Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Temple to Remain Closed for Three Months

Pune District Collector Appeals for Devotees’ Cooperation

Pune, Dec 2025 : In view of construction work on the assembly hall and the stairway route at Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Temple, and to ensure the safety of devotees as well as the planned and time-bound completion of the works, the Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Devasthan Trust has decided to close the temple for devotees’ darshan for the next three months starting from January 9, 2026, excluding the Mahashivratri period. Pune District Collector and District Magistrate Jitendra Dudi has appealed to devotees to extend their cooperation.

The State Government has approved a Special Development Plan for the comprehensive development of Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. Considering the implementation of a crucial phase of this plan and the need to ensure safety during actual construction, a joint meeting was held on December 23 in the presence of the district administration, trustees of the Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Devasthan Trust, local shopkeepers, and residents of Bhimashankar village. With the consensus of all concerned, it was decided to temporarily close the temple to devotees for three months starting January 9 (excluding the Mahashivratri period from February 12 to 18, 2026). However, for the convenience of devotees, the temple will remain open for darshan during the Mahashivratri period.

In 2027, the Simhastha Kumbh Mela will be held at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik. Based on the experience of the Maha Kumbh 2025 held earlier at Prayagraj, it is expected that during the Kumbh Mela, lakhs of devotees visiting Nashik–Trimbakeshwar may also come to Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar for darshan. In this context, completing essential infrastructure, the assembly hall, safe entry and exit systems, and crowd management works before the Kumbh Mela is the administration’s primary objective. Considering the nature and scale of the work, and the need to ensure devotees’ safety along with the timely and planned completion of the projects, the temple परिसर will be temporarily closed to devotees.

Although the temple will be closed for public darshan, the daily worship, rituals, abhishek, and religious ceremonies of Shri Bhimashankar will continue as per tradition and on schedule. During the period of closure for direct darshan, devotees will not be allowed entry into the temple premises, nor will in-person darshan services be available. Except for construction agencies, authorized officers and staff, and residents of Bhimashankar village, no one will be permitted to enter the Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar area.

“The development of Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Temple is extremely essential for long-term safety, improved facilities, and the convenience of devotees. In the backdrop of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, the temple trust has decided to temporarily close the temple to complete these works in a planned and timely manner. Devotees and local citizens should understand the seriousness of this decision and extend full cooperation to the temple trust, district administration, police administration, and local administration,” District Collector Mr. Dudi appealed.