West India · Maharashtra
Bhimashankar, Maharashtra
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia
Before you go
A Jyotirlinga in the Sahyadri forests (~110 km from Pune); the sanctuary is home to the Indian giant squirrel. Mahashivratri draws very large crowds; monsoon makes the approach lush but slippery.
About Bhimashankar
- Hills
- Forest
Where it is
Bhimashankar is a temple village high in the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats, in the Khed taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra, about 110 km north-west of Pune, where the Bhima river rises.
History
The shrine is revered as one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. The black-stone temple has elements dating back to around the 13th century, and its hall and spire were improved in the 18th century by the Peshwa minister Nana Phadnavis. The forests around it were declared the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in 1985.
People
The villages around Bhimashankar are Marathi-speaking and include Mahadev Koli adivasi communities, and the forest is dotted with sacred groves, or devrai, long protected by local custom. Priests and stall-keepers serve the pilgrims who arrive for Mondays of Shravan and Mahashivratri.
Known for
- One of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples
- Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary
- The Indian giant squirrel, or shekru
- Monsoon treks through the Sahyadri forest
- Mahashivratri
Did you know?
The shekru, the large, long-tailed Indian giant squirrel that lives in the sanctuary's forests, is Maharashtra's state animal.
Shrines and sites
- Bhimashankar Temple
- Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary
- Hanuman Lake
- Gupt Bhimashankar
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.