The Shiva temple at Bhimashankar in Pune is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas located across India. Situated in the Ghat region of the Sahyadri Hills, Bhimashankar is also the source of the River Bhima, which flows southeast and merges with the River Krishna near Raichur. According to legend, the Bhimashankar Temple was an outcome of a deva-asura struggle. With an army of ganas and yoginis like Dakini and Shakini by his side, Shiva assumed a gigantic form, Bhima, to kill a demon called Tripura, who had become too powerful because of the boon he received from Brahma after performing severe penance. And that is why the place is called Bhimashankar. The temple is located at the spot where Shiva is believed to have killed Tripura. The surrounding forest is famous as Dakini Van since ancient times.
It is believed that yoginis reside in the forest to perform the ritualistic ablution of Shiva. In the month of Shravan and on the auspicious day of Mahashivratri, grand fairs are held here every year. The Bhimashankar Temple is more than 1, 200 years old. This beautifully sculpted temple was restored to its present state by the Peshwa rulers. There is a huge iron bell with the inscription ‘1729’in the temple, which was captured by the great warrior, Chimaji Appa, from the Portuguese at Vasai Fort. To reach the sanctum sanctorum, the pilgrims have to climb down 300 steps, on the sides of which vendors sell freshly-made pedas and other sweets. Many of them also sell medicinal plants. Bay laurel, called tejpatta in Hindi, grows abundantly in the region.
Bhimashankar is an evergreen forest and is home to boars, barking deers, wild cats, civets, panthers, hyenas, a variety of monkeys, giant flying squirrels, peacocks and kites. If you are lucky, you will also spot the Blue Mormon butterfly. It is believed that the River Bhima originates from the Shivalingam at Bhimashankar; it flows underground and resurfaces five kilometres away in the eastern part of the forest, where it’s called Gupt (hidden) Bhimashankar. While circumambulating the Shiva temple, one can see a narrow corridor that leads to the evergreen forest of Bhimashankar. The forest is so dense that the trees seem to embrace each other tightly with their giant branches. The trees have intermingled into each other in such a way that their branches don’t allow sunrays to reach the ground even when the sun is at its peak.
This unique network of trees has made the forest a safe haven for the giant squirrel. It’s a delightful trek to Gupt Bhimashankar as the twittering and chirping of birds keep you entertained. If you care to pause for a while and look up, you will surely see giant squirrels hopping across trees. If you happen to come here during the monsoon, you will find luminous fungi growing on the trees, called Jyotivanti in Marathi. These emit a green glow, giving a shimmering look to the entire forest. Walking along the guiding arrow marks nailed to trees, I reached a small temple called Sakshi Vinayaka. The deity here is said to keep a record of every person who enters the forest.
Opposite the temple are rows of stones piled up in a strange manner, but I couldn’t find anyone who could explain the story behind the arrangement. After crossing the temple, I reached a spot where the Gupt Bhimashankar was cascading down as a waterfall. As I inched closer for a clearer view, I saw, underneath the waterfall, a small Shivalingam, with an even smaller Nandi, a trishul and a damru. The swirling water falls on the lingam, as if offering abhisheka to the Lord. Whether it was the excitement of seeing the unusually located shrine or it was the effect of the unpolluted, tranquil surroundings — where one gets to interact with the raw forces of nature — all I could do was whisper ‘Har Har Mahadev, Har Har Mahadev, ’ several times in salutation to Shiva. It was a chant of gratitude to the Lord for making it possible for me to pay...
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