The land of Lord Shiva, Bhimashankar does not only hold religious values but is also a good spot for a weekend getaway. Situated amidst the Sahyadri Hills and in the thick rainforest, the place is at an altitude of 3000 feet (approx.) which makes it a perfect hill station for you to relax.
About the place
Bhimashankar, as stated earlier is the land of Lord Shiva. The Bhimashankar Temple is one among the twelve shrines and is of course one of the oldest and the most worshipped places by the Hindus. In case you would want to visit the temple in the Hindu Shravan month, the suggestion is to be a bit early as by 10 or 11, it gets really crowded, crowded to this extent that you might have to park your vehicle 5-6 km ahead and walk up to the temple. Apart from this period the temple does not witness much crowd. Once in the periphery of the temple, you will come across a lot of food outlets. The temple has a lot of stairs to go down so as to reach the dome where magnificent Lord Shiva resides, silver plated.
The place also because of its diverse flora n fauna is regarded and declared as a wildlife sanctuary so it would be a good spot for a nature sucker.
Weather
The not so good time to visit this place is in the month of March-May. By the second week of June this place witnesses regular showers and which leads to quite a number of beautiful waterfalls, so the drive up till the hill is worthwhile. One problem that the travellers may face is the frequent landslides during the months of June-September which may lead to change of routes to reach the place. Also, the best time to go here is not only during the showers but also on the onset of winters i.e. from October to February when the weather would a bit chilly and foggy.
How to reach Bhimashankar/Stay
Bhimashankar is approximately 110 km away from Pune and at a distance of 225 km from Mumbai. Therefore, the best option to be here is to drive down with your own or hired vehicle which will let you witness the beauty at ease and on your own terms. The early morning i.e. the time of 6-9 can give you some eye candy views. So I would suggest you to drive a bit early to witness the sunrise and the fog in the hills.
In case you like to trek or are trekking for the first time the suitable time to go would be during the winters as the monsoons make the slopes slippery and hard to climb. However, experienced trekkers will find trekking in monsoon quite pleasing because of its challenging nature and the chill weather.
In case you plan to stay in for the weekend, you will have to make an online booking with sites like Make My Trip or Trivago and so as to avoid the dynamic fare issue, make it a week prior.
