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 Bhimashankaram is located at
Bhuvanagiri village in Puna district of Maharashtra. River Bhima has
its source here. This temple in the Nagara style is an old and not a
very large structure. The jyotir Lingam is situated on top of the
Sahyadri hill temple. Lord Siva is considered to be taking rest here
after the Trpurantaka samharam. The sweat drops of Lord Siva were
converted as steam & is running as Bhimarati. New structures
have been added. There are two idols of Nandideva. One idol is old,
while the other is of fairly recent addition. There is a theertham
& a well behind the temple structure.
The Bhimashankarar Lingam measures around one and a half
feet & quite narrow. The Goddess is worshipped as Kamalaja.
Shivaji, the Maratha ruler had made rich endowments for the
maintenance of the temple. The moola lingam is at a lower level.
There is another temple at Guwahati in Assam known as the
Bhimshankaram and there is a belief that this is the real
Bhimashankaram. Bhima was an asura, son of Kumbakarnan &
Karkadi. On hearing that his grandfather, uncles & father had
been killed by a brahmin & kings, he set out to destroy them. He
undertook severe penance & got immense might and power from Lord
Brahma. King Priyadarman of Kamarupa was also put under prison.
Priyadarman & his wife Dakshinadevi prayed sincerely to Lord
Siva everyday. Fearing that they would overcome him, Bhima asked
them to stop their prayers. When they refused, he set out to kill
them. Lord Siva rose out of the Lingam that they had been
worshipping & slayed Bhima. On the request of the Devas, Lord
Siva resides here under the namam
Bhimashankarar.
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