Trimbakeshwar Temple - One of the 12 Jyotirlings

Located at a distance of about 30 km from Nashik and 125 km from Shirdi, at the foothills of a mountain called Brahmagiri, the Trimbakeshwar Temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas (Self manifested lingams of Shiva popularly known as the Dwadasa Jyotirlinga) of Shiva. There are accounts of Lord Rama having made the Yatra at Trimbakeshwar.

[ One of the 12 Jyotirlinga's - Trimbakeshwar Temple

photo courtesy google images ]

[ The Trimbakeshwar Temple as seen from the car parking area ]

I was here on a Shravan Monday, His favorite day in His favorite month, and there was a humongous line for the darshan, but passionate chants of ‘Har Har Mahadeo’ and ‘Bum Bum Bhole’ and enthusiasm of the devotees kept us going.

The look of the temple is very similar to the Kalaram Temple and Sundernarayan Temple we have visited earlier. It is built entirely with black stones and has a shikhar (spire) topped with a golden trident. The porch of the temple is decorated with beautifully carved and decorated pillars and arches. The temple walls are intricately sculpted with floral designs and figures of various Gods and Goddesses.

The temple is unique in various aspects which makes it one of its kind in the country. There are 2 idols of Nandi in the temple, one in the courtyard and  the other inside the temple room in front of the sanctum. The sanctum has three “Lings”, of the size of a thumb, identified as Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh - the creator, the organizer and the destroyer. They are placed in a square space positioned at the three corners of a triangle. It is also the only Jyotirling where the Lings are in a hollow space beneath the floor. There is a huge mirror placed strategically such that the devotees can get a clear view of the lings. Since there are three lings, the place is known as Trimbakeshwar. One more amazing aspect is that they are always submerged in the water of the Ganges naturally.

Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temple courtyard.

While approaching Trimbakeshwar, 20 km from Nashik on the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar road, we spotted the Anjaneri Mountain.

[ The Anjaneri Mountain ]

Not only is it unusual and beautiful but is also a place of devotion and worship since it is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. From the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar road, one has to take a diversion from the Anjaneri Phata towards the Anjaneri village, from where it takes around 2 hours to reach the Anjaneri plateau on foot. Here you can visit the Anjaneri fort and the Temple of Anjani Mata, the mother of Lord Hanuman.

[ From the highway you can see the two pinnacles called Navara and Navari ]

The entire trek is said to be very beautiful with various waterfalls, dense forests, caves and lakes giving you company. We have never visited the place but would definitely love to visit it some day!

(The other Jyotirling that I have covered in my blog is Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirling also known by the name Shri Vishweshwar in Varanasi)