LORD BHIMASHANKAR OF SAHYADRI

THE TEMPLE

The temple of Bhimashankar is built atop the Sahyadri hill near a village of the same name. The old temple is of modest dimensions, not bigger than forty five by twenty feet and has a portico, antarala and garbhagriha. The Sivalinga installed with yon in the garbhagriha was at a much lower level than the ground outside. It was discovered by a wood-cutter, and its story is fascinating. It runs - this wood-cutter, as usual started cutting a tree with his axe one day. At the first stroke itself there gushed out blood from the tree. Quite bewildered, he brought his cow and milked it against the bleeding tree; for, he once heard such story when the cow's milk stopped the bleeding. Miraculously the bleeding was stopped, but to his great astonishment he found on the next day a Sivalinga on the spot when the tree stood. As he was god - minded man he started offering worship. He built a small temple around the Swayambhu Sivalinga and with the passage of time it attracted devotees and developed in all dimensions. Ritualistic prayers and festivals were introduced later. This incident happened around 1350. Later in the eighteenth century, it developed into dasadisas with the advent of one great bhakta by name Chimanaji a resident of Poona.

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