Bhimashankar
Jyotirlinga, situated near Puna, is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of
India. Lying at a distance of 128 km from the city, the temple is
believed to be the resting place of Lord Shiva after the Tripurantaka
samharam i.e., the annihilation of Rakshas Tripurasura by Lord Shiva. It
is also said that the sweat drops of Lord Shiva fell to the ground and
got converted into stream, which is presently known as the Bhima River.
The lingam inside the temple is 1.5 feet in length. Goddess Kamalaja is
also worshipped at the Bhimashankar temple, near Pune.
The Legend
The legend surrounding the Bhimashankar temple goes that King
Kamrupeshwar, the king of Kamrup, was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. One
day, a demon appeared at Kamrup and started troubling people. He
attacked King Kamrupeshwar also, but instead of the king, his sword fell
on the Shiva Lingam. Lord Shiva appeared at the place and destroyed the
demon. At that time, Lord Shiva's sweat got converted into Bhima River,
giving the temple the name of Bhimashankar.
Apart from a famous pilgrim destination, Bhimashankar is also renowned
for its scenic beauty. The lovely landscape of the place draws nature
lovers in large numbers. It is also quite popular amongst bird watchers
as well as trekking enthusiasts. Bhimashankar also boasts of a wildlife
sanctuary, where one can see a variety of birds, animals, flowers,
plants, etc. Other places worth visiting in and around Bhimashankar are
Hanuman Lake, Gupt Bhimashankar, Origin of River Bhima, Nag Phani,
Bombay Point, Sakshi Vinayak, Buddha style carvings of Amba-Ambika,
Bhootling, etc.
AFMC Pune
