Bhimashankar

Bhimashankar sits at about 950 metres in dense Sahyadri forest, and the temple there, in the local Nagara style with carved work on the sanctum, is one of the twelve jyotirlingas, with the Bhima river rising nearby. The forest around it was declared a wildlife sanctuary largely to protect the Indian giant squirrel, the shekru, a large arboreal squirrel with a body up to about forty centimetres and a longer tail, adopted as Maharashtra's state animal; it is seen moving through the canopy in the early morning. Trekking routes climb from Khandas below, and the forest is thick with leeches in the monsoon.

What you actually see

• The jyotirlinga temple - a carved Nagara-style shrine in the forest.
• The giant squirrels - shekru moving through the canopy at dawn.
• The Sahyadri forest - dense evergreen woodland with a long bird list.
• The trek routes - Shidi Ghat and Ganesh Ghat climbing from Khandas.

When to go

June to February; the monsoon is spectacular but brings leeches and slippery rock on the trekking routes. Squirrels are most active early morning. Mahashivratri brings very large crowds.

Honest expectations

Temple crowds at festivals are enormous and the road up is narrow. Trek routes are steep with ladder sections and accidents occur. Leeches in the monsoon are constant.

Nearby

Pune lies southeast; Malshej Ghat is north.