Soon, the monsoons will be upon us. So, what are your plans? That means it is the perfect time for a short road trip. A long drive, lush green mountains, a steaming cup of tea, and hot bhajjis (pakoda). What better way than this to spend the weekend? Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is 109 km from Pune and perfect for a monsoon day trip.

In this guide to Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple, discover the legend, how to get there, sights to visit along the way, darshan-related info, and the best time to visit.

Let’s begin with the legend of the Bhimashankar temple.

LEGEND OF BHIMASHANKAR JYOTIRLINGA TEMPLE

Once upon a time, there lived a demon named Tripura. He atoned for his sins. Brahma was pleased with him and granted him three wishes. Tripura’s first wish was immunity against gods, demons, yakshas (nature spirits) and Gandharvas (celestial beings). His second wish was for his three puras (fortresses) to be unbreachable. The third wish was for him to be able to travel the universe. Brahma granted all his wishes.

Tripura then set out to defeat the three Lokas – devlok (heaven), Prithvi Lok (earth) and Patal Lok (hell). He defeated devlok. So, Lord Shiva decided to destroy Tripura.

The battle between Lord Shiva and Tripura took place in the Sahyadri hills. Shiva took the form of the Bhima Shankar and defeated Tripura. During the war, the Bhimarathi River had dried up. After the battle, Lord Shiva rested in the Sahyadri hills. His sweat dripped down, refilling the Bhimarathi River.

The Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is a 12th-century Nagara and Indo-Aryan style temple. The original temple was a swayambhu Shiva Linga (self-born). Later a new temple was built in place of the old one.

The temple is beautiful and carved in intricate carvings of scenes from the Shiv Puran, Ramayan, Dashavatar and more.

DARSHAN INFO

The Bhimashankar temple is in the Sahyadri hills. A long stone staircase leads to the Bhimashankar temple. You have to climb down about 230 steps to get to the temple. The entire path is covered, so you are safe from rain during monsoons.

While walking down, note the darshan line on the left side. It is the free-darshan line. Free darshan usually takes 1 hour. If you don’t want to wait, walk down to the bottom. Here you can find pandits who will take you inside the temple for a VIP darshan. The VIP darshan costs around Rs. 150-200 per person. During weekends and special holidays, the cost might rise. VIP darshan takes 20-30 minutes.

TIP:- Avoid coming to Bhimashankar temple during the weekend. It is super crowded, and VIP and free darshan take a long time.

HOW TO REACH BHIMASHANKAR TEMPLE?

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is 109 km from Pune and is a 3-hour long drive. There are two routes to Bhimashankar from Pune- via Mansar and Rajgurunagar. The road via Mansar is broad but less scenic, and the road via Rajgurunagar is a narrower but scenic route.

VIA MANSAR

PUNE – BHOSARI – MOSHI – ALANDI FATA – CHAKAN – SHIROLI – PACHARNEWADI – BHORWADI – SHEWALEWADI – MANCHAR – LANDEWADI – SHINOLI – TALE GHAR – RAJPUR – BHIMASHANKAR

VIA RAJGURUNAGAR

PUNE – BHOSARI – MOSHI – ALANDI FATA – CHAKAN – SHIROLI – RAJGURUNAGAR – PANGARI – CHAS – MOHAKAL – KADADHE – BURSEWADI – GUNDALWADI – WADEKAR WADI – VALAD – KHAROSHI – SHIRGAON – TALE GHAR – RAJPUR – BHIMASHANKAR

I recommend driving through both routes. Travel via Rajgurunagar en route to Bhimashankar temple and return via Manchar.

PLACES TO VISIT NEAR BHIMASHANKAR

CHASKAMAN DAM

If you take the Rajgurunagar route, you will come across the Chaskaman Dam. It is a beautiful sight. Lush green hills surround the dam.

If you visit after monsoons, you can walk down to the water. A steep path from the road leads to the water body. However, this is not possible during monsoons. The water level is on the rise and is unsafe. So, admire the dam from afar.

The road near Chaskaman Dam has a stall or two. Here, you can enjoy a steaming cup of tea and a plate of hot onion bhajis. If you are lucky, maybe even a Vada pav.

BHIMASHANKAR TREK

The most common and widely preferred way to Bhimashankar temple is by road. But the Bhimashankar trek is just as popular. If you are a trekking enthusiast, this trek should be on your list.

It is a 4-5 hour long trek. The trek begins from Khandas village. It is a moderate trek. The trail runs through the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. So, look out for a wide range of flora and fauna.

Several companies organise treks to Bhimashankar.

This trek is scenic all year round. However, if you are a beginner, avoid this trek during the monsoon months.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is open year round. However, the best time to visit is during the monsoons.

During the monsoons, a dense fog descends, creating a magical scene. Also, during rainy months, the Sahyadri hills are dotted with thousands of small waterfalls. It is a breathtaking view.

After the monsoons, the lush green mountains slowly turn yellow, and the waterfalls stop flowing. You might still spot one or two waterfalls. It is still beautiful at different times of the year.

CONCLUSION

Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple is one of the twelve jyotirlingas. You can read my guides on Omkareshwar, Ujjain, and Trimbakeshwar jyotirlingas.

I hope this guide was helpful, and if I missed something, let me know in the comments. Also, I hope this ignited your weekend wanderlust because

Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.

confucius