Bhimashankar - Abhishek Puja

Bhimashankar Temple is one of the most ancient and revered Jyotirlinga shrines in India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and holds immense religious importance.It is located in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra, about 110 km from Pune, surrounded by the lush green forests of the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Abhishek (or Abhisheka) is a Sanskrit word that literally means “to bathe” or “to anoint.” In a religious context, it is a sacred ritual of bathing the deity’s idol (in this case, the Shiva Lingam at Bhimashankar) with various holy substances while chanting Vedic mantras.
It is one of the most important forms of worship offered to Lord Shiva. The ritual symbolizes the devotee’s act of purifying the soul and surrendering to the divine.

At first, Sankalp is taken in the name of the devotees. Then devotees invoke Lord Shiva with mantras and prayers chanted by the pujari. After that, milk, curd, honey, sugar and ghee are used for Abhishek on Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga along with mantras chanted by the pujari. At last, arti is done by the pujari of Bhimashankar temple and blessings are taken by the devotees.