Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga

The present temple traces its core to the 13th-century Hemadpanthi (Yadava-era) style — black stone fitted without mortar, in the old Nagara tradition. The shrine was significantly expanded and renovated in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis, the powerful Peshwa statesman, who added the Sabhamandap (assembly hall) and the distinctive shikhara. Chimaji Appa of the Maratha Empire also contributed to the temple, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj himself is recorded as a devout worshipper here, granting endowments for its upkeep.

A great bell at the temple, in the Indo-Portuguese tradition, is believed to have been brought by Chimaji Appa after his victory over the Portuguese at Vasai (Bassein) in 1739. The temple is one of only two Jyotirlinga sites — the other being Kashi — where Tripuri Purnima (Kartik Purnima) holds special significance, commemorating Shiva’s slaying of the Tripura demons. The surrounding Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, declared in 1985, protects the lush, ancient forests that make this the most verdant of all Jyotirlingas, especially in the monsoon.