Trimbak

Overview

Trimbak, also spelt Tryambak or Trimbakeshwar, is a town and municipal council in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, India. Located in the Nashik division, the town is best known as the site of the Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva, and as the source of the Godavari, the longest river of peninsular India.

Key facts

Geography

Trimbak lies in the Western Ghats at the foot of the Brahmagiri hill, which is traditionally regarded as the source of the river Godavari. The Godavari rises from a spring on Brahmagiri and flows eastwards across the Deccan plateau to the Bay of Bengal. The town is set in a hilly, forested landscape with several streams, sacred ponds (kunds) and rock-cut steps leading up to the summit of Brahmagiri.

Trimbakeshwar Temple

The present Trimbakeshwar Temple is built of black basalt in the Nagara style and was constructed in the 18th century by the Maratha Peshwa Balaji Bajirao (Nanasaheb Peshwa), replacing an earlier shrine on the same site. The sanctum enshrines a Jyotirlinga distinguished by three small lingas representing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, a feature unique among the twelve Jyotirlingas.

The temple is a major pilgrimage centre and is associated with the performance of rites such as Narayan Nagbali, Tripindi Shraddha and Kaal Sarp Puja, which draw devotees from across India.

Kumbh Mela

Trimbak, along with Nashik, hosts the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, one of the four Kumbh Melas of India, held once every twelve years when Jupiter enters the zodiac sign of Leo (Simha). The Kumbh attracts large numbers of pilgrims, ascetics and akharas, with ritual bathing taking place at the Kushavarta Kund in Trimbak, regarded as the symbolic origin of the Godavari.

History

The site has long been mentioned in Sanskrit religious literature in connection with the Godavari and the legend of the sage Gautama. In the medieval period the area passed through several powers controlling the northern Deccan, including the Yadavas of Devagiri and the sultanates of the Deccan. Trimbak was an important hill fortress (Trimbakgad or Brahmagiri Fort) and figured in Mughal–Maratha conflicts in the 17th century. Under the Marathas it became a centre of religious patronage, culminating in the rebuilding of the temple by the Peshwas in the mid-18th century. After the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the region came under British rule and was administered as part of the Bombay Presidency until 1947.

Civic administration

Trimbak is governed by a municipal council and forms part of the Nashik district administration. The town falls within the Igatpuri–Trimbak assembly constituency for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the Dindori parliamentary constituency.

Transport

Trimbak is connected by state highway to Nashik, the nearest major city, which has rail and air connectivity. State transport buses operate frequent services between Nashik and Trimbak, and the route sees heavy pilgrim traffic during festivals such as Mahashivratri, Shravan Mondays and the Kumbh Mela.

Places of interest

• Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga Temple – principal Shiva shrine.
• Kushavarta Kund – sacred tank regarded as the symbolic source of the Godavari.
• Brahmagiri Hill – pilgrimage trek to the actual spring source of the Godavari.
• Trimbakgad (Brahmagiri Fort) – hill fort with historic associations.
• Nivruttinath Samadhi Mandir – shrine of Sant Nivruttinath, elder brother of Sant Dnyaneshwar, and an important Varkari site.
• Anjaneri – nearby hill traditionally identified as the birthplace of Hanuman.

Significance

Trimbak is significant as one of the foremost Shaivite pilgrimage centres of western India, as the geographical source of the Godavari, and as a Kumbh Mela site. Its combination of religious, historical and natural features makes it an integral part of the cultural geography of Maharashtra.

Related topics

• Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple
• Jyotirlinga
• Godavari River
• Brahmagiri Hill
• Kumbh Mela
• Nashik
• Nashik district
• Maharashtra
• Nivruttinath
• Anjaneri

References

• Wikidata entity: Q2719283
• Government of Maharashtra, Nashik district administration.
• Archaeological Survey of India listings on Maratha-period temples of the Deccan.