Bhimashankar Temple

Situated in the Sahyadri hills, Maharashtra, Bhimashankar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. The temple dates back to 13th century.

location Maharashtra, Pune, Mumbai

Legend

According to the legends, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu once had an argument regarding their supremacy. Lord Shiva pierced the three worlds with a huge endless pillar of light, the jyotirlinga, to test Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva asked Brahma and Vishnu to find the end of the Jyotirlinga to prove their supremacy. Both went to find the end of the Jyotirlinga. Eventually, Brahma lied that he had found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. When came to know the lie of Brahma, Shiva appeared as a second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would never find a place in ceremonies, while Vishnu would be worshipped till the end of time. The jyotirlingas are the shrines, where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. Bhimashankar is one of the 12 Shrines. According to another legend, it is believed that Lord Shiva blessed a demon named Tripurasura and later had to slay him by taking the form of Ardh-Nareshwar (Parvati & Shiva). Bhimashankar gained the name 'Dakinyam Bhimashankaram' from the wives of Tripurasura.

This Temple is part of famous 12 Jyotirlinga Darsan Yatra.

Architecture

The architecture of Bhimashankar temple is in Nagara style. Style of architecture is an excellent example of skills developed by ancient Vishwakarma sculptors.One of the bells, won by peshvas from Portuguese, can also be seen here.

Culture

Although, Bhimashankar has a close proximity to Pune, the culture here relates more with traditions of Shaivism. Meditation, is a common practice for the devotees. Overall, the culture is a magnificient amalgamation of Shaivaite traditions with the Maratha culture. Maharashtra has a long tradition of regional deities like khandoba, bhimashankar, etc. Hindu gods take a regional form and traits in Marathi culture and it is exemplified in the local shrine

Darsan Info

Temple timings : 4.30 AM to 8.00 PM
Abhishek Timings Differ on Mondays and special days.

Darsan Dresscode

No dresscode but avoid revealing dresses.

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Temple Rituals