Bhimashankar

(“Bhima’s Shiva”) One of the twelve
jyotirlingas, a group of sacred sites
(tirthas) deemed especially holy to the
god Shiva. Bhimashankar is the name of
both the place and the presiding deity. It
is located in Maharashtra’s Pune district
at the source of the Bhima River, hence
its name. Unlike many of the other
jyotirlingas, Bhimashankar is visited little
during the year since it is far from urban
centers and relatively inaccessible. The
major pilgrim traffic comes on the festival of Shivaratri, which usually falls
within February and March.