BHIMASHANKAR

Description

Bhimashankar is an ancient shrine situated in the Sahyadri hills in the state of Maharashtra. Bhimashankar temple is one of the well known Jyotirlinga, amongst the twelve jyotirlingas situated all over India. Bhimashankar is located in the village of Bhorgiri 50 km north west of Khed, near Pune. It is located 125 km away from Pune in the ghat region of the Sahyadri hills. In recent times Bhimashankar has gained tremendous significance since it was declared as “WILD LIFE SANCTUARY”. This sanctuary is a part of the Western Ghats, so it is rich in floral and faunal diversity. A variety of birds, animals, insects and plants can be seen. A rare animal Malabar Giant squirrel locally called as “Shekaru” can be found in the deep woods. It is also becoming one of the attractive and well known religious places in Maharashtra as well as in India. Bhimashankar is the source of the Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotra 1/16/22, 12:00 PM Bhimashankar temple, Bhimashankar, Pune https://bhimashankar.in/index.html 2/3 river Bhima, which is known as Chandrabhaga in Pandharpur. Legend has it that the name Bhimashankar was originated from the river Bhima which evaporated due to the generated between the war of Lord Shiva and the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is also a popular destination for trekkers. The Bhimashankar temple is a composite of old and new structures in the Nagara style of architecture. It shows the excellency of the skills achieved by ancient Vishwakarma sculptors. It is a modest yet graceful temple and it dates back to the 13th century while the sabhamandap was built in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis. The shikhara was built by Nana Phadnavis. The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is said to have made endowments to this temple to facilitate worship services. Chimaji Appa collected five large bells after he won a war against the Portuguese from the Vasai Fort. He offered one here at Bhimashankar. Shravan mass starting from 2- August-2019

History :

There was a demon Tripurasura who did penance in the jungle of Bhimashankar very long ago i.e. in Tretayug, to please Lord Shiva in order to achieve the gift of immortality. Lord shiva, who is specially known for his kindness towards his devotees, was pleased with Tripurasura’s commitment towards him. So as usual, he blessed him with the power of immortality with a condition that, “He should strive in the best interest of people, or he may be sued permanently for violating the condition. ” With the flow of time, Tripurasura forgot the condition to which he was abided, and eventually started harassing people as well as other deities. There was a chaos for which all the deities approached Lord Shiva for remedy. Thus in order to sue Tripurasura, Lord Shiv prayed to Goddess Parvati (Kamalaja Mata) in order to help him to accomplish this task. Accordingly Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati underwent a new form which is popularly known as “Ardha-Narya-Nateshwar” and killed Tripurasura on Kartik Pournima which is known as “Tripurari Pornima”. After the death of Tripurasura his wives (Dakini and Shakini) went to Lord Shiva with a question of their existence without Tripurasura. Thus Lord Shiva blessed both of them, with the power of immortality which he did to Tripurasura. Henceforth the realm Bhimashankar is known as “Dakinyam Bhimashankaram”. Nearby Temples : Datta Mandir Kamalaja Mata Mandir Ram Mandir Best time to visit : The best period to visit Bhimashankar is between September to February. Also, it is best for those who like adventures to visit Bhimashankar in monsoon Climatic Conditions : As Bhimashankar is located 3500 fts above sea level,it observes low tempratures as well as heavy showers in the monsoon season.