Trimbakeshwar Temple

The Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, at the source of the Godavari in the Brahmagiri hills near Nashik, is one of the twelve jyotirlingas — and unique among them for its three-faced linga, embodying Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva together.

Significance

The three faces (the trimurti linga, set in a depression within the sanctum, its eyes? — crowned with a jeweled crown displayed on festival days) make Trimbakeshwar the exception to the jyotirlinga iconography. The Godavari’s source (the Kushavarta kund) is the shrine’s second sanctity: the river’s tirtha-law, the Godavari parikrama, and the nazar? — the site’s role in ancestral rites (narayan-nagbali and related rites are performed here for the dead) make it a pilgrimage of both worship and family duty.

History

The present temple — Hemadpanti? — the black-stone temple in the Hemadpanti style was built in the 18th century by Balaji Bajirao (Nana Saheb Peshwa), replacing older structures; the kund and ghats were endowed by the Peshwa court.

Modern status

A major Maharashtra pilgrimage; the Simhastha Kumbh at Nashik-Trimbakeshwar (rotating every 12 years) centers the site regionally.

Verification notes

• The jyotirlinga status, the three-faced linga, and the Peshwa-era rebuilding are documented.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).