Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, will remain closed to devotees for approximately three months, starting January 1, 2026, to facilitate major renovation and development works at the shrine.
Temple authorities have stated that the closure is part of a broader development plan, which includes the renovation of the main temple’s assembly hall and works that make it unsafe to allow darshan in the sanctum during construction. Entry to the temple premises will therefore be restricted, and an administrative survey and detailed planning exercise will be carried out over the first eight days of the closure to fine-tune the scope and timeline of the project.
Crowd management and devotee safety have been cited as key reasons for the decision, especially given the heavy footfall Bhimashankar routinely sees from across Maharashtra and other states. The administration has advised devotees and tourists who wish to have darshan to plan their visit before January 1, 2026, since the temple, located in the Sahyadri ranges and popular with both pilgrims and trekkers, will not be accessible for worship for the duration of the works.
