Maharashtra · West
BhimashankarBhīmāśaṅkara
Sahyadri forest village with the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, source of the Bhima river
- Principal temple
- Bhimashankar TempleShiva as Bhimashankar, in linga form
- Best time to visit
- October to February (cool and pleasant)
- Nearest airport
- Pune International Airport, ~125 km
- Nearest railway station
- Karjat, ~65 km
- Tradition
- Śaiva
Overview
Bhimashankar is a village in Khed taluka of Pune district, Maharashtra, set in the Sahyadri hills and home to the Bhimashankar Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva. The Bhima River originates here; legend holds that it formed from the sweat Shiva shed after his battle with the asura Tripura. The surrounding forest is protected as the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, habitat of the Indian giant squirrel.
See sources [1–4]- Shiva as Bhimashankar, in linga form