Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | History | Art & Culture
Why in News?
Recently, a stone Shivling was discovered at the Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling Mandir in Nashik, by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- Sacred Site – One of the 12 Jyotirlingas, source of the Godavari River.
- Location – Nashik, Maharashtra.
- Constructed by – 3rd Peshwa, Balaji Bajirao (1740–1760), after Marathas reclaimed the site from Mughal control.
- Unique Feature – 3‑faced Shivling representing the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva).
- Architecture – Hemadpanthi style, crafted entirely from solid and unmortared black basalt stone by interlocking stone methodology.
- Sacred Geography – Includes Amrit Kund, Bilva Tirtha, Vishnu Tirtha, and Mukunda Tirtha.
- Origin of the Godavari – Kushavarta kund, sacred stone-lined water tank at the foothills of the Brahmagiri Mountains.
- Kumbh Mela – It is one of the 4 designated locations in India that hosts the Kumbh Mela every 12 years.
- Recent excavation – A previously hidden Shivalinga was discovered at the bottom of the 65-foot-deep Amrit Kund inside the temple complex.
Reference
The Print | Trimbak Shivling
