Trimbakeshwar Temple

Shri Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple is in the town of Trimbak in Nashik district, Maharashtra. This ancient temple lies 28 km from Nashik city. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is the 8th of the twelve jyotirlingas. The sacred Godavari river originates near Trimbak. Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao built the current structure after the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb destroyed it.

Trimbakeshwar town is home to many Brahmins and is also a famous center for Vedic Gurukuls. One can also find many ashrams and mutts for Ashtanga Yoga here.

Hindus believe that those who visit Trimbakeshwar will achieve Moksha. It is holy for many reasons. The Godavari river originates here, and it is a place of Tri-Sandhya Gayatri. It is also the birthplace of Lord Ganesha and the place of the first Nath of Nath Sampradaya, consisting of Gorakhnath and others. Also, at this place, Nivrittinath imbibed the holy knowledge thanks to his Guru, Gahininath.

Maha Shivaratri sees grand celebrations at the temple.

Legend of Trimbakeshwar Temple

According to the Shiva Purana, Brahma and Vishnu had an argument related to their supremacy. To resolve the dispute, Shiva manifested as a towering pillar of light, the Jyotirlinga. Vishnu and Brahma decided that whoever found its origin would be the superior god. Vishnu became a boar and dug deep into the earth to find its origin. Brahma turned into a swan and flew up to find the end of the light. Neither succeeded in their endeavor. But Brahma lied that he found the origin of the pillar of light, while Vishnu admitted his failure. Shiva then cursed Brahma, saying that people would not worship him.

The Jyotirlinga temples are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light. The belief is that there were 64 jyotirlingas originally, with 12 of them being very auspicious and holy. Each of the twelve jyotirlinga temples takes the name of its presiding deity, who is a manifestation of Shiva. At all these temples, the primary image is the lingam, which represents the pillar that has no beginning or end, symbolizing Shiva’s infinite nature.

The twelve Jyothirlinga shrines are Somnath (Gujarat), Mallikarjuna (Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh), Mahakaleswar (Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Bhimashankar (Maharashtra), Viswanath (Varanasi, UP), Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Vaidyanath (Deoghar, Jharkhand), Nageshwar Temple (Dwaraka, Gujarat), Rameshwar (Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu) and Grishneshwar (Aurangabad, Maharashtra).

Shiva appeared as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the Arudra Nakshatra. There is a belief that one can see the Jyotirlingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth when one attains a high level of spiritual awareness.

The entire temple is of black stone. It has amazing architecture and sculptures. The temple lies at the foothills of the Brahmagiri mountain. Three sources of the Godavari River originate from this mountain.

Kushavarta Pond

Just 5 minutes away from the main shrine is a sacred pond called Kushavarta. It is from here that the Ganges flows to the rest of India. Devotees believe that a dip in this sacred river wipes off all sins. Sage Gautam killed a cow once. By bathing in this river, he washed away his sin. This pond is the starting point of the Kumbh Mela, an event which takes place once in 12 years. Saints from all over India visit this place on the occasion of Kumbh Mela to take a holy bath.

Rituals at the Temple

Many devotees visit Trimbakeshwar temple to perform religious rituals like Narayan Nagbali, Kalsarpa Shanti, Tripindi Vidhi, etc. Narayan Nagbali Pooja takes place only at Trimbakeshwar. It is a 3-day Pooja and is performed on certain special dates only. Devotees believe that this Pooja is good for curing illness, overcoming bad times, removing the sin of killing a cobra (Nag), for progeny, for financial stability, etc.

Architecture of the Trimbakeshwar Temple

The temple lies between three hills - Brahmagiri, Nilagiri, and Kalagiri. It has three lingas representing Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. The temple tank is Amritavarshini. There are three other water bodies - Bilvatirtha, Viswanantirtha, and Mukundatirtha. Images of various deities, like Ganga, Jaleswara, Kedarnatha, Rameswara, Gautameswara, Rama, Krishna, Parashurama, and Lakshmi Narayana are found here. There are also many monasteries and samadhis of saints.

The existing temple was built using basalt after Peshwa Nanasaheb commissioned it. The Peshwa supposedly made a bet on whether the stone surrounding the Jyotirlinga was hollow from the inside or not. The stone proved to be hollow, and after losing the bet, he built a marvelous temple from the stone. The Shivlingam is believed to be self-manifested. The temple is enclosed within a stone wall that is around 20-25 feet high.

The temple dates back to the 18th century and is in the Nagara style of architecture. It has a spacious courtyard. The temple is on a Shikhara, or elevated platform, with a carved stone plate shaped like a lotus. The Garbagriha is in the innermost part, and the high walls of the temple guard the temple deity. The Garbagriha has a hall with a Mandap in front of it, having three entrances.

The temple’s walls and pillars are decorated with figures of deities, flowers, human beings, and animals. There is also a mirror that is placed at a height. This enables devotees to glimpse the deity’s reflection.

The Jyotirlinga here is unique as its three faces embody Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Because of the excessive use of water, the Linga has begun to erode, and this erosion supposedly signifies the erosion of values in human society. The Linga is covered by a jeweled crown placed over the Gold Mask of Trideva (Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva). The crown supposedly dates from the time of the Pandavas and has diamonds, emeralds, and other precious stones encrusted on it. The crown is displayed on all Mondays from 4-5 pm.

The idol of Shiva here had on it the world-famous Nassak Diamond. The British looted it during the Third Anglo-Maratha War. The diamond is now with Edward J. Hand, a trucking firm executive hailing from Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.

Trimbakeshwar temple looks very inviting during the monsoon season due to the lush green hills that surround it. Anjaneri Mountain, Lord Hanuman’s birthplace, is 7 km from Trimbakeshwar.

Sri Neelambika/Dattatreya/Matamba temple

This temple stands atop the Neel mountain. As per mythology, the goddesses Matamba, Renuka, and Mananmba came here to see Parashurama when he was doing penance. After his penance was over, he requested the goddesses to stay back there. Hence, the temple came up for the 3 goddesses.

Benefits of Worshipping at Trimakeshwar Temple

Relief from Rahu and Ketu Dosha

Relief from Pitru Dosha.

It can remove one’s sins.

It bestows good health and wealth.

How to Reach

By Air

The nearest airport is the Gandhinagar Airport (Nashik), which is around 55 kilometers away.

By Rail

Nashik Road Railway Station, the nearest railway station, is well-connected to many cities in India.

By Road

The temple is well-connected by state-run and private buses from nearby cities. One can also hire taxis.

Temple Timings

The temple is open from 5.30 am to 9 pm.