Bhimashankar Temple

The Bhimashankar shrine and the Bhimarathi (Bhima) river are mentioned in Marathi religious literature from about the 13th century onwards. According to the Varkari saint Namdev, Sant Jnaneshwar visited Trimbakeshwar and then Bhimashankar, and Namdev himself came here on pilgrimage. Most of the building visible today, however, is later, the result of Maratha-era rebuilding and additions.

The temple enjoyed royal patronage. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is credited with granting the village of Kharosi to the temple to support its worship, and daily rituals were long sustained by offerings from the surrounding villages. In the 18th century the Peshwa minister Nana Phadnavis paid for major works; he is credited with the shikhara (spire) over the sanctum and with a hall in front of it. Other Peshwa-period officials also funded repairs.

A reminder of Maratha history hangs in front of the temple: a large European-style bell presented by Chimaji Appa, brother of Peshwa Bajirao I. It is one of several church bells his army brought back from Vasai (Bassein) after capturing the Portuguese fort there in 1739. Similar bells can be seen at the Naro Shankar temple in Nashik and at a few other Maharashtrian shrines.

The temple's own account, published by the trust, says the shrine was restored in 1212 and that its sabhamandap (assembly hall) dates from 1962. These dates sit alongside the Peshwa-era works described above, and show that the complex has been rebuilt in several phases. On the hills near Manmad village are old rock carvings of Bhimashankar, Bhootling and Amba-Ambika, evidence of the area's long sacred history.

The forests around the temple were declared the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in 1985, mainly to protect the Indian giant squirrel (shekru), Maharashtra's state animal. Pilgrims therefore approach the shrine through a protected forest, and the sanctuary's rules also apply to visitors.

The temple is managed by the Shree Bhimashankar Devasthan Trust. In January 2026 darshan was suspended so that a new sabhamandap and the approach steps could be built under the Bhimashankar area development plan. Darshan reopened on 15 June 2026 with limited hours and a compulsory online pass, and from the start of Shravan in August 2026 the full schedule from 5 AM to 9:30 PM was restored. Pilgrims should check the trust's website for current arrangements.

The name 'Bhimashankar' appears in the traditional Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra as 'Dakinyam Bhimashankaram'. Because of this verse, other places also claim the Jyotirlinga, including a site near Guwahati in Assam and the Moteshwar Mahadev temple at Kashipur in Uttarakhand. The Sahyadri shrine near Pune is the one most widely visited as the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.

Bhimashankar is built mainly of dark basalt. Its main structure follows the Hemadpanti style of the Deccan, with influences of the northern Nagara style introduced under Maratha patrons in the 18th century. The trust notes that the stones are laid without lime mortar, in the dry-jointed manner typical of Hemadpanti work. The garbhagriha (sanctum) sits lower than the hall in front, so pilgrims step down to reach the Jyotirlinga, and the shikhara above it is described as hollow.

The swayambhu lingam lies at the centre of the sanctum. According to the trust it is about 75 cm wide and 100 cm long, with a vertical cleft across it. The pillars and door frames of the older parts carry fine carvings of deities, human figures and floral motifs. A Nandi faces the sanctum, and the complex also holds shrines of Ganapati, Kalbhairav and Shani; the great bell presented by Chimaji Appa hangs between two pillars near the Shani shrine.

The sabhamandap in front of the sanctum has been rebuilt more than once, most recently in a project begun in 2026. Behind the temple lies Mokshakund Tirtha, associated with the sage Kaushika, and nearby are the Jnyankund, said to have been made by Dattatreya, and the Sarvatirth. To the south is Kusharanya Tirth, where the Bhima begins its eastward journey. A path behind the temple leads down to the river and to Gupt Bhimashankar in the forest.