Bhimashankar is the sixth Jyotirlinga in the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra ("डाकिन्यां भीमशंकरम्"). By tradition it is placed on the Sahyadri in the Pune district of Maharashtra, at the source of the Bhima river; but the Assam government holds the temple at Pamohi (Dakini hill) near Guwahati to be Bhimashankar, since the Shiva Purana’s story is set in Kamarupa. Both sides are given below.
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- Deity
- Shiva (Bhimashankar)
- Tradition
- Shaiva
Where is Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga: 2 places are named
The sources do not agree on one place. Each place is given below; which source holds which view is under "Where the sources differ".
Bhimashankar (Bhorgiri village), Pune district
Maharashtra
In the Sahyadri, where the Bhima river rises; according to the trust the same river is called the Chandrabhaga at Pandharpur. By tradition this has long been taken as the sixth Jyotirlinga.
Darshan timings
| Temple opens | 5:00 AM |
|---|---|
| Darshan and abhishekam | 5:30 AM–12:00 noon, 12:20–2:45 PM |
| Darshan | 3:20–7:30 PM, 8:00–9:30 PM |
| Temple closes | 9:30 PM |
These are the usual hours. In 2026 the temple was closed for a while for work on the hall and the steps and reopened on 15 June 2026, with darshan from 7 to 11 AM for 1,000 devotees a day booked online (ETV Bharat, 15 June 2026). For Shravan 2026 darshan was extended to 5 AM–9:30 PM (News18 Marathi, 12 August 2026). The 7–11 AM notice was still on this page of the trust on 5 October 2026, so confirm the hours and booking with the trust before you go.
Source: shreebhimashankar.comChecked:
Pamohi (Dakini hill), Guwahati, Kamrup
Assam
The Assam government called it the sixth Jyotirlinga in February 2023 (Deccan Herald and PTI reports), on the ground that the Shiva Purana’s story is set in Kamarupa. We found no Assam government page for it, and no darshan hours.
The story of Bhimashankar: Bhima, the son of Kumbhakarna
According to the Shiva Purana (Kotirudra Samhita, chapters 20–21), Bhima, the son of Kumbhakarna and Karkati, lived with his mother on the Sahya mountain. To avenge his father he won immense strength from Brahma by penance, defeated the gods and imprisoned Sudakshina, the Shiva-devoted king of Kamarupa. Even in prison the king kept worshipping an earthen linga.
When Bhima struck the linga with his sword, Shiva appeared, broke his weapons and burnt him to ashes with the sound "Hum". At the gods’ request Shiva stayed there under the name Bhimashankar.
The trust of the Pune district temple tells another story: after the battle with Tripurasura Shiva rested here, his sweat became the Bhima river, and Shakini and Dakini, who helped him, were also given a place here.
How to reach Bhimashankar
- The Pune district temple: 125 km from Pune, 223 km from Mumbai; nearest airport Pune (125 km), railway station Karjat (about 65 km) (Maharashtra Tourism).
Main festivals
Where the sources differ
- The scripture points both ways: the Shiva Purana’s story is about Sudakshina, king of Kamarupa (the translator equates Kamarupa with the Guwahati region), yet Bhima lives on the Sahya mountain, and the Purana’s list calls Bhimashankar’s upalinga Bhimeshvara "सह्याचले प्रसिद्धं" (famous on the Sahyadri). In a note to Shatarudra Samhita 42 the translator places Bhimashankar on the Bhima river north-west of Pune.
- The meaning of "डाकिन्यां": the Assam side reads it as Dakini hill (Guwahati); the Pune trust links it with the goddess Dakini who helped Shiva.
- Some also name Kashipur in Uttarakhand (Moteshwar Mahadev) and Bhimpur in Odisha as Bhimashankar, but we found no reliable source for this; the Udham Singh Nagar district’s government page does not call the Moteshwar temple a Jyotirlinga.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra or in Assam?
By tradition the Bhimashankar in the Pune district (Maharashtra) has long been taken as the sixth Jyotirlinga. Since 2023 the Assam government has held the temple at Pamohi near Guwahati to be Bhimashankar, since the Shiva Purana’s story is set in Kamarupa; yet the same Purana calls Bhima a dweller of the Sahya mountain. So both views stand.
Where is Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga?
Opinions differ. Bhimashankar (Bhorgiri village), Pune district (Maharashtra) and Pamohi (Dakini hill), Guwahati, Kamrup (Assam) are each held to be Bhimashankar. Which source holds which view is given under "Where the sources differ" on this page.
Which lists of tirthas include Bhimashankar?
The 12 Jyotirlingas (number 6 of 12 in the list).
How to reach Bhimashankar?
The Pune district temple: 125 km from Pune, 223 km from Mumbai; nearest airport Pune (125 km), railway station Karjat (about 65 km) (Maharashtra Tourism).
Sources
- Shree Kshetra Bhimashankar Trust (official site): temple schedule, shreebhimashankar.com/en/temple-schedule; about the temple, /en/about-temple; trustees, /en/trustee
- Maharashtra Tourism: Bhimashankar, maharashtratourism.gov.in/temple/bhimashankar; Jyotirlinga leaflet (2024)
- Deccan Herald, 15 February 2023: the Assam government’s advertisement, "the sixth Jyotirlinga at Dakini Hill, Kamrup"; ThePrint/PTI, 20 February 2023: the Chief Minister’s statement at Pamohi
- Udham Singh Nagar district (Government of Uttarakhand): Chaiti Devi, Moteshwar Mahadev temple, usnagar.nic.in/tourist-place/chaiti-devi-temple
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita, chapter 20 और 21 (J. L. Shastri's English translation, wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226521.html; numbered as in the Sanskrit text on sa.wikisource; the Gita Press abridged edition numbers chapters differently)
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 1.40 (the upalinga Bhimeshvara, "सह्याचले प्रसिद्धं"), sa.wikisource.org; the note to Shatarudra Samhita 42, wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226438.html
- Shiva Purana, Kotirudra Samhita 1.21–23 (the list of the twelve), Sanskrit text: sa.wikisource.org (शिवपुराणम्, संहिता ४, अध्यायः १)
- Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra ("सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च …"), text: sanskritdocuments.org/doc_shiva/jyotirling.html
- Wikidata Q1093326, Q19882332 (coordinates, CC0)
- ETV Bharat (Marathi), 15 June 2026: Bhimashankar temple opens for darshan, online booking compulsory, etvbharat.com/mr/state/bhimashankar-temple-opens-for-devotees-darshan-today-online-booking-is-compulsory-for-darshan-in-pune-mhs26061502462
- News18 Marathi, 12 August 2026: Bhimashankar darshan hours in Shravan, news18marathi.com/pune/bhimashankar-temple-shravan-month-new-timings-open-for-16-hours-check-timings-local18-1752443.html
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