Bhimashankar - Rudrabhishek Puja

Rudrabhishek puja at Bhimashankar is a sacred ritual dedicated to Lord Shiva, performed at the ancient Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga temple in Maharashtra. Devotees believe it brings prosperity, removes obstacles, and purifies the atmosphere by bathing the Shiva Linga with offerings like milk, curd, honey, ghee, and sacred water, while priests chant Vedic mantras. This powerful ceremony is often performed during auspicious times like Shravan month, Maha Shivaratri, or Mondays.

Rudra 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.