Pune VIDEO: Bhimashankar Temple Sees Huge Devotee Rush On First Shravan Somwar & Nag Panchami

Pune: A huge crowd of devotees gathered at the Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga Temple in Pune district on Monday as the first Shravan Somwar coincided with Nag Panchami. The temple premises witnessed a surge of pilgrims from early morning, with chants of “Har Har Mahadev” filling the area.

The administration has extended the temple’s opening hours from 5 am to 9.30 pm to manage the rush. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has also arranged additional buses for devotees travelling to Bhimashankar.

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More than 250 police personnel and Home Guards have been deployed in and around the temple area to manage the crowd and maintain law and order.

Shravan Somwar is considered highly important for devotees of Lord Shiva. Every Monday during the Hindu month of Shravan, devotees visit Shiva temples and offer water, milk, flowers and other items to the Shivling. Many devotees also observe a fast on these Mondays.

The first Monday of Shravan is especially significant for devotees who observe the Solah Somwar vrat. Some unmarried women begin the 16-Monday fast from the first Monday of Shravan while praying for a suitable match.

The rush at Bhimashankar is particularly high during Shravan, as the temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas dedicated to Lord Shiva. Maharashtra has three Jyotirlingas: Bhimashankar, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar.

Special rituals, including Rudrabhishek, are performed at the temple during Shravan. Devotees traditionally offer milk, water, honey and other items to the Shivling during the ritual.

The heavy rush comes soon after the temple reopened following a prolonged closure for renovation. The temple had initially closed on 1st January 2026 for major redevelopment work costing around ₹288 crore. The work was linked to preparations for the 2027 Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela and included a new assembly hall, staircase and crowd-management infrastructure.

The temple remained closed during Mahashivratri on 15th February as construction work was still underway. It was closed again from 9th April to 31st May to complete the remaining work before the monsoon.

The temple finally reopened on 15th June after being closed for around five-and-a-half months.

Following its reopening, devotees have been required to register online for darshan through the temple’s official system. Walk-in entry was not allowed during the initial phase. The administration had also limited daily darshan to 1,000 devotees, with the temple operating from 7 am to 11 pm.

With the start of Shravan, however, the administration has made additional arrangements to handle the expected increase in the number of pilgrims.

In Maharashtra, Shravan follows the Amanta calendar. This year, the month began on 13th August and will continue until 11th September. The remaining Shravan Somwars will fall on 24th and 31st August and 7th September.

Given the expected rush during the remaining Mondays, devotees have been advised to plan their visit in advance and complete the required registration before travelling to Bhimashankar.