bird species need urgent conservation so that they can be saved from extinction. The most important and notable bird species found in the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary include the Malabar Grey Hornbill, Quaker Babbler, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Green Pigeon, Black Eagle, Grey Jungle Fowl, etc. The sanctuary also provides natural habitat to a variety of butterflies, insects and other small animals.
The predominant plant species in the sanctuary include Mango, Jamun, Hirda, Behda, Bamboo, Palas, Babul, Bija, Salaia, Tendu, Dhawda, Zizphus Helicteres, Khair, Sal, Terminenalia species, Casia Auriculata, Bel, Hiwar, Teak, etc. The Climbers, Grass, and Ferns, are also found in the sanctuary, along with the shrub varieties like Isora, Vitex Nigundo, Solanium Giganteum, Lantna, etc.
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Nagphani point
This is the highest point trail and stands at 3696 feet. Once at the summit, you are left breathless not so much from the climb, but from the vista that opens in front of your eyes. You can see a brilliant sunset from the peak. The ground looks like a black and green patchwork quilt with little clusters of villages thrown in for a touch of red. A number of tiny lakes glisten like rubies in the translucent reddish glow of the setting sun. Serpentine rivers meander gracefully around sleepy villages like skeins of raw silk. The skycap is dominated by forts and neighboring hill stations, like Matheran that jut out proudly into the sky. This trail is very good for watching raptors (Birds of Prey) with regular sightings of Common Kestrel, Shaheen falcon, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Crested Serpent eagle, Black eagle etc. The “Padar gad” , Tungi and Peth fort is just below on the plateau towards Karjat and A Hanuman temple is situated at the base of the summit. The top is also famous for the carpets of wildflowers just after the monsoon.
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Bhima-river
This temple is closely associated with the legend of Shiva slaying the demon Tripurasura. Shiva is said to have taken abode on the crest of the Sahyadri hills, and the sweat that poured forth from his body after the battle is said to have formed the Bhimarathi river, popularly known as Bhima..
Ahupe Ghat
Located at (19 Kms from temple, with 7 kms of good road and then a walk of about 11 kms): As you near Bhimashankar, approx. 4 kms before, there is a small tar road towards your right, which travels through one of the few remaining primary forest patch, extremely dense and pristine. The tar road ends up till the Kondhwal village (approx. 5 kms from the main road). This is an amazing place, very quite and cool. From here, one can descend down to “Siddheshwar fort” and further down towards “Naneghat”. The first few kms where one can go by road is very very rich in birdlife with sure sightings of Crimson-backed Sunbirds, Orange headed Thrush, Black Bulbuls etc. Near the Kondhval village the cultivated fields offers Bee-eaters, Malabar and Syke’s Crested larks in plenty.
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nICE USEFUL THANKING YOU VERY MUCH