BHIMASHANKAR! One of the Twelve Jyotirlinga in India

[navin_kurian2002]

BHIMASHANKAR! One of the Twelve Jyotirlinga in India situated in Deep Forest of Sahyadri

Vast and rugged, the modern state of Maharashtra, the third largest in India, was created in 1960, from the Marathi-speaking regions of what was previously Bombay state. As soon as you leave its seething port capital, Bombay(Mumbai) , developed by Europeans(British , Portuguese ), and now the epitome of modern, cosmopolitan, polyglot India, you enter a different world with a different history.

Away from the cities, the most characteristic feature of the landscape is a plenitude of forts - as the western borderland between north and south India, Maharashtra's trade routes were always important, but would also bring trouble. Inland, parallel to the sea, and never further than 100km from it, the mighty Western Ghats rise abruptly. The areas of level ground that crowned them, endowed with fresh water, were easily converted into forts where small forces could withstand protracted sieges by large armies.

YHAIMalad Unit Mumbai , under the able navigation of Maharashtra State Branch has made it possible for its members

Personal Items Required For Trek :- Rucksack, Cap, Cotton Shirts & Pants, Woolen Jersey, Hunter shoes with proper fittings, pairs of socks with extra shoe lace, Carry Mat & Bed sheet, Torch with spare batteries, Water bottles, Lunch box to carry lunch, Mug, Spoon, Plate, Knife, Soap, Toilet Paper, Towel, Essential Medical Kit (normally used by participants in their daily routine) Camera / Binoculars to be brought on your own risk.

Age Limit :- For those who are between 11 to 60 years old.

Participation Fee :- Rs. 1100/- per head ( about 23$ including food and transport for 7 days!! is pretty awesome )

Bhimashankar, one of the 12 sacred jyotirlings of Lord Shiva.
Bhimashankar - Jyotirlinga Shrine is associated with the legend of Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar is located in the Sahyadri hills of Maharashtra, accessed from Pune.

Jyotirlingsare small idols of Lord Shiva

Lingam or Linga is used as a symbol for the worship of the Hindu God Shiva

The twelve Jyotirlings are :

1. Kedarnath (Uttaranchal)
2. Vishwanath (Varanasi)
3. Vaidyanath (Bihar)
4. Omkareshwar/ Amaleshwar (Madhya Pradesh)
5. Mahakaleshwar (Ujjain, M.P.)
6. Somnath (Gujarat)
7. Nageshwar (Gujarat)
8. Tryambakeshwar (Maharashtra)
9. Bhimshankar (Maharashtra)
10. Dhrishneshwar (Maharashtra)
11. Mallikarjuneshwar (Andhra Pradesh)
12. Rameshwar (Tamil Nadu)

Legend has it that Ravana meditated upon Shiva, and requested him to come over to Sri Lanka, in order that his capital may become invincible. It is said that he attempted to lift Mount Kailash and take it with him to his capital; however Shiva crushed him with his finger, and Ravana prayed to him and sought his mercy, after which Shiva gave him one of the twelve Jyotirlingams with the condition that if it was placed on the ground it would take root immediately.

Ravana carried the Jyotirlingam and began his trek back to his capital. Varuna the God of water, entered his belly, and caused him to feel the need to relieve himself. Vishnu then came down in the form of a lad and volunteered to hold the Jyotirlingam as he relieved himself. Before Ravana returned, Vishnu placed the Jyotirlingam on the ground, and it became rooted to the spot. A disappointed Ravana offered severe penances to Shiva here, and cut off nine of his heads. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, as if by the work of a Vaidya or a physician, hence this Jyotirlingam goes by the name Vaidyanath. The same legend holds at Gokarnam in Karnataka.

Day 1 (Base Camp Van Vihar (Karjat)) :- Upon arrival at Karjat Railway Station, we walked to the Base Camp at Karjat Van Vihar.The base camp is a 10-minute walk from the town center, in a Van Niwas guest house .



Preparing for the trek early morning



2ND Day (Rajmachi Camp) (MAP):- We left for Kondiwade at 5 am in the morning by ST bus from karjat
Kondiwade is a charming little village tucked away in the ghats,. It was a 45-minute bus ride. The actual trek commenced from here we had our morning breakfast here . Making our way through lush gree fields and marshy land , we reached Kondana Caves in about two hours.


Kondhana Caves are Buddhist caves built around 250 B.C. to 100 A. D.) - One of the earliest caves when rock sculpture was in a conceptual stage. First principal cave mammoth 70' deep, 30' high and 30' wide with 10' diameters stupa. Dancing figure of male and female (Hinayan panthi and Buddhist). The rock cut Buddhist caves have a stupa, chaitya, vihara and sculptures. A waterfall from the overhang above acts like a screen to a small part of the caves. There are several large bee hives at the cave entrance.

Rajmachi Fort

Rajmachi Fort is situated in Lonavla region, on the top of the Western Ghats. The highway from Khopoli to Khandala-Lonavla, known as Borghat, is an ancient trade route. Overseas trade of the Western India and the Deccan was carried through the ports of Chaul, Revdanda, etc., on the western coast. The trade route passing through the Borghat connected these ports to the region around Pune and beyond on the Deccan plateau. Fort Rajmachi was built to control the trade route of Borghat.
There are two Fortresses on Rajmachi –the taller one in the east is Shrivardhan and the other in the west is Manoranjan. Rajmachi is a unique fort having wide plateau on all sides of the twin fortresses. There is a rich treasure of historical monuments on Rajmachi, viz. mighty ramparts and walls, gateways, secret exit gates, administrative offices, water storage tanks and reservoirs, residential quarters, temples and idols of deities. Kal Bhairav temple is situated in the col between Shrivardhan and Manoranjan. Local inhabitants worship Kal Bhairav even today. The Budhdist caves on the western slope of Rajmachi plateau (at present known as Kondhane caves) were carved in the period around 200 BC. The existence of these ancient caves indicates that Rajmachi had been identified as an important place right from the Budhdist period.
The various functionaries and officers in the military and administrative set-up for Rajmachi region under the Maratha rule resided at Rajmachi, till the British defeated the Peshwa in the year 1818. Ruins of their big residential houses are found in the forest on the south side of the hamlet Udhewadi. A big water reservoir constructed about 200 years ago is situated further down from the forest mentioned above. A carved stone plate in the wall of the water reservoir indicates that it was built by Ramrav Narayanrav Deshmukh, Mamlatdar of Danda Rajpuri (near Murud Janjira in Raigad District). An ancient Shiva temple, built in Hemdpanti style, is situated on the western side of the water reservoir. A large amount of silt coming in the storm water from the high land behind has been deposited around the Shiva temple. The inhabitants of Udhewadi have now started the clearing work. A fountain in the shape of cow-head and a water tank in the front of the temple have been discovered. The clearing operation will continue and it requires help from well wishers.

Rajmachi affords a magnificent view of sprawling ranges of the Sahyadri mountain and one can see from here a number of historical forts in the Sahyadri. Manik Gad, Karnala, Irsal and Prabal Gad (all forts) and Matheran (hill resort) are in the west. Dhak is in the North, Lohagad is in the east and Koyri Gad is in the south of Rajmachi. A beautiful view of Shiravta Lake in the east can be had from Fort Shrivardhan. Water from this lake is used by Tata Power Companies at their hydro electric power generation station at Khopoli. Sometimes, with the pre-monsoon showers the climate becomes very clear and affords visibility of very long distance. On such rare occasions, it is possible to identify from Rajmachi the Arabian sea and high-rise buildings in Mumbai. This year (i.e. 2003) in the wee hours of 15 June, the powerfull flickering signal on the high rise chimney of Tata Thermal Power Station at Trombay (in Mumbai) was visible from Rajmachi. After sunrise, people at Rajmachi could identify, in the west of Karnala Fort, the skyscrapers in Mumbai

The ulhas valley is in the scenic and historically significant north Konkan region in Thane District, Maharashtra. This valley joins the Sahyadri foothills with the plateaus of the region. The area has terrain favorable for trekking. Monsoon is the best season here when the numerous water falls and streams are at their spectacular best. Lonavala railway station is the easiest access to the place. Located between the Rajmachi and the Karjat regions and part of the popular trek up from Lonavala, this area has other attractions like the Rajmachi Fort, Kondana and Bahiri Caves and the twin peaks of Shreevardhan and Manoranjan

After crossing the caves, we were in for a steep climb up to Rajmachi, about 3000 ft above sea-level .A more interesting route to Rajmachi is to climb up from Kondiwade in the Ulhas Valley (see the description of Kondana caves). After reaching the plateau at the level of Kondana caves, instead of turning right, go straight ahead where the path starts climbing again. After climbing for some time, and crossing various small plateaus and a stream, one sees a bifurcation in the route. One track climbs up to a plateau with open fields. The hill seen ahead from this plateau is not Rajmachi, which is hidden from view. This track is hence the wrong choice. Therefore at the bifurcation one should take the other track, at the edge of the mountain. It traverses all around the hill and after some time, one can see the peak of Manoranjan. This traverse is about 2km long and very beautiful, crossing several streams. The route then leads to a nala where one can see arrows, at regular intervals, directing the way. After climbing the nala one has to climb some broad steps (which are slippery in the monsoon) to reach a grassy plateau, with a great view of the Ulhas valley. From the plateau another track climbs steeply and leads to the top plateau through a gap in a fence. From this place the village is visible and one can see the fortifications of Manoranjan clearly. The village is a 15 minute walk from here, through a path which is very muddy in the monsoon. From the village one can climb the two peaks, as described before.
There can be a problem with route finding, on this route, since there are many paths made by woodcutters in the forest. It is easier to find the route while descending than while climbing up. But one normally gets to see a few villagers on the way and one can keep asking them for directions. It takes about three hours in total, to reach the Rajmachi village from Kondiwade, and this route is much more fun than the flat walk from Lonavala.

There are several other ways to the top. One is to just climb the ridge behind the Kondana village, this leads all the way to the top, and is a good choice if you are doing a night trek. We stayed with the village head in his house and he offered use all the simple foods he had .he told his wife to make us hot bhakri(maize) and we had yummy shirkhand

The next day we went up both the twin peaks .Rajmachi consists of two beautiful peaks namely 'Shrivardhan' and 'Manoranjan'.Rajmachi Fort is surrounded by deep valley on the three sides and a thickly wooded lush green forest on the other. This fort can be reached only by foot .Manoranjan- It is on the west. Shorter of the two, but strongly fortified. It has three entrances Shrivardhan- This fortress at the height of 910 meter is left with only the ruins of guard-post.The two fortresses are separated by a valley which is around 400 meters wide. At the foot of Manaranjan there is a temple of Bhairoba where you can stay at night.Rajmachi Fort, endowed with splendour of nature, is our heritage from the ancestors.





3RD Day (Kondeshwar Camp) :- After visiting the twin forts of Rajmachi in historical mood, we moved to jambhivali village. which was a lot of fun. Most of us were too tired though and had to retire early. The next morning we left for Kusur, about 10 km away.After passing through the beautiful Shirota Lake periphery,the gradual climb leads towards beautiful Kondeshwar Temple near Jambhivali.This is a gradual trek along the ridge of the plateau. We passed the well-known Kondeshwar Temple on the way. The temple is tucked away in a valley, surrounded by hills on all sides. In fact, if the villagers at Rajmachi hadn’t told us about this temple, we could have easily missed it in the misty surroundings of Kusur village, set picturesquely by the side of Andra Lake.We stayed at the village school which is the biggest house in the village . And were greeted with all the school children.The welcoming comitee was already there making hot tea and snacks.THe leaders donated drawing crayons and pencils to the school children whose eyes lit up when the were given their gifts. This was our small way to thank the village for their hospitality .







4TH Day (Sawal Camp) :- With our knowledgeable guides, climbed down to village Kusur and proceed through bank of Great Andhra Lake and reached Sawal camp.We had to first cross Khandi village on the way, after which we reached Savala village



5th day (Wanderwadi )

and then trekked through dense forests before we approached Kusur. We were also fortunate to have an opportunity to witness and photograph the flowering of the karvi blossom, which only blooms once every seven to eight years.

There were a number of springs and waterfalls that we had to cross on the way, which also made the trek much more invigorating! Butterflies had a field day mesmerising us alternately with their beauty and their flightiness. There is a magnificent view from Kusur. One can clearly see Dhak hill and Dhak fort from here. Besides this we got a rear view of the Bhairi caves. There are 12 villages on the bank of the Andhra Lake. They say the water never dries here even in summer. It is perennially fed by the tiny rivulets and springs in the region.By exploring a Wandre pass,The next day we trekked up to the Andhra Pass. The Andhra top provides a vantage point to view both the Andhra Valley and Wandre Valley sprawling on either side of it. The trek down from the Andhra Pass to Wandrewadi village was extremely pleasurable.



5TH Day (Bhimashankar Camp) :- walking along the Nakhinda of Sahyadri through the tall trees we came down to the banks of River Bhima.

To reach Bhimashankar from Wandrewadi, we had to crossed a forest followed by a steep climb all the way up to the temple. The mist was high, so we were unable to see the Kothadi Garh Fort in the distance. Bhimashankar is also the source of the River Bhima, which flows southeast and merges with the river Krishna. The Bhima river which flows through the valley below, gushed along with us.We had crossed the gently flowing nascent river Bhima. The river Bhima - which is more popular as Chandrabhaga in Pandharpur, originates from the same mountain. A 30-40 minute walk from the temple takes you to the Nagphani Tok, from where you can get a breath-taking view of the Sayhadri Range, and of the forts of Peth, Tungi and Padar. Nagphani Tok gets its name from the fact that it looks like the hood of the cobra. Our aim was the deep and dark forest in front, at a raised level. We climbed the slippery red clay comfortably as the roots of mighty Anjani trees were holding the clay lovingly like a mother and child. As we quietly entered the thick forest,Nearby Anjani trees were providing beauty to the forest, for Anjani tree is as beautiful as a Mauli Shree tree, one of the five favourite trees of Kamdev, the god of love.



On either side of the wet footpath were Karvy shrubs, about a meter high. Karvy is a septennial plant that is it flowers every seven years. It has many species; some are annual, some biennial, some quadrennial and some fourteen - yearly flowering. Beyond that septennial Karvy hedge, so to say, were lively mango, jamun, senduri, komber, karambu etc. Senduri trees bear pea size fruits which when ripe produce a red powder which has same colour as Sendur (vermilion)that married women in India use for a Bindi (dot) The tilaka is the vermilion mark of sindur , vermilion-red powder specially made out of turmeric and limejuice and other ingredients and called as kunkuma . This is sacred and used in daily worships and applied as a mark on forehead at a place where the Third Eye, j~naana netra is said to exist. For the women this mark is for their glorification of womanhood by virtue of the existence of her husband. Should she become a widow this mark is made no more and her face will become dullish for she is without a husband. So also the sun is such a mark on the forehead of the woman called horizon. Without him no quarters glitter.

.Karambu is a variety of wild olive. Karambu does not yield much of oil, whereas Italian olive does.

The Bhimashankara temple

The Bhimashankara temple is a composite of old and the new structures and is built in the Nagara style of architecture. It is a modest temple yet graceful temple and it dates back to mid 18th century. The shikhara of the temple was built by Nana Phadnavis. The great Maratha ruler Shivaji is also said to have made endowments to this temple to facilitate the carrying out, of worship services. As with other Shiva temples in this area, the sanctum is at a lower level.

This temple is closely associated with the legend of Shiva slaying the demon Tripurasura associated with the invincible flying citadels Tripuras. Shiva is said to have taken abode in the Bhima form, upon the request of the Gods, on the crest of the Sahyadri hills, and the sweat that poured forth from his body after the battle is said to have formed the Bhimarathi river.


Bhimashankar is a beautiful black rock structure built in the Nagara style of architecture, the temple dates back to the mid 18th century. Believed to have been built during the reign of the Peshwas, the temple surprisingly displays a relic of the Portuguese time, a large bell hanging between two huge pillars in the courtyard. A small path behind this temple leads to a natural Shiv ling in the riverbed, a short distance down stream, only visible when the water level is low. Besides the temple, the two picturesque lakes, Kamalja Devi and Hanuman and the highest point,

Although the structure here is fairly new, the shrine Bhimashankaram (and the Bhimarathi river) have been referred to in literature dating back to the 13th century CE. Saint Jnaneshwar is said to have visited Tryambakeshwar and Bhimashankar.

The Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sprawling in an area of just 100 sq km, Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary with leopards, sambars, barking deers, wild boars, Hanuman langurs and Rhesus macaques, pangolin, the rare Giant Squirrel and many other tree dwelling animals wandering freely amidst the rich variety of flora is a nature lover's paradise. Jyotivanti trees, which glow in the dark during monsoon, add to the charm of the mist laden chilly atmosphere.

Among the birds one will be able to find Malabar Grey Hornbill, Quaker Babbler, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Green Pigeon, Black Eagle, Grey Jungle Fowl and many, many more. One might get to see the great butterfly brigade and Malabar Giant Squirrel, one of the largest of tree squirrels found over here, well over three feet long. The Giant Squirrels live only in forests and keep to the summits of higher trees. They move from tree to tree taking leaps as long as 20 feet. They are very shy animals and are sooner heard than seen.There are Porcupines and Boars, and Sambars, Muntjeks (barking Deer), and mouse Deers ( a very small deer about 50 cms tall, with protruding canines like a Kasturi Deer)



6TH Day (Base Camp) :-After that, we took a bus back to Karjat . On our return to Base Camp, Karjat via Village Khandas, we experienced the dramatic beauty of a land of historical importance. our Expedition concluded with a ceremony .and from there we went our separate ways. We took a train to Mumbai.

[Diana]

Hi Navin,

U’ve done an interesting hike in western India. The place is full of legends (Vaidyanath), full of historical forts (Rajmachi), architect structures (Temple of Bhimashakara and Kondhana Caves) and various wildlife.
I like squirrels a lot – do u have pictures of the Giant squirrels u mentioned? I will appreciate if you will post them.
I never heard about “barking deer” \:-[ – is it possible?

Tell me something about your life in India, are you a native?

I could hardly spell the Indian language and I don’t want to mention my pronunciation.

[navin_kurian2002]

The BARKING DEER OR MUNTJAC [ Muntiacus muntjak ]
The LOCAL NAMES are in
ENGLISH: RIB FACED DEER
HINDI: KAKAR (indian langauge)
MARATHI: BHEKAD.(indian langauge spoken in western india )
TAMIL: KART ARDU (indian langauge spoken in south india )
KANNADA:KARD KOORIE (indian langauge spoken in south india )

more info here
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.ed...s_muntjak.html

http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_shee...ac/muntjac.htm

Life in India(well i wouldn't know, but i could tell you about life in mumbai (Bombay) where i live .and yes Im a native .
Life is kinda like life in New York . Its a city of skyscraprs most of us live in apartments and life fast no time to stand and stare unless you go on hikers/treks outside the city
lol and i wouldnt know the pronunciation's in those indian languages either as i dont speak most of the indian languages as there are more then 50-100 languages . As we speak only english at home.

[Diana]

Thanz for the links on Munjac, this deer really barks

Over 50 languages!!! I new 'bout the 2nd largest population in the world, 'bout lot's of states, 'bout some uncontrolled by the "State" regions.
U have a remote paradise there in Mumbai. geographically the place is so much New York – ocean, lakes, gulfs, peninsulas, islands, parks, etc.., not too many temples and forts though in NY.

tell me did the British colonization do a good thing to India? P) as I c u all speak English, that's almost the only way u could understand each other havin' so many languages.

[Will]

Navin : lot’s of hikes behind you, Kalsubai, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Skeleton Lake,Mount Kalsubai, Visapur fort, Maharashtra and others - my respect!

Most of them are in Maharashtra state, so you didn’t have to go too far from your place in Mumbai, the beauty is all around you.

Diana: I don’t think that you should ask Navin about the colonisation. Only neutral historian can make correct analyses.

Navin: is your site under construction? Photos are missing from all of your posts…

[navin_kurian2002]

Hey will

Thanks for your post .Could you let me know which pics are missing .cuz here all the pics seem to be loading .Yep the sites under constructions cuz its just a place to load my external pics from ;) .

[seanoleary]

Dear Sir,

You say "BHIMASHANKAR! One of the Twelve [thirteen] Jyotirlinga in India situated in Deep Forest of Sahyadri" but this is not correct.

There are in fact thirteen jyotirlinga. The thirteenth is at the Mukti-Gupteshwar Mandir in Sydney Australia. See the website here:
www.muktigupteshwar.org

The thirteenth jyotirlingam was in Nepal, but according to the scriptures belongs in "Ashtalika" or Australia. As a result, the (now late) King of Nepal released the thirteenth jyotirlingam to be sent to Australia, to the Mukti-Gupteshwar Mandir and that is where it is today.

All other 12 jyotirlinga are in India - only the thirteenth is outside of India.

Best wishes,

Sean

[foreststone]

Very interesting place to travel