http://travelindiathroughmyeyes.com/trimbakeshwar-a-jyotirlinga-in-the-lap-of-nature-where-godavari-originates/rameshkabra
Introduction
Today my travelogue takes you to a place in the lap of nature near home. We travel to Trimbak just 28 kms away from Nasik. We not only seek blessings at the holy shrine of Trimbakeshwar but also explore the many other delights of Trimbak. It is one of the important Jyotirlingas. It is also one of the destinations that along with Nasik has the distinction of holding the Kumbh Mela once in twelve years. I have visited Trimbak and the areas around Trimbak several times. These visits were to not only have darshan but also to seek god’s manifestation in the form of verdant nature. The road from Nasik to Trimbak is excellent and the 35 mins drive is scenic. During monsoon, a profusion of waterfalls enhances the beauty of Trimbak area.
The legend of Jyotirlingas
According to Śhiva Mahāpurāṇa, once Brahma (the creator) and Vishnu (the preserver) had an argument to decide who among the three gods was the supreme. To settle the debate, Shiva pierced the three worlds appearing as a huge infinite pillar of light, the Jyotirlinga.
Vishnu and Brahma split their ways in downward and upward directions respectively to find the end of the light. Both could not reach the end. While Vishnu conceded his defeat, Brahma lied that he had found the end of the light. This lie of Brahma angered Shiva. He cursed Brahma that even though he is the creator of the universe, none would worship him. The jyotirlinga shrines are temples where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.
Originally there were 64 jyotirlingas out of which twelve are very auspicious and holy. The presiding deity at each site gives its name to each of the twelve jyotirlinga. Each Jyotirlinga is a different manifestation of Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is Shivlinga representing the beginningless and endless Stambha (pillar), symbolising the infinite nature of Shiva.
Shiva the supreme
“नमस्ते अस्तु भगवन विश्र्वेश्र्वराय
महादेवाय त्र्यम्बकाय त्रिपुरान्तकाय
त्रिकालाग्निकालाय कालाग्निरुद्राय
नीलकण्ठाय मृत्युंजयाय सर्वेश्र्वराय सदाशिवाय
श्रीमन् महादेवाय नमः”
(Oh Lord, salutations to you, Oh Lord of the Universe, Greatest of them all! He who has three eyes (eye of omniscience), he who gives enlightenment which is beyond three worlds, He who like fire devours all three times (past, present, future) within himself, Like time, He who ends everything, like time he who disciplines the world into order, He whose body is vast ( blue like sky, oceans), He who has conquered Yama, the Lord of Death/ Time.
Lord of all Beings, Consciousness which is untouched by the world yet everything in the world is because of him.
Oh great Lord, salutations to you!)
Trimbakeshwar
Trimbakeshwar is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. All other jyotirlingas have Shiva as the main deity but Trimbakeshwar has an extraordinary feature. Here the jyotirlinga has three lingas embodying Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. Due to the excessive use of water, the linga has started to erode.People believe that this erosion symbolizes the eroding nature of human society. A jeweled crown covered the lingas. A golden mask covered the lingas of Tridev (Brahma Vishnu Mahesh). As per legends the crown made of gold is from the age of Pandavs. It consists of diamonds, emeralds, and many precious stones.
For safety reasons now, the crown & golden mask cover the lingas only on Mondays between 4 and 5 pm. A silver mask covers the lingas at all other times. A palki procession also takes place every Monday. There is a colourful wooden Ratha (chatiot) which is taken out on important festival days.
About Trimbakeshwar temple
The name Trimbakeshwar signifies three eyes of Shiva and also the three swayambhu lingas. The site & the lingas are ancient. Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Sahib) built the present temple in place of the much older temple between 1755 and 1786. It cost 1.6 million rupees.
Destruction of the older temple
To quote Jadunath Sarkar from ‘History of Aurangzeb’ on the destruction of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling by Aurangzeb’s forces,
Circa 1690. Instances of Aurangzeb’s temple destruction at Ellora, Trimbakeshwar, Narsinghpur (foiled by snakes, scorpions, and other poisonous insects), Pandharpur, Jejuri (foiled by the deity!), and Yavat (Bhuleshwar) are given by K. N Sane in Varshik Itibritta for Shaka 1838, pp 133-135.
Description of the temple
This temple is the most elegant and complete specimen of the North Indian or Indo-Aryan style found in Maharashtra. The entire black stone temple has appealing architecture and sculptures. At the top of the spire of the temple there is a golden trident. Just in front of the main entrance is Nandi’s pavillion. Devotees first offer their obeisance to Nandi and then enter the temple. Carved pillars and arches decorate the sabha mandap. Intricate floral designs and figures of gods & goddesses adorn the walls. Three entrances have porches attached to them.
The temple premises has a sacred rectangular tank called Amritavarshini. It measures 28 m (92 ft) by 30 m (98 ft). The temple is located in the middle of a walled courtyard that measures 260 ft by 220 ft. A 25 feet stone wall runs around the temple with openings on all four sides. The main entry is through the large imposing mukhya dwar (principal gate).
Legend/mythology associated with origin of Godavari
Godavari, the second longest river of India, originates from the Brahmagiri mountain. People in Nasik also call it Ganga or Gautami. After its origin at Brahmagiri, the river flows in three directions as Godavari (east flowing), Vaitarna (south flowing) & Chakra Tirth (west flowing). On top of the Brahmagiri mountain one can see the temples of Godavari and Shiv. There is an interesting legend about the origin of Godavari. I shall reproduce the gist of the long story here.
Narration as per Shiv Puran
As per narration in Shiv Puran, Gautam Muni lived on the Brahmagiri hill with his wife Ahilya. He accidentally killed a cow with a bunch of grass (durba) while trying to ward it off. In order to wash his sins he did penance and prayed to Lord Shiva to bring Ganga down. Pleased with his devotion, Shiva requested Ganga to flow down in the form of Godavari and wash the sin of Rishi Gautam. However, Ganga was not prepared to part with Lord Shiva and it irritated him. He performed Tandav Nrutya (Shiva’s ferocious dance) on the peak of Brahmagiri and dashed his jata there. Frightened by this action, Ganges appeared on Brahmagiri.
At the request of Rishi Gautam, Lord Shiva ordered her to stay on Brahmagiri eternally for the good of everyone. He also acceded to the request of the Rishi and manifested himself as Trimbakeshwar. Shiva settled down at the foot of Brahmagiri and receives Ganga after her descent.
There are several versions to this legend though the gist is the same.
History of Nassak diamond
Not many are aware that a large diamond Neelmani – (the “Nassak diamond” ) once adorned the jyotirlinga at Trimbakeshwar. The name Nassak diamond is derived from Nasik.
The Nassak Diamond is a large, 43.38 carats (8.676 g) diamond. The original diamond was a larger 89 carat diamond and was among the top 5 diamonds in the world in size. It was mined in the 15th century in Golconda mines. The Marathas gave it as gift to Trimbakeshwar temple. It adorned the crown put on the jyotirlinga. People called it the the third eye of Shiva. The British East India Company got hold of the diamond after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. But some historians believe that the Peshwa gave it as a gift after signing of the treaty. The British East India Company sold it to British jewellers Rundell and Bridge in 1818. Rundell and Bridge re-cut the diamond after which it made its way into the handle of the 1st Marquess of Westminster‘s dress sword.
The Nassak Diamond found its way to USA in 1927. In 1930, it was among the first 24 great diamonds of the world. American jeweller Harry Winston acquired the Nassak Diamond in 1940 in Paris. They re-cut it to its present flawless 43.38 carats (8.676 g) emerald cut shape. After that the diamond has exchanged hands several times. Currently the diamond is with a art dealer in Lebanon. There are calls for its return and restoration to the Indian temple.
Temple timings & darshan/puja
The temple remains open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Devotees have to stand in queue for darshan. There is huge inflow of devotees during Mahashivratri and the holy month of shravan. So it takes close to 4 to 5 hours for darshan. One can buy a VIP ticket for Rs 250/- per head and get darshan in 30 mins. Earlier male members with bare torso & wearing dhoti could go down in to the sanctum for abhishek. But as the linga was seeing erosion, even this practice has stopped. After darshan, from a distance you can sit in the mandap and you could engage the pujari for doing abhishek puja.
Please take a pictorial tour of Trimbakeshwar temple :
Kushavarta Tirth – the holy tank
Kushavart is the sacred tirth in Trimbak (about 400 metres from Trimbakeshwar temple). Here Godavari becomes visible for the first time after descending from Brahmagiri. The name Kushavart is because Rishi Gautam had used Kusha grass on all four sides to hold the river. It is 21 feet deep. Devout Hindus coming to Trimbak take a dip in this holy tank. The Shaiva Sadhus take a dip in the holy tank first and then the public during Simhasta Kumbh. With large number of people taking bath in the kund, cleanliness and filtration of the water becomes a major issue. The current facilities are proving to be inadequate.
There are beautiful corridors /passage that run around the kund. They have beautiful arches and there are shrines at all the corners. Beautiful sculptures of Hindu gods are on the walls at two levels all around the kund. They include the avatars of Vishnu. There are several temples & shrines around the kund. Shreemant Rao Sahib Parnekar (Fadnavis of Indore State) built the beautiful passages & shrines all around the edges.
Kedareshwar temple
Kedareshwar temple is located at south-east corner of Kushvart Kund. It is a beautiful temple. Many visitors miss seeing the exquisitely carved sculptures of Hindu gods on one of the walls of the temple. This wall runs adjacent to a narrow street. In my opinion it is worth visiting Trimbak just to admire these sculptures. I was wonder-struck when I saw them for the first time. Some of the images of Shiva are quite different from the images seen elsewhere. Despite my efforts I could not get any authentic details about the temple – the year of construction, who built it etc. I am sure these unique sculptures would impress you equally when you go through the gallery below. The temple has three entrances – one of them opens towards the kund.
Neel Parbat and its temples.
Not far from Trimbakeshwar temple there is a hill by the name Neel Parbat (Blue Mountain). There are several temples on the top and the view of the Trimbakeshwar range of mountains is mesmerizing. Vehicles go up to the top. I have gone twice to the top but on both occasions I preferred to trek up the hill. The climb involves 200 steps. Shreemant Seth Kapol had built the steps. The sadhus from Juna Akhada (math of Gosavi sect) stay on the top.
Temples dedicated to Neelambika devi and Matamba Devi (incarnations of Devi Durga) are on the top. In addition there are temples of Dattatreya, Brahma, Shiva & Renukaji. As per mythology Lord Parshuram had done a tapasya (penance) on this hill. All these three goddesses had also come to his tapasya and after blessing him stayed back. As per local legends, Lord Dattatreya was born here. The temples were clean and invite attention from a distance due to their striking colour.
Ballaleshwar Ganesh temple
In this temple, there is no priest and the temple remains open at all times. Anyone can walk in any time and perform the puja as per his/her own wish.
Some snippets – glimpses of Trimbak
Sant Nivruttinath samadhi / temple
Trimbak is also an important destination for Varkari Sampradaya. Sant Nivrittinath took samadhi here in the 14th century at the young age of 21. He was the first to achieve sainthood in the Varkari Sampradaya. He had guided his three siblings Dnyaneshwar, Sopan dev and Muktabai along the path of spiritual enlightenment. Nivruttinath advised Dnyaneshwar to write an independent philosophical work. This work is called Amrutanubhav. There is a Samadhi Mandir in Trimbak. An annual yatra takes place in the month of January on Pausha Ekadashi day.
Tirthas (holy kund)
There was a time when Trimbak had 9 tirthas (holy water tanks). Some of them are Bilwa Tirtha, Gautam Tirtha, Indra Tirtha, Ahilya Sangam Tirtha, Ram- Lakshman Tirtha etc. All of them have a legend associated with them.
Brahmagiri
Brahmagiri gets its name from Lord Brahma. It is the first peak of Sahayadri range. It has a height of 4248 feet from sea-level. Trimbak is at a height of about 2400 feet so one has to climb 1248 feet to reach the peak of Brahmagiri. It is a beautiful trek to the origin of river Godavari. Mid way there is Gangadwar or Gaumukh. There are 750 steps that lead you to the top. On way one comes across several temples & caves. During monsoon there are a number of waterfalls that present a beautiful sight.
Pujas in Trimbak
Whether you call it faith or superstition but Hindus believe in performing different types of pujas, vidhis & rituals. This is done to ward off some doshas in their kundali. It could be to propitiate a particular god / heavenly body whose negative influence is causing setbacks in life. There are authorized pujaris, purohits or priests who are ‘Tamrapatradhari’ who perform these rituals. These pujas or rituals are successful only if they are performed in Trimbak. These pujas are Narayan Nagbali, Kalsarpa puja, Mahamrityunjay mantra jaap, Tripindi shradha, Rudra Abhisheka etc.
Old wadas/ buildings
There are many old interesting wadas (mansions) & buildings in Trimbak where you can see tiled roofs and lot of use of wood in the architecture.
Scenic beauty around Trimbak
Nature is at its best around Trimbak during the monsoon season. The lofty mountains, spectacular waterfalls, meandering streams & brooks amidst the rocky terrain look so mesmerising. The lush green topography, clouds hanging low, pristine air, stunning vistas combine to give the feel of being in paradise.
Numismatics / Coin Museum
There is a Numismatics museum at a distance of 19 kms from Nasik on Trimbak Road. Local public knows it as Coin museum. The museum is under the Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies established in 1980. This campus is spread over an area of 505 acres. It is surrounded by the picturesque Anjaneri hills. The museum is the only one of its kind in Asia. It has rich collection of research and well-documented history of the Indian currency system.
The Timings are : 9.30 AM -1 PM and 2 PM – 5.30 PM on all days except Sundays and on public holidays.
Anjaneri mountain/ fort /temples
Anjaneri, is considered to be the birthplace of Hanuman. Besides Anjaneri, there are a couple of other locations which claim to be the birth place of Hanuman. The chief among them being Hampi. Anjaneri is located 20 km away from Nasik on Trimbak Road. It is at an altitude of 4264 ft from sea-level. Ruins of an ancient fort and temples dating back to 11th-12th centuries can be seen here. It has become one of the favourite trekking place for people from Nasik.
Stay / climate / connectivity
The best time to visit Trimbakeshwar are the winter months. In case you are a nature lover then Monsoon is the best time. During the shravan month there is a lot of rush at the Trimbakeshwar temple.
Trimbak is easily accessible by road from Nasik (30 Kms) or Mumbai 170 Kms. Nasik is well-connected by train with cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Nagpur, New Delhi, Bhopal, Kolkata etc. Trimbak is at a distance of 40 kms from Nasik Road Station. Air services are available with Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata, New Delhi, & Bengaluru.
There are number of reasonably priced hotels, lodges, guesthouses etc in Trimbak. Many tourists prefer to stay in Nasik and make half a day visit to Trimbak. There are number of resorts on Nasik-Trimbak road. Many people have built their villas/farm houses close to Trimbak and give them on rent.
Regular updates
I have clicked all the pics (except as mentioned)
In case you have enjoyed going through this travelogue then please comment below and share the link with your friends. If you have missed reading my earlier blogs then you can go to the site www.travelindiathroughmyeyes.com and click on the heading of the respective blogs.
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Disclaimer:
I have made sincere efforts to provide you the correct information about all the places. They have been culled out from various sources. I do not take any responsibility for any errors that might have crept in the narration. There is no intention to hurt the faith or religious sentiments of any person or community.
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