Bhimashankar Fort
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.
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.
Type : Hill forts.
Fort Range : Bhimashankar.
District : Raigad.
Grade : Hard.
How 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 :
There is a bridge around 2 km from Khandas. The track going to the right from this bridge is the Ganesh Ghat route. This is the easiest route to Bhimashankar. Along this route one reaches a Ganesh temple within an hour of trekking. The route ahead consumes more time and takes 3 more hours to reach the top.
Shidi Ghat :
The route going to the left from the bridge goes to the village. The route to the left of the well in the village leads to the Shidi Ghat. This is one of the difficult routes to Bhimashankar. This route becomes very treacherous and slippery during the monsoon. There are three ladders in this route within the first two hours of climbing. We reach a settlement after half an hour of the third ladder. Pundlik Hande has his house in this settlement. Further ahead when we climb on, we come across a thatch. At this junction, the routes from the Ganesh Ghat and Shidi Ghat merge. Those yearning for a cup of tea can get their wish fulfilled here. A further 1 ½ hour trek takes us besides a pond. The road, which goes to the left from this pond, takes us to the temple.
Vehicular Route :
To reach Bhimashankar, there is a tar road up to the village on top. This road is through the Pune – Talegaon – Chakan route to reach Bhimashankar.
Accommodation Facility :
There is a MTDC accommodation facility outside the Bhimashankar village. The villagers also accommodate tourists and trekkers, though it is a bit expensive. Accommodation is a bit of a problem during the monsoons.
Food Facility :
There are hotels in Bhimashankar, which provide eating facilities to all.
Drinking Water Facility :
Drinking water is no problem at this place. There is enough water all through the year.
