Bhimashankar Temple

Bhimashankar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva situated in its eponymous village, Bhimashankar, in Pune district of Maharashtra. It is a key pilgrimage centre and contains one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The temple's Shiva lingam is one of the three Jyotirlingas of Maharashtra. The mandir is situated on a mountain, 110 kilometers away from Pune. The temple's vicinity has rare plant and animal species. The mandir is located in Khed taluka, in the Bhimashankar forest range. Dating back to the 13th century this temple is carved in black stone, the sabhamandap (central hall) and the shikhara (dome) were improved upon in the 18th century by Nana Phadnavis. The Bhima River originates from the Bhimashankar village, and the hills of the Manmad village are present near it, there are old rock carvings of the God Bhimashankar, Bhootings and Amba-Ambika on these hills.