Bhimashankaram Temple (Maharashtra)

Image credit : Madpai

Bhimashankar, the origin of Bhima river, is located on a high peak, surrounded by thick dense forests. Bhimashankar is located in the village of Bhavagiri 50 km north west of Khed, near Pune.  It is located 110 km away from Pune in the ghat region of the Sahyadri hills. The place has got its name because of the origin of Bhima, a prominent river in Maharashtra. The river which flows south east and merges with the Krishna river near Raichur. Near the origin of the river, Bhimashankar houses one of the five ‘Jyotirlinga’ of Maharashtra. The annual Mahashivaratri fair is held in Bhimashankar in February-March and attracts upto 25,000 pilgrims.

Worship: Three worship services are offered each day. Mahashivratri  is a season of greate festivity here.

Bhimashankar temple houses the main ‘Shani temple’. One of the two main pillars outside the ‘Shani’ temple is actually an ancient huge Portuguese bell. The impact of Nagara style can be well make out. Dating back to mid 18th century, the shikhara was built by Nana Phadnavis. The sanctum is located at the lower level. The shrine Bhimashankaram, though dates back to the 13th century. Bhimashankar temple is well surrounded with Kamalaja shrine & Mokshakund thirtha. Lord Shiva’s killing of the demon Tripurasura is the main legend associated with the temple. It even states that Shiva took abode on the Sahyadri hills in the form of a Bhima upon the request of the Gods, on the crest of the Sahyadri hills. The sweat of Shiva poured after the battle ultimately led to the origin of Bhimarathi river.

In the ancient times demons by the name Tripurasura become drunk with power. They harassed every resident of Swarg (Heavens), Narak (Hell) and Patal (Nether world). The divines were very scared. Then Lord Mahadev Himself came to destroy Tripurasur. Lord Shankar assumed colossal proportions. Tripurasur feared when they saw this Rudravatar. The fight went on. In the end, Lord Shiva killed the wicked demon and set the there worlds, Tribhuvan, free. Lord Shankar in the form of a huge hunk (Virat) was very tired. In order to get some rest, He settled here on the high area of the Sahyadri mountains sweat started pouring down from His huge body in thousands of streams. It all joined together and collected in a pond or Kund. The river that started from there is known as Bhima, which can be seen even today. Devotees then prayed to Bhimakaya Rudra thus: “In order to save the good people, reside here forever”. Bholenath listened to the devotees and stayed there as a JyotirLinga forever.

There was once a demon called Bhima, whose parents were Kumbhakarna and Karkati. Demon Bhima was harassing and torturing one and all. He was hell bent in the path of destruction of Dharma. Once he asked his mother about the details of his father. His mother told him that his father Kumbhakaran is the younger brother of Ravana, the king of Lanka, who was slain by Sri Ramchandra. “I am yet to see Lanka; I met your father on some mountains near by, and after you were born, I continued to stay here itself. After my husband was killed, only my parental place became a refuge of sorts for me. My parents are Pushkasi and Karkat. When they went to eat up Agastya the saint, he burned them to ashes with the power of his meditation and Tapas”.

When he heard the story, he was at once eager to take revenge against all the divines along with Hari. He began a severe penance or Tapas, and a pleased Brahma granted him the bon of becoming a very strong man. With this new strength, he captured all the divines including Vishnu and Indra. They were in his control. After this he won a victory over the great Shiva devotee Kamarupeshwar. Kamarupeshwar did not stop his worship of Shiva even when in prison. He performed the Puja with the same devotion, observing all the procedures his wife also joined him in this. On the other hand, Brahma and Vishnu along with all the other divines started praying Shankara and of asking for deliverance from the wicked Demon King. Shiva assured the divines and sent them home after pacifying them.

Bheema learnt from someone that Kamarupeshwar was making preparations to kill him. On hearing about this, he went straight to the prison and started inquiring into the process and aim of his worship. When he learnt the truth from the king, the wicked Demon called Lord Shiva names and insulted Him and ordered the king to worship Bheema himself instead. When Kamarupeshwar resisted, Bhemma attached the Linga with his sword. Before he could strike, Shiva appeared there. A severe fight ensued in which bows, arrows, swords, axe, the disc and trident etc. were used. In the end, at the request of Narada , Lord Shankar blew a fire and burned the wicked Demon Bheema to ashes. Thus the Devas were released from their sorrows. After this, the divines who were present there, and the saints together pleaded with Lord Shankara to remain there. In view of the welfare of the world, Shiva decided to stay there in the incarnation of Bheema Shankar JyotirLinga.

Self-emanating Mahadev, in the shape of a chariot, the mountains have become the abode of BheemaShankara. It is also known as Rathachala. One Bhatirao Lakadhara (wood-cutter) used to live here. Once he was cutting some wood. Just as he struck the tree with his axe, blood started to flow from the earth. Bhatirao got scared and ran away. Soon, a crowd had gathered there. Someone brought a milk cow and made it stand there. The milk that came from the cow’s udders stopped the bleeding of the earth. Surprising everyone, a glowing JyotirLinga of Shankara, emanated from the earth. People built a temple there and installed the JyotirLinga in the temple. This temple eventually came to be known as Bhima Shankara temple.

Tryambakeshwar Temple (Maharashtra)

Of the twelve JyotirLingas of Lord Shankara, the tenth one is known as Tryambakeshwara. Tryambak is near at a distance of about 30 km from Nasik in Maharashtra. In that hole there are three Lingas shaped like the Thumbs. Hence Tryambakeshwara. Of these three Lingas, the Linga of Mahesha has a constant shower of water from an orifice above. It is a natural source of water coming down as Abhisheka for the Lord.

Image credit : Vivekanand Tryambake

Tryambakeshwar – the birth place of river Godavari. Legend has it that sage Gowtama resided on the Brahmagiri hill here with his wife Ahalya, and seeing his unflinching devotion received a boon from Varuna – a bottomless pit from which he received an inexhaustible supply of foodgrains. This of course enraged other sages who conspired for a cow to enter his granary, and caused it to die as Gowtama attempted to ward it off with a bunch of Darbha grass. Because of this misfortune Gowtama therefore worshipped Shiva, to invoke the Goddess Ganga down to his hermitage to purify the premises. Ganga came down as Godavari, and Shiva took up an abode here in the form of Tryambaka. Interestingly, locals refer to the river here as Ganga and not as Godavari. All the heavenly Gods promised to come down to Nasik, once in twelve years, when Jupiter  resides in the zodiac sign of Leo.

Image credit : Vivekanand Tryambake

The Linga in the temple is in the form of a three faced structure consisting Tridev, Brahma, Vishu and Shiva. The legend has it that Brahma and Vishnu searched in vain to discover the origin of Shiva who manifested himself as a cosmic column of fire. Brahma lied that he had seen the top of the column of fire, and was hence cursed that he would not be worshipped on earth. In turn Brahma cursed Shiva that he would be pushed underground. Accordingly, Shiva came down under the Brahmagiri hill in the form of Tryambakeshwar. The shrine enjoyed the patronage of the Peshwas.

Image credit : Puru2k2

Kolhambika is a temple dedicated to Parvati, where she is believed to have slain the demon Kolhasura who had swallowed the Ganga river. Also here is the Ganga Devi temple enshrining a white marble image of Ganga. This temple was built in 1879. Other shrines here include those to Kedarnath, Rameshwar, Gowtameshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Jareshwar, Kanchaneshwar, Tribhuvaneshwar, Rama, Parasurama, Krishna, Balaji, Lakshmi Narayan and Hanuman.

Image credit : atanu.maity

Three worship services are carried out each day. During the nightly worship service sheja-aarti is carried out and the silver mask is placed in a bed in the hall of mirrors. Each Monday, the silver mask of Tryambaka is placed in a palanquin and taken in procession to Kushavarta theertha and given an abhisheka there. This procession with the special golden mask,  happens also on Shiv ratris, full moon day in the month of Kartika and during other festive occasions. Simhasta Parvani which occurs once in every 12 years, when Jupiter enters the zodiac sign of Leo, is a time of great festivity when it is believed that all sacred waters gather in the Kushavarta thirtha. The Ganga avatarana festival is celebrated in the month of Magha.

Grishneswar Temple (MAHARASHTRA)

Grishneshwar is an ancient pilgrimage site revered as the abode of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas  of Shiva.

Image credit : chandranaryana

Grishneshwar is also known as Kusumeswar, Ghushmeswara, or Grushmeswara, all of the names are related legendary stories of the origin of  one of the 12 jyotirlingas Grishneshwar Mahadev. It is located at a distance of 11 km from Daulatabad near Aurangabad  in Maharashtra. Daulatabad was once known as Devagiri. Located nearby are the popular tourist attractions Ellora – featuring ancient rock cut monuments from the 1st millennnium CE, and Ajanta known for its exquisite cave paintings again from the 1st millennium CE. Maha Shivaratri is a very important religious festival here. During this festival period, thousands of devotees throng to this temple town.

Image credit : a_kamesh

There are many legends about Grishneshwar. There has to be legend associated with every temple. This one too is no exception. There was once a devout woman Kusuma who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and she regularly immersed a Shivalingam in a tank, as a part of her daily ritual worship. Her husband’s first wife, envious of her piety and standing in society murdered Kusuma’s son in cold blood. An aggrieved Kusuma continued her ritual worship, and when she immersed the Shivalingam again in the tank, her son was miraculously restored to life. Shiva is said to have appeared in front of her and the villagers, and ever since then the shivalingam here has been worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlinga Ghusmeshwar.

Image credit : siddhrth tiwari

The village offers serene atmosphere for empowering the mind through the visit of holiest Jyotirlinga. The present village offers many accommodation facilities to the enthusiastic pilgrims for a hassle free temple visit. The village was once ruled by renowned Ahalyabhai Holkar, who ruled Indore during 1765 to 1795. She had built the Grishneshwar temple along with the reconstruction of Vishnu Pada temple at Gaya and Kashi Vishwanatha temple at Varanasi.