Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga
भीमाशंकर ज्योतिर्लिंग
📍 Bhimashankar, Pune district, Maharashtra
In the Sahyadri hills, inside the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, this Jyotirlinga marks where Shiva destroyed the demon Bhima. The Bhima river also rises here.
सह्याद्रि की पहाड़ियों में — जहाँ शिव ने भीमासुर का वध किया और भीमा नदी का उद्गम है।
इतिहास History
The black-stone temple is in the Nagara style. Its shikhara was built in the 18th century by the Peshwa statesman Nana Phadnavis, and older parts of the shrine show earlier work.
The sanctuary around it protects the shekru, the Indian giant squirrel, which is Maharashtra's state animal.
कथा The legend
Bhima, son of Kumbhakarna, learned that Rama had killed his father and swore revenge on Vishnu's devotees. He imprisoned the pious king Kamarupeshwar. When he raised his sword at the king's Shiva-linga, Shiva appeared and destroyed him, and the sweat from Shiva's body is said to have become the Bhima river.
दर्शनीय Don’t miss
- Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary and its giant squirrels
- Gupt Bhimashankar and Nagphani point trails
- Monsoon waterfalls across the hills
उत्सव Festivals
मंदिर दर्शन Temple story
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Jyotirlinga yatra · next (7 of 12)Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram→Photo: ସୁରଥ କୁମାର ପାଢ଼ୀ · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons