(Bhimashankar Temple)

Bhimashankar Temple is a Jyotirlinga shrine located 50 km Khed taluka (alias Rajgurunagar), near Pune, in Maharashtra, India. It is located 127 km from Shivajinagar (in Pune) in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri Mountains. Bhīmāshankar is also the source of the river Bhima, which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur. The other Jyotirlinga shrines in Maharashtra are Trimbakeshwar near Nashik and Grishneshwar.

Jyotirlinga

As per the Shiv Mahapuran, once Brahma (the Hindu God for creation) and Vishnu (the Hindu God for protection) had an argument about creation.R. 2003, pp. 92-95 To test them, Shiva pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the ''jyotirlinga''. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to search downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either direction. Brahma lied that he found out where it ends, while Vishnu accepted defeat. Shiva appeared as the second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that He would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of eternity. The ''jyotirlinga'' is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The ''jyotirlinga'' shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.Eck 1999, p. 107See: Gwynne 2008, Section on Char Dham

There are 64 forms of Shiva, not to be confused with Jyotirlingas. Each of the twelve ''jyothirlinga'' sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva.Lochtefeld 2002, pp. 324-325 At all these sites, the primary image is '' lingam'' representing the beginningless and endless '' Stambha'' pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.Harding 1998, pp. 158-158Vivekananda Vol. 4 The twelve ''jyothirlinga'' are Somnath in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Himalayas, Bhīmāshankar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath in Jharkhand, Nageshvara Jyotirlinga at Dwarka in Gujarat, Rameshwar at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra. There is a clear reference in stotra about "Paralyam Vaidyanatham" meaning Vaidyanath jyotirlinga situated at Parali (Beed district) in Maharashtra.

Chaturvedi 2006, pp. 58-72

Architecture

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 Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj is said to have made endowments to this temple to facilitate 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. A unique bell (Roman style) can be seen in front of the temple. This bell has an idol of Mother Mary with Jesus. This large bell was presented by Chimaji Appa (Brother of Bajirao Peshwa I and uncle of Nanasaheb Peshwa). On 16 May 1739, Chimaji Appa collected five large bells after he won a war against the Portuguese from the Vasai Fort. He offered one here at Bhimashankar and the others at Menavali near Wai in front of a Shiva Temple on the banks of the Krishna river, Banshanker temple (Pune), Omkareshwar Temple (Pune) and Ramlinga temple (Shirur).

Surroundings

There are Buddha style carvings of Amba-Ambika, Bhootling, and Bhimashankar in the hills of Manmaad near Bhimashankar at a height of 1034 metres. A big bell in Hemadpanthi structure built by Nana Phadanavis is a feature of Bhimashankar. Places that can be visited in the vicinity include Hanuman Lake, Gupt Bhimashankar, Origin of River Bhima, Nag Phani, Bombay Point, and Sākshi Vinayak. Bhimashankar is a reserved forest area of 130.78 km² and was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1985. 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. The Bhorgiri fort is close to Bhimashankar.

Other temples and shrines

There is a shrine known as Kalmaja near the Bhimashankar temple. Kalamaja is a Goddess dedicated to a tree named Kalamb. She is a local tribal Goddess and many stories have been spawned due to the influence of Hinduism on this region.

The ''Mokshakund thirtha'' is behind the Bhimashankar temple, and it is associated with the rishi Kaushika. There are also the Sarvathīrtha, the Kusharanya thirtha - where the Bhima river begins to flow eastward, and the Jyanakund.

Worship

Bhimashankar is an ancient shrine, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva. Far away from the tumult of urban life, peeping through the white clouds, Bhimashankar can be termed a pilgrim's paradise. The dense forests surrounding the high ranges are an abode for rare species of flora and fauna. Situated at the extreme end of the Sahyadri Ranges, this place gives a wonderful view of the world around the local rivers and hill stations.

Bhimashankar is the source of the Bhima River, which flows southeast and merges with the Krishna River. With endless stretches of virgin forests, lofty peaks that seem to reach out to the heavens, and the whispering waters of the Bhimā River, Bhimashankar is definitely one of God's choicest creations.

It seems as if Lord Shiva is keeping a silent vigil over the majestic ranges of the Sahyadris. The serenity interrupted only by the silent murmuring of the cool breeze and the occasional chirping of birds, Bhimashankar is a trekker's delight and a traveller's sojourn.

City details

The Khed/Rajgurunagar is the administrative taluka in Pune district, comprising the upper reaches of the Ghod and Bhīmā rivers. Bhimashankar Temple has located in the village of Bhorgiri 50 km in the north west of Khed. It is located 127 km away from Pune in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri hills. It is also the location of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is about 130 km from Pune by road and 62 km away from Manchar. Bhimashankar is in Pune District.

Connectivity

Nearest Airport: Pune

Nearest Railway Station: Pune Junction

Roadways : Regular government buses ply between pune shivaji nagar bus stand (via manchar 60kms)and bhimashankar, Travel time around 4 to 5 hours. Also from Manchar one can find buses to bhimashankar jyotirling but frequency is very less. Yatris can book bus tickets online thought MSRTC(Maharashtra official government website). Manchar is a connecting point for bhimashankar, as it is near to national highways. People coming from nasik can alight at manchar and take buses to bhimashankar. Private vehicles(parked behind the manchar bus stand), are available on shared basis for bhimashankar.

Accomodation

Very few or minimal private accomodations are found next to the temple or at the bhimashankar bus stand. One can find MTDC Bhimashankar At Post Rajpur, Tal Ambegoan which is 5 kilometers away from the bhimashankar bus stand. Only people having their own vehicles will find it convenient to stay here, else transport between temple and MTDC will be next to impossible other than walking for couple of hours. There are few private independent houses available for stay but are bit far away.

Other Facilities

Quite a good restaurants are available for food. For any emergency medicals, few provision stores have some basic medicines, But a good medical shop is found 14kms away at Talegarh, Tale Ghar and one has to arrange his own vehicle transport or go by government buses.

Alighting steps to reach the temple

From bhimashankar bus stand to the temple there are two ways to reach, either through steps or through motorways.
Some 100 steps downwards leads to bhimashankar temple from bhimashankar bus stand. Doly(palquin) is available for those who cannot climb steps. Also one can arrange vehicles which drops them near to the Sri Rama Temple which is besides Bhimashankar temple.

History

Although the present structure of the temple appears to be of comparatively recent origin, the shrine Bhimashankaram (and the Bhimarathi river) have been referred to in literature dating back to the 13th century. Built in the Nagara style of architecture, this temple is a modest yet graceful temple and dates back to the 18th century.

It is believed that the ancient shrine was erected over a Swayambhu Lingam (that is the self emanated Shiva Lingam). It can be observed that the Lingam is exactly at the centre of the floor of the Garbagriham (the Sanctum Sanctorum) of the temple. Intricate carvings of divine beings, interspersed with human figurines adorn the pillars and the doorframes of the temple. Scenes from mythology find themselves captured in these magnificent carvings.

Within the temple precincts, there is also a small shrine dedicated to Lord Shani Mahātma (also called Shanaeshwara). The idol of Nandi, Lord Shiva's vāhan (vehicle) has been installed as is the case with all the Siva Temples, just at the entrance of the temple.

This temple is closely associated with the legend of Shiva slaying the demon Tripurāsura associated with the invincible flying citadels, the "Tripurās". Shiva is said to have taken abode in the 'Bhima Shankara' form, upon the request of the Gods, 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.

The Gopura-shikhara of the temple was built by Nāna Phadnavis. The great Maratha ruler, Shivāji 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.
The 'Shani temple' is located inside the main complex of the temple of Bhimashankar.

Between the two pillars outside the 'Shani' temple, one comes across an ancient huge Portuguese bell. Behind the temple, there is a small pathway that leads one to the banks of a river.
"Stepping out of the Temple, one is awed with a bewitching view of the virgin wilderness, occasionally interrupted by the glimpses of the majestic forts on the surrounding mountains."

History unveils itself in the peaks of the Sahyadris. Bhimashankar – a place where spiritual splendor merges with nature's magnificence is definitely a pilgrim's paradise. There are other temples and shrines, near the main temple. There is a shrine to Kamalaja near the Bhimashankar temple. Kamalaja is an incarnation of Parvathi, who aided Shiva in his battle against Tripuraasura. Kamalajaa was worshipped with offerings of lotus flowers by Brahma.

There is a shrine for Siva Ganams, Shaakini and Daakini who assisted Shiva in the battle against the demon, Bhima. Kaushika Maha Muni is said to have done 'Tapas' (penance) there. The place where he bathed is called Mokshakund thirtham, which is located behind the Bhimashankar temple. There are also the Sarvathirtha, the Kusharanya thirtha - where the Bhīmā river begins to flow eastward, and the Jnyanakund.

References

Notes

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External links

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https://www.bhimashankar.org.in
* https://web.archive.org/web/20150519081020/http://www.shinoli.com/bhimashankar/
* https://web.archive.org/web/20150407214954/http://bhimashankar.shinoli.com/
* https://templeknowledge.com/about-shree-bhimashankar-temple/
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080706012358/http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/TouristDelight/Shrines/Shrines.aspx?strpage=Jyotrilingas_Bhimashankar.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090604021424/http://pune.gov.in/tourism/tour_rel.html

{{Hindu temples in Maharashtra

Hindu temples in Maharashtra
Jyotirlingas
Hindu temples in Pune district
Shiva temples in Maharashtra
Temples in India