Bhimashankar – The Joyride on 14th April

The Western Ghats in Maharshtra offer a unique view to the unsuspecting traveler . You can see the verdant ghats and later on as you come towards Mumbai even the coastline . I happened to visit Bhimashankar temple and wildlife sanctuary over the weekend . The drive was really full of surprises . We began very early in the morning from Mumbai . Later the drive was mixed with smooth roads and bumpy turns .We went via the Pune Mumbai highway and then took a diversion that took us to Manchar . We stopped briefly for breakfast at the food court near Lonavala . The court offers mouth watering Maharashtrian delicacies even early in the morning . And my friend who really wanted a break from the standard North Indian fare found the stuff like kothimbir vadi , bhajias a good way to start her day !!

This drive through the winding ways / roads in the Ghats was exactly like going on a joy ride. After almost 5 and half hours we reached Bhimashankar in the afternoon . The place is really in a small village and despite the fact that it is extremely popular with tourists it really lacks basic amenities eg a washroom , water etc . There used to be an MTDC(Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation ) resort in the past but that has been closed .

The Shiva temple is about a ten fifteen minute walk from the parking area . One has to descend through a flight of stairs to reach the temple . On the way there are stalls selling all wares like flowers, toys and other memorabilia like stickers, statues , key chains etc . The place is famous for pedhas( an Indian sweet made out of milk and sugar ) . The temple is really ancient . It was not crowded when we entered and hence for a change there were no long queues. There is an ancient feeling in the temple, almost like visiting an old house . There is a huge bell there donated by Chimaji Appa which he won in a battle against the Portuguese at Vasai Fort .

For more details visit http://www.bhimashankar.blessingsonthenet.com/ or http://www.aroundpune.com/bhimashankar.htm. There is a small pond or kund as it is called in local parlance within the temple premises from where the River Bhima originates . There is a wildlife sanctuary nearby which has a smattering of animals like the flying squirrel, tigers, deer etc .The temple has a lot of significance and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas ie 12 most important and holy shrines of Lord Shiva in India .


While coming back we came through the Malshej ghat route . This was a slightly longer route and went through real circuitous roads . But nevertheless it was again a very pleasant drive . After a brief stopover at a roadside resort near Kalyan we were on our way back to Mumbai . For food on both the routes you will find the road dotted with hotels and resorts. You can take a call based on the look and feel of the resort/ hotel & the hygiene levels and decide which one suits your requirement the best ….