Bhimashwar Mandir

Nagaon, Taluka Alibag, District Raigad

The self-manifest Bhimashwar Mahadev Mandir is situated in the renowned village of Nagaon, located on the Alibag-Revdanda road. This temple is famous among devotees, historians, and scholars alike due to its ancient inscription. According to records in the Kolaba Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency, this inscription dates back to the Christian year one thousand three hundred and sixty-seven. Villagers also refer to this temple, nestled amidst coconut and betel nut groves, as the temple of Bhimnath. It is counted among the ancient temples of Alibag Taluka.

A legend associated with this temple recounts that the land where it stands was once farmland. One day, while ploughing, a farmer found his ploughshare stained with blood. That very night, he had a dream in which he received a command: ‘I am the protector of this town; create a temporary shelter for me.’ In accordance with this, the farmer built a shelter there. The mark of the plough striking the Shiva Lingam is still shown today. According to another legend, Sardar Bivalkar, a chieftain of Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, had immense faith in this deity. His daughter, Bhimatai, made a vow to Mahadev here for the blessing of a child. Within a few days, she was blessed with a son. Thereafter, this place was named Bhimashwar.

Records indicate that the Bhimashwar Mandir was renovated by the Peshwas in one thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight. Upon entering through an archway from the road, one is greeted by a distinctive stone-built Pushkarani (temple tank). Beside it stands a Deepastambha (lamp pillar) and four Tulsi Vrindavans (basins for holy basil). Near the temple’s entrance, beneath a tree, are two ancient idols. They are said to have been found in the Pushkarani here. One is of a Devi (Goddess), and the other is of Bhairava.

The temple has entrances on the east and north. The wooden doors of the tiled temple appear to be of ancient design. The temple’s structure comprises a Mandap (hall), a Sabhamandap (assembly hall), and a Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum). As the temple stands on a high plinth, one ascends six steps from the Mandap to enter the Sabhamandap. In the Sabhamandap, a large idol of Nandi is placed on a platform. It is customary to view the Shiva Lingam through Nandi’s horns. On the ceiling side of the Sabhamandap are old glass lanterns. The two-storied Sabhamandap features extensive use of wood in its construction. In the Sabhamandap, on the ornate niches of the Garbhagriha’s front wall, there are ancient idols of Ganapati on the right and Kalabhairava on the left. The entrance to the Garbhagriha is adorned with intricately carved द्वारशाखा (door jambs). On the Mandovara (lintel) of the entrance are two Kirtimukhas, an idol of Ganesha at the Lalatabimba (central part of the lintel), and carvings on the Uttaranga (upper part). In the Garbhagriha, at the center of the floor, is the Lingam of Bhimashwar Mahadev. Around this Lingam is a metal serpent, and beside it, a Trishula (trident). In the niche on the wall behind the Lingam is a marble idol of Mother Parvati.

As one exits through the northern door of the temple’s Sabhamandap, there is an inscription on a step to the right. This inscription, approximately sixty centimeters long and forty-five centimeters wide, is carved on a polished stone slab. The Kolaba Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency mentions that this inscription dates back to the Christian year one thousand three hundred and sixty-seven. Of the twenty-eight lines in this inscription, the first three are in Sanskrit, while the rest of the text is in Marathi. Being well-carved, all the text on it is legible. Previously, this slab was loose. During the renovation of the Bhimashwar temple in the Peshwa period, it was embedded in the temple steps.

Professor Sh. Go. Tulpule’s book ‘Prachin Marathi Koriv Lekh’ (Ancient Marathi Inscriptions) provides a detailed description of this inscription. It mentions a land grant made in Shaka one thousand two hundred and eighty-nine, which corresponds to the Christian year one thousand three hundred and sixty-seven to sixty-eight, during the reign of Hambirrao in Thane-Konkan. The epithet ‘Shrimatyapraudhipratapachakravarti Maharajadhiraja,’ usually applied to the Yadavas of Devagiri, is used after Hambirrao’s name. This suggests that he was either related to the Yadava dynasty or considered himself equally great. Furthermore, the inscription also mentions the four boundaries of the place: Naau Mhataryachi Wadi to the east, Chorlewadi to the north, Pathiar Wadi to the west, and Konishtiyachi Wadi to the south. This inscription clearly mentions the Hijri year seven hundred and sixty-nine and Shaka one thousand two hundred and eighty-nine, Plavanga Samvatsara. This indicates that the Muslim influence had grown to such an extent that a Hindu kingdom mentioned the Hijri calendar. Additionally, Muslim names like Mhairu Mahamadu (Meher Muhammad) Dauvar Aya and Haji Dauvar Aya are recorded as witnesses.

The festival of Mahashivaratri is celebrated here with great enthusiasm. Villagers who have settled in cities for work or business make it a point to return and participate in this festival. The Palkhi (palanquin) procession on this day is also a beautiful sight. The Palkhi travels through Nagaon all night with music and singing, arriving at the Bhimashwar Mandir around dawn. Generally, the temple is open to devotees throughout the day.

Useful Information:

• Seven kilometers from Alibag
• ST bus service available from Alibag, Revdanda, and Murud
• Private vehicles can reach the temple
• Many options for accommodation and breakfast in the vicinity