INFORMATION ABOUT BHIMASHANKAR

Bhimashankar Temple is located in the village of Bhorgiri 50 km north west of Khed, near Pune, in India. It is located 110 km away from Pune in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri hills. Bhimashankar is also the source of the Bhima river, which flows south east and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Tryambakeshwar and Grishneshwar.

HISTORY

Though the Jyotirlinga has existed there since time immemorial, it was rediscovered around 1350 AD. A woodcutter once struck a tree there and it began to spout blood. He brought his cow to that spot and milked it. When the milk fell on the cut tree the bleeding stopped. Next day a Shiva Linga appeared where the tree stood. The woodcutter erected a small shrine over the Linga and devotees began to flock to worship there.

The oldest part of the present temple was built around 1750 AD. The major patrons were two famous bankers from Pune. Peshwas, the ruling family of Pune, continued the patronage by keeping up the construction work as and when required. Earlier the Maratha emperor Shivaji had given a village to the temple. The revenue from the village was used to meet the operating costs.

TOURISM

The Places of Interest and Sight Seeing



• The Temple : The temple of Bhimashankar is around 1200 – 1400 years old and is built on the Hemad Panthi style. There are very beautiful sculptures and paintings on the roof and pillars of the temple. In the outer corridor of the temple we can see a sculpture of the god seated on a throne accompanied by his pallbearers holding an umbrella over his head. At the front of the temple hangs a huge metal bell cast in 1729. There is also a 15-20 feet high "Deepmala" or lamppost in the outer corridor of the temple. There is also an inscription on stone on this lamppost. It is to be noted that the original name of the river Chandrabhaga at Pandharpur is Bhima. This Bhima River originates at Bhimashankar.



• Gupt Bhimashankar :There is a water stream route going down from the left of the Ram temple. Taking that route, we enter a thick jungle. We reach a temple around 25 minutes through this route. A route going toward the waterfall, left of this temple, leads to the "water sculpted" "Shiva Linga" under this waterfall. This is called the Gupt Bhimashankar. There is a huge waterfall at this place during the monsoons.



• Nagphani Peak :We reach a pond when we climb towards Bhimashankar from the Ghat. The route going towards the right, from this pond, takes us to the Hanuman temple. The route going up through this route leads to the Nagphani. We can have a view of the forts of Peth and Padhar and the plateaus of Peth and Matheran. We can remember the poem composed by the famous "Samarth" Ramdas, the lover of natural beauty, when we see such beauty around.

ACCOMODATION/STAY OPTIONS IN BHIMASHANKAR

• BLUE MORMON JUNGLE RESORT


Search for More Hotels in Bhimashankar