There is a small city near the origin of the sacred River Godavari called Trimbak. Well, it hasn’t made any revolutionary change worth mentioning. However, it is home to one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. Trimbakeshwar Temple is an ancient Hindu worship place and holds a very special place in the hearts of Shaivites, devotees of Lord Shiva. Here is my experience of visiting this temple and finding peace among the chants of Om Namah Shivaya.
Trimbakeshwar Temple: The Tranquility Of Shiva
I started my journey from Kurla Bus Stand in Mumbai, where you get a semi-luxury that takes you to Trimbakeshwar. Since I was travelling with my family, it never occurred to them that booking a hotel room is necessary. A typical Indian middle-class thing to do. Fortunately, there are many lodges available at reasonable prices as the whole city earns from religious tourism. Also, many priests have turned their homes into lodges. Some of them have food included with their stay. If not, then there are centres where you can get home-cooked meals for around ₹100 to ₹200 per plate. Also, they serve sattvic food.
My Time In Trimbak
My day started with waking up in the lodge room and showering with cold water in the cold month of December. After cleaning up, everyone who was there to perform puja had to gather on a verandah and pray. Then, I went to the temple’s kund (an open tank), the Kusavarta or Amritavarshini as many call it. People come here to bathe before entering the temple, but it isn’t necessary. If you are performing certain rituals, then you must bathe in the sacred water of River Godavari and wear white clothes.
After this, we went to the temple to see the Jyotirlinga. There were representations of various deities and like every other Lord Shiva temple, Nandi, his vahana, was sitting near the entrance of the temple. The gabhara has Jyotirlinga situated in it. The mere presence was calming and it felt like a different energy altogether. The architecture reminds you of ancient times, specifically the Peshwa Era.
Exploring Food And The City Of Trimbak
The real experience in this sacred city is at night. Around seven in the evening, I went strolling in the city. There were many food stalls that served delicious Maharashtrian food. However, the speciality of this place is the local berries called ‘Dongrachi Kali Maynah‘. It is a pea-sized, black-coloured berry that is purple on the inside and has a sweet taste. Another thing to try is Kandi Pedha. Though they are not originally from Trimbak, you can get enough of it. The place has many local vendors selling copper rings and other art pieces that make for good souvenirs.
This was my experience at the small-yet-ancient city where Lord Shiva has his presence known to his devotees. The feeling of being in a place that is so sacred is surreal. Though I am not a religious person, I felt Lord Shiva’s existence throughout the city in every chant, every mantra, and every yagya.
Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia & Flickr