Bhimashankar |
FortHeight : 3500 ft |
Type : Hill forts |
Fort Range : Bhimashankar |
District : Raigad |
Grade : Hard |
Bhimashankar is one of the 12 Jyotirlings of India, a pilgrimage place approximately 3500 feet high up in the hills. The area around Bhimashankar is covered with thick dense jungle. The Maharashtra Government has also declared it a Sanctuary. |
Fascinating Spots : |
The Temple : |
The temple of Bhimashankar is around 1200 – 1400 years old and is built on the Hemad Panthi style. There are very beautiful sculptures and paintings on the roof and pillars of the temple. In the outer corridor of the temple we can see a sculpture of the god seated on a throne accompanied by his pallbearers holding an umbrella over his head. At the front of the temple hangs a huge metal bell cast in 1729. There is also a 15-20 feet high “Deepmala” or lamppost in the outer corridor of the temple. There is also an inscription on stone on this lamppost. It is to be noted that the original name of the river Chandrabhaga at Pandharpur is Bhima. This Bhima River originates at Bhimashankar. |
Gupt Bhimashankar : |
There is a water stream route going down from the left of the Ram temple. Taking that route, we enter a thick jungle. We reach a temple around 25 minutes through this route. A route going toward the waterfall, left of this temple, leads to the “water sculpted” “Shiva Linga” under this waterfall. This is called the Gupt Bhimashankar. There is a huge waterfall at this place during the monsoons. |
Nagphani Peak : |
We reach a pond when we climb towards Bhimashankar from the Ghat. The route going towards the right, from this pond, takes us to the Hanuman temple. The route going up through this route leads to the Nagphani. We can have a view of the forts of Peth and Padhar and the plateaus of Peth and Matheran. We can remember the poem composed by the famous “Samarth” Ramdas, the lover of natural beauty, when we see such beauty around. |
Ways To Reach : |
To reach Bhimashankar, you have to reach Karjat from Mumbai. Those from Pune can reach Karjat either from Swargate or by train. The base village Khandas is around 34 km from Karjat. One can reach Khandas by either the S.T. Bus or the jeeps / rickshaws that ply in this route. The most frequented routes to Bhimashankar from Khandas are the Shidi Ghat and Ganesh Ghat. |
Ganesh Ghat : |