Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is one of the Dwadasha Jyotirlingas in the sacred tract of Bharata. It is counted as the sixth Jyotirlinga. The Dwadasha Jyotirlingas are the special abodes of Lord Shiva where he appeared initially as a column of light. These are the most powerful temples of Lord Shiva.

Being located on the Bhimashankar mountain by the banks of the sacred Bhima river in the ghat region of the Sahyadri mountains, the temple of Lord Bhimashankar is surrounded by dense forests, lakes, rivers and rich fauna. This makes it a mesmerizing sight to be beheld by the devotees visiting the temple.

The Kusharanya Tirtha here is the source of the river Bhima, which flows in the south-east direction and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur in Karnataka. The Mokshakunda Tirtha behind the temple is the place where Sage Kaushika performed penances. Other Tirthas like Hanuman Kunda, Jaya Kunda and Sarva Tirtha too are present here.

The whole setting appears as if Lord Shiva is enjoying the quietude of the locality with the singing of the birds, animals moving around, light breeze and the flowing water of the Bhima river.

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is placed 3500 feet above sea level which gives the area a pleasant climate with heavy rains during the monsoon period. Around 130 sq.km area around the temple is a wildlife reserve called as the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Wildlife Reserve.

Vedic History of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple

During the time-period of the Treta-yuga, there was a giant demon by the name Tripurasura. Due to his size, he came to be known as Bhima too. Tripurasura pleased Lord Shiva with his penances. When Lord Shiva appeared in front of him, he requested the boon of immortality.

Lord Shiva blessed him saying that no human being or devata i.e. demigod could kill him. Once he got the boon from Lord Shiva, Tripurasura went about harassing the residents of all the three worlds i.e. Swargaloka, Bhuloka and Patalaloka. As the harassment never ceased, the devatas went to Kailasa and took the shelter of Lord Shiva, who decided to kill Tripurasura.

Tripurasura is killed

He constructed a special chariot for this purpose and descended to earth on the day of Karthika Pratipada with the symbol of the four Vedas, four pillars, the moon, the wheel of the sun, Shesha Nag bow and arrows, taking his chariot like Lord Vishnu.

The Trimurtis i.e. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva invoked Parvathi Devi specially with lotus flowers. As she was invoked with lotus flowers, she came to known as Kamalja Mata. Lord Shiva and Parvathi Devi came together to take the Ardhanari form.

After having taken the form, he fought with Tripurasura from Karthika Pratipada to Karthika Poornima i.e. 15 days. Finally, Tripurasura was killed on the Karthika Poornima day.

At the seating place where the devatas started sweating profusely, the sacred Bhima river originated. After killing the asura, the devatas requested Lord Shiva to stay back on the Bhimashankar mountain for the welfare of all beings. He agreed to their request and thus manifested as a Jyotirlinga saying that his name would be prefixed with the name ‘Bhima’. Tripurasura being the husband of Dakini and Shakini, the Jyotirlinga came to be known as Dakinyam Bhimshankaram too.

Deities of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple

The Jyotirlinga of Lord Bhimashankar is present in the sanctum built below the ground level. The Jyotirlinga sits exactly in the middle of the sanctum with small replica deities embracing the four directions at the apex of the sanctum. You have to climb down five steps to reach the sanctum.

There is a vertical hole in the Jyotirlinga. Its two sides represent Shiva and Shakti respectively.

The deity of Nandi sits opposite the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga facing it. In front of the Sabhamandapa is the shrine dedicated to Shanishwara i.e. deity of Saturn planet. As you enter the temple, there is a deity of Lord Ganesha to the left side.

On the south wall of the temple is a deity of Lord Krishna. The deity of Hanuman is present on the western wall while the deity of Mahishasura Mardini is present on the northern wall. The deities of many sages have been sculpted on the temple walls.

The temple of Kamalja Mata, who is Lord Bhimashankar’s consort is present right outside the Bhimashankar temple complex.

Architecture of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple

This 13^th century temple has been constructed using one of the finest architecture styles. It uses a mixture of Nagara architecture and Hemadpanthi architecture. You have to gaze at the beautiful temple structure thoroughly to understand the carvings on it.

The structure is 3.5 metres wide and 15 metres long.  It is made entirely of locally available stone without the use of binders like lime or clay. The Shikhara and the Sabhamandapa were built by Nana Phadnavis in the 18^th century. Beautifully carved pillars adorn the Sabhamandapa.

As with other Shiva temples in the region, the Garbagriha i.e. sanctum sanctorum is at a lower level. The assembly hall in front of the temple was constructed in 1962.

A huge bell with the carving 1712 AD has been placed right outside the temple. This bell was gifted to the temple by Chimaji Appa, the brother of Peshwa Bajirao I after his victory over the Portuguese ruled Vasai Fort. This bell was one of the five bells gifted to five different Shiva temples.

Festivals of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple

Shivaratri is the main festival celebrated here. Every Monday is akin to a festival here as devotees visit the temple on Mondays in huge numbers.

On festivals like Hanuman Jayanthi, etc., there are small-scale celebrations.

Temple Timings of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple

The temple is open for darshan from 5 AM in the morning to 8 PM in the night. There could be slight changes in the timings during festivals and special occasions. Below is the daily schedule:

You can visit the temple at any time of the year. But the time-period between September to February sees a pleasant climate.

How to Reach Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

If you have Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in your mind, the Pandharpur Nashik Yatra conducted by Tirtha Yatra is highly recommended.

Pune is the nearest urban center 111 km away. You have to reach Pune first through the following modes of transportation and travel further to the temple –

By Road: Pune is well connected to the other parts of India through state highways and national highways. State transport buses and private bus services are available from many cities and towns in Maharashtra including Shivajinagar in Pune. You could hire taxis from these places too.

By Rail: Pune Junction Railway Station is the nearest major railway station 109 km away. You can board a train to Pune and then catch a bus or taxi from Pune to Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple.

By Air: At a distance of 105 km, Pune Airport lies closest to the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple. You can fly into this airport and then catch a bus or taxi.

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga: The abode of peace

The lila of Lord Bhimashankar killing Tripurasura and then settling down in the Bhimashankar forest is an assurance of his protection to his devotees. During the times of distress, Lord Bhimashankar appears to take away the distress of his devotees and make their lives as peaceful and evergreen as the forests in which he resides.

A devotee visiting the Jyotirlinga can observe this from the presence of deep forests, the gently flowing Bhima river, lakes, other flora and fauna. The next time you have darshan of Lord Bhimashankar, do offer a simple prayer and see the difference in your life.