Bhimashankar trek: Stairway to gods abode

Maharashtra Diaries: Part 2

In my second trek across the mighty Sahyadris, I explored the famed Bhimashanker temple trek. Among the various treks in south India, the trek to Bhimashanker is the most rewarding in terms of the views it offers.

It is the origination point of river Bhima, hence the name. It is also a Jyotirling temple whereby giving it a religious significance. A lot of locals take a vow and walk up to the temple to appease the god in return for his benevolence.

How to get there:

Bhimashanker is easily accessible from Karjat and this is where we started our trek from. From karjat we went to Khandas and then started our trek towards the hill top.

The walk up is a simple one with some steep climbs. There are 2 routes that can be taken: the one via Seedi Ghat and another via Ganesh Ghat.

On the way up, we took Seedi Ghat. There are 3 rickety stairs that lead you to a flat land, hence the name. The route is a little tricky and should be done carefully. A misstep would land you downhill or can injure you. Caution should be strictly followed if you are taking this route especially during the rains since it gets very slippery.

Once you pass the stairs the route is up hill. It’s a long walk up hill and you will be craving for a flat piece of land to walk on. You reach the tea point after a long walk and from there the walk is only uphill. The walk is tiring and monotonous. After what seems like an eternity you reach the end of the climb. Once atop you are welcome by grand hills all around. The village is nearby and you can camp near the entrance of the village next to the lake.

The next day we visited the temple and proceeded towards Gupt Bhimashanker. A 20 minute walk down from the temple would lead you to Gupt Bhimashanker water falls. The falls are fed by the Bhīma River and there is a Shivling present in the waterfall. A refreshing dip in the cool waters is what you need to wash off all the dust from the trek. I would strongly suggest you take one for the sake of others:-P

We then head towards NagPhani Tok, which is the highest point in Bhimashanker. It is called so because it is shaped like cobra’s hood and it gives a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and forts of Matheran.

Once done we start our trek back to the Khandas village. We decide to descend via Ganesh Ghat. This is a simpler route and also provides some flat land to camp out. Once you reach the Tea point the routes to Seedi Ghat and Ganesh Ghat diverge. Take the route towards Ganesh Ghat and walk for about an hour and you will reach a flat land where you can pitch in your tents. During rains, you can see more than 8 waterfalls from your camping site. In our case, we could spot 6.

The next day we quickly make our way down since we had a train to catch from Karjat.

The trek is truly one of my best treks. The walk up via Seedi Ghat and the views from it are really what comes to my mind when I think of my trek to Bhimashanker. Truly a weekend well spent.