Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple in Pune: Timing & Other Details

One of Lord Shiva’s 12 Jyotirlinga temples, the Bhimashankar Temple is in the village of Bhavagiri, 50 km north-west of Khed in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Bhimashankar Shiv Mandir is in the Ghat area of the Sahyadri hills, which is about 110 km from Pune The temple is situated on the banks of River Bhima, it is from here Bhima Rive flows southeast and merges with the Krishna River near Raichur. From the Bhima Shankar shrine, you can see the nearby forts, rivers, and hill stations in a beautiful way. There are two more Jyotirlinga temples of Shiva in Maharashtra. They are the Grishneshwar Temple near Ellora and the Trimbakeshwar Temple (Tryambakeshwar) near Nashik.

Read more: Most famous Temples in Maharashtra

The story behind Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple, Pune

Legends say that a demon named Bhima and his mother Karkati once lived in the dense forests of Dakini, on the high peaks of the Sahaydris, with their many children. People say Bhima was so mean that everyone was afraid of him. But what really bothered Bhima was that he wanted to know why he was there. One day, Bhima asked his mother why his father had left them in the middle of the forest and who he was. His mother told him that he was the son of Kumbhakarna, who was the younger brother of King Ravana, who was the powerful King of Lanka. Bhima’s mother, Kartaki, also told him that Kumbhakarna was killed by Lord Vishnu when he was Lord Rama. This made Bhima very angry, so he swore to get even with Lord Vishnu.

Bhima did a lot of hard work to please Lord Brahma. The loving god was happy with the devoted follower, so he gave him a lot of power. Since Bhima had so much power, he started to make trouble in all three worlds. He beat King Indra and made the heavens his own. He also beat Kamrupeshwar, who was a strong follower of Lord Shiva and put him in jail. All of this made the Gods angry, and they asked Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva to come to save them. Lord Shiva agreed.

Bhima asked Kamrupeshwar not to worship Lord Shiva but to worship him instead. When Kamrupeshwar said no, Bhima raised his sword to hit the Shiva Linga. But as soon as he lifted his sword, Lord Shiva showed up in all his glory. Then the awful war started. The holy sage Narad showed up and asked Lord Shiva to stop the war. Lord Shiva then burned the evil demon to ashes, putting an end to the story of tyranny. All of the Gods and holy sages who were there asked Lord Shiva to live there. In this way, Lord Shiva showed himself as the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. People think that the Bhimarathi River was made from the sweat that Lord Shiva sweated out after the battle.

The Bhimashankar Temple’s Importance

Lord Eshwara is shown in this temple as Half man and Half woman (Ardha Narishwara). The special thing about this place is that water keeps flowing from this Jyotirlinga.

There are also the Hanuman temple, the Kamalaja Devi temple, the place where the Bhima river starts, Bombay point, and the source of the Bhima river. The Kelkar museum and the Goddess Parvati temple are important parts of the city of Pune. Kolhapur and Mahabaleshwar are both close to this city. Kolhapur’s Shri Mahalaxmi temple is a very well-known place. People think that this temple is one of the Shakti peetha.

Bhimashankar Temple Architecture

The Bhimashankar Temple is an ancient temple at the beautiful end of the sahyadri mountains. From there, you can see the forts, rivers, and hill stations in the area. Rare plant and animal species also live in the dense forests that surround the high ranges.

The Bhimashakara Temple was built in the middle of the 18th century. It has both old and new buildings and is made in the Nagara style. Nana Phadnavis built the shikhara of the temple. Shivaji, the great Maratha leader, is said to have made it easier for worship services to take place. The sanctum is on a lower level, just like in other Shiva temples in this area. People say that Maha Shivaratri is the best time to visit the Bhimashankar Temple because that’s when the temple puts on big celebrations.

Bhimashankara Jyotirlinga Temple – Aarti and Darshan Time Table

Things you might not know about Bhimashankar Jyotirlingas, Maharashtra

• The Peshwas have done a number of repairs and improvements to the temple.
• Many plant and animal species are thought to have come from around 14 sacred groves of trees in the forest.
• Every year before the monsoon, thousands of fireflies come to the village of Bhorgiri and settle on the ground, fly around in the air, or light up the trees. It is a really amazing thing to see.

How to reach Bhimashankar

By Air: The Pune Airport, which is 95 kilometres from Bhimashankar, is the closest airport.

By Rail: The closest rail station to Bhimashankar is in Pune, pune railway station is 95 kilometres away.

By road: you can get to Bhimashankar from Mumbai via Pune, which is about 260 km away. To get to Bhimashankar from Pune, you have to take the road to Wada.

Best Time to visit Bhimashankar

Pilgrims keep coming to Bhimashankar temple every day of the year. The time to visit the temple is from October to February, which is winter.

During this period, the evergreen trees in the forest around will give off a constant cool breeze, making the weather very pleasant. This is the best period of year for people who love adventure and nature.

Places to visit near Bhimshankar temple

In 1984, Bhimashankar was made a wildlife sanctuary to protect the rich variety of plants and animals in the Sahyadri ranges. It has a dense forest area of over 120 square kilometres. The lush, green hills are full of animals, insects, and reptiles, including the rare Indian giant squirrel “Shekaru,” leopards, hyenas, boars, jackals, langurs, deer, and many more species of animals, insects, and reptiles.

To see the heart of the forest, you can go on a jungle safari and walk through the dense, lush, evergreen plants and see wildlife along the way. From 6 am to 6 pm, people can go on safari rides.

The sanctuary is a haven for rare and exotic birds like the Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, the Quaker Babbler, the Black Eagle, the Malabar Whistling Thrush, the Malabar Pied Hornbill, etc. It is a paradise for bird lovers.

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2. Sri Ram Temple
3. Goddess Kamalaja Mata Temple

Important Contact Details

Address: Shivtirtha, Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Via-Dimbhe colony, Dist Pune Maharashtra, India – 410509

Phone Number: +91 9130306565, +91 9850725219

Email ID: admin@jyotirlingabhimashankar.com

Official Website: jyotirlingabhimashankar.com