One of the TWELVE Jyotirlinga temples, Bhimshankar temple attracts thousands of devotees and travelers round the year. Situated in the Sahyadri Hill Ranges, Bhimshankar Temple is on the banks of River Bhima, the river which flows confluence with River Krishna near Raichur. This is one of the three Jyotirlinga temples in Maharashtra. The other two are Grishneshwar temple near Ellora and Triyambakeshwar temple near Nashik.

Specialty:

Bhimshankar temple dates back to 18th century built by Peshwa Rulers. The presiding deity of the temple is said to be a self-manifested one and the sanctum is found to be at a lower level. The wooden door at the entrance of the temple bears wonderful inscriptions of Gods and Goddesses. The temple is built with a mix of Nagara Style and Indo-Aryan style of architectures.

The shikara, the superstructure above the sanctum was built by Nana Phadnavis, a popular Prime Minister in the Maratha Empire. The statue of the celestial bull Nandi near the entrance of the temple and the sub shrines for Lord Shani and Goddess Kamalaja, the consort of Lrod Siva are worth mentioning here.

Festivals:

Besides the regular rituals and poojas done in any Shiva temple, Shiv Ratri and Maha Shiv Ratri are celebrated with much grandeur in Bhimshankar temple. Grand festivities are organized during Maha Shivratri. Devotees chant the religious mantras and poojas are done throughout night. Religious concerts, discourses and cultural programmes are organized.

Temple Timings

Bhimshankar Temple is kept opened from 4.30 AM to 7.30 PM with intervals in between. The Dharshan timings on special occasions vary from normal days.

Tourist attractions near Bhimshankar Temple:

Bhimshankar Wildlife Sanctuary is the most popular tourist attraction near Bhimshankar temple.

The other popular places to visit are Hanuman Lake, Gupt Bhimshankar, the source of River Bhima, Nag Phani peak,Shivneri Fort Dimbhe Dam, Sakshi Vinayak and Bombay Point, which you can visit while on your trip to Bhimshankar temple.

How To Reach Bhimshankar Temple?

Pune Airport and Karjat railway station are places near to Bhimshankar temple. If you are planning to visit the temple as a part of your tour to Mumbai, then hire a cab and travel in Mumbai – Pune Express Highway to reach the temple in a hassle-free journey.