Wildlife in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is home to numerous types of wildlife, which can be found in various wildlife sanctuaries and National parks.

Maharashtra is home to many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. These national parks and sanctuaries are home to many rare species of flora and fauna. 

Modern amenities such as jeep rides, night safaris, library and audio-visual facilities, comfortable accommodation and efficient transport are also available at these parks at a nominal charge. Most of the sanctuaries and the park have lakes with serene beauty.

Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary, Tadoba National Park, Chikhaldhara, Dajipur, Bharmragarh Wild Life Sanctuary, Navegaon National Park, Tipeshwer, Bor Wildlife Sanctuary are the important sanctuaries in Maharashtra. Pench Jungle camp is a special accommodation facility available at the Pench National Park, which is located on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Bhamragarh Sanctuary

Bhamragarh Wildlife Sanctuary has many types of wild animals like leopard, jungle fowl, wild boar and sloth bear, barking deer, blue bull, peacock and flying squirrel. The entire area is covered with the moist deciduous mix forests.

Bor Wildlife Sanctuary

Bor Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Hingni in Wardha, Maharashtra. It covers an area of 61.10 sq km. It includes 3,237 hectares of Reserve Forest, 2,213 hectares of Protected Forest.

Chikhaldara

Chikhaldara is in Amaravati district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It is believed that its name is derived from Keechaka. This hill station is the only hill station, which offers the tourists lots of wildlife.

Dajipur 

Dajipur is situated on the border of Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts. Rugged mountains and dense forests surround this hilly area. This quiet little place is completely cut-off from human blare.

Chaprala Sanctuary

Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary is home to nearly 131 species of wild animals like tiger, leopard, jungle cat, sloth bear and wild dog. Many of the species are included under the endangered species' list like two species of bird, two species of reptiles.

Nagzira

Adorned with a picturesque landscape and abundant vegetation, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary has 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles and four species of amphibians.

Navegaon Park

Navegaon is a very popular forest resort in the Vidarbha region. This eastern most part of Maharashtra was built in the 18th century. There is also a picturesque lake that situates amidst the green hills of Navegaon.

Pench National Park

Pench National Park is located on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, which is at a distance of 70 km from Nagpur. The National Park covers an area of 257.26 sq km.

Tadoba National Park

Tadoba National Park is a large park covered with lush, green forestland.It is situated at a distance of 45 km from Chandrapur.

Tipeswher

Black buck, blue bull, chital, sambar, peacock, hare, snake, monkey, wild boar, bear, wild cat, wolf and jackal are the wild animals that are abundantly seen at the Tipeswher sanctuary.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Beginning with the 2^nd century B.C., and continuing into the 6^th century A.D., the paintings and sculptures in the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, inspired by Buddhism and its compassionate ethos, unleashed a surge of artistic excellence unmatched in human history. These Buddhist and Jain caves are ornately carved, yet seem quiet and meditative and exude a divine energy and power.

About 107 km from the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, are the rock-out caves of Ajanta nestled in a panoramic gorge, in the form of a gigantic horseshoe.

Ajanta Caves

A set of 29 caves, Ajanta is among the finest examples of some of the earliest Buddhist architecture, cave paintings and sculptures. These caves comprise Chaitya halls or shrines, dedicated to Lord Buddha and Viharas or monasteries, used by Buddhist monks for meditation and the study of Buddhist teachings. The paintings that adorn the walls and ceilings of the caves depict incidents from the life of lord Buddha and various Buddhist divinities. Among the most interesting paintings are the Jataka tales, illustrating diverse stories relating to the previous incarnations of the Buddha as Bodhisattava, a saintly being who is destined to become the Buddha. These elaborate sculptures and paintings stand in impressive grandeur in spite of withstanding the ravages of time. Amid the beautiful images and paintings are sculptures of Buddha, calm and serene in contemplation.

The cave temples and monasteries at Ellora, excavated out of the vertical face of an escarpment, are 26 km north of Aurangabad.

Ellora Caves

Sculptors, inspired by Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism, created elaborate rock carvings. Extending in a linear arrangement, the 34 caves contain Buddhist Chaityas or halls of worship, Viharas or monasteries and Hindu and Jain temples. Spanning a period of about 600 years between the 5^thand 11^th century A.D., the earliest excavation here is of the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29). The most imposing excavation is, without doubt, that of the magnificent Kailasa Temple (Cave 16) which is the largest monolithic structure in the world. Known as Verul in ancient times, it has continuously attracted pilgrims through the centuries to the present 

Declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 1983, the paintings and sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a great influence in the development of art in India. The creative use of colour and freedom of expression used in depicting human and animal forms makes the cave paintings at Ajanta one of the high watermarks of artistic creativity. The Ellora preserved as an artistic legacy that will continue to inspire and enrich the lives of generations to come. Not only is this cave complex a unique artistic creation and an excellent example of technological exploit but also, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India.

The Twelve Jyotirling in India

1. Somnath Temple

Somnath is traditionally considered the first pilgrimage site: the Dwadash Jyotirlinga pilgrimage begins with the Somnath Temple. The temple, that was destroyed and re-built sixteen times, is held in reverence throughout India and is rich in legend, tradition, and history. It is located at Prabhas Patan (Somnath- Veraval) in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state in western India.

2 . Mallikarjuna Temple

Malllikarjuna, also called  Srisaila, is located on a mountain in Kurnool District in Rayalaseema. It enshrines Mallikarjuna in an ancient temple that is architecturally and sculpturally rich. It is a place where Shakti peetha and Jyotirlingam are together. AdiShankara composed his Sivananda Lahiri here.

3. Mahakal Temple

Mahakal, Ujjain (or Avanti) in Madhya Pradesh is home to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple. The Lingam at Mahakal is believed to be Swayambhu, the only one of the 12 Jyotirlingams to be so. It is also the only one facing south and also the temple to have a Shree Yantra perched upside down at the ceiling of the Garbhagriha (where the Shiv Lingam sits). It is a place where Shakti peeta and Jyotirlingam are together.

4. Omkareshwar Temple

Omkareshwar is in Madhya Pradesh on an island in the Narmada River and home to a Jyotirlinga shrine and the Mamaleshwar temple

5. Kedarnath Temple

Kedarnath in Uttarakhand is revered as the northernmost and the closest Jyotirlinga to Lord Shiva's eternal abode of Mount Kailash. Kedarnath forms a part of the smaller Char Dham pilgrimage circuit of Hinduism. Kedarnath, nestled in the snow-clad Himalayas, is an ancient shrine, rich in legend and tradition. It is accessible only for six months a year. It is also one of the Padal Petra Stalam of Vada Naadu mentioned in Thevaaram. Shiva assumed the form of wild boar and dived into the earth at Kedarnath to emerge at Pashupatinath. Pure ghee is applied at Kedarnath lingam as the boar was injured 

                                                                                              

6. Bhimashankar Temple

Bhimashankar is very much debated. There is a Bhimashankara temple near Pune (pictured) in Maharashtra, which was referred to as Daakini country, but Kashipur  in Uttarakhand was also referred to as Daakini country in ancient days and a Bhimashkar Temple known as Shree Moteshwar Mahadev is present there. Another Bhimashankar is in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra. The Bhimashankar temple near Guwahati, Assam is the jyotirlinga according to Sivapuran. According to Linga Purana, Bhimasankar temple in Bhimpur near Gunupur of Rayagada district in South Orissa is also believed as Bhimasankar Jyotirlinga, which is situated at the western part of the holy Mahendragiri mountains and at the river bank of Mahendratanaya(which is also believed as the Daakini area by many historian), was excavated in the year 1974, having quadrangular Shakti around the Linga and decorated by a Upavita as per the puran.

7. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirlinga shrine, which is perhaps the most sacred of Hindu shrines. It is also one of the Padal Petra Stalam of Vada Naadu mentioned in Thevaaram. 

The temple is situated in Varanasi, the holiest city for Hindus, where a Hindu is expected to make a pilgrimage at least once in his life, and if possible, also pour the remains of cremated ancestors on the River Ganges. The temple stands on the western bank of the holy river Ganges, and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. In fact, it is a place where Shakti peeta and Jyotirlingam are together. It is the holiest of all Shiva temples. The main deity is known by the name Vishwanath orVishweshwara meaning Ruler of the universe. The temple town, which claims to be the oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history, is also called Kashi.

8. Trimbakeshwar Temple

The Trimbakeshwar Temple, near Nasik in Maharashtra, is a Jyotirlinga shrine associated with the origin of the Godavari River. 

9. Baidyanath Temple

 








 

Baidyanath Jyotirlinga temple, also known as Baba dham and Baidyanath dham is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the most sacred abodes of Shiva. It is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India. It is a temple complex consisting of the main temple of Baba Baidyanath, where the Jyotirlinga is installed, and 21 other temples.

According to Hindu beliefs, the demon king Ravana worshipped Shiva at the current site of the temple to get the boons that he later used to wreak havoc in the world. Ravana offered his ten heads one after the another to Shiva as a sacrifice. Pleased with this, Shiva descended to cure Ravana who was injured. As he acted as a doctor, he is referred to as Vaidhya ("doctor"). From this aspect of Shiva, the temple derives its name.

10. Nagesh Temple

 









Nagesh Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines mentioned in the Shiva Purana (Satarudra Samhita, Ch.42/2-4, referred as "nagesham darukavane"). Nagesh is believed as the first Jyotirlinga on the earth.

There are three major shrines in India which are believed be Jyotirlinga. the Nageshvara templenear Dwaraka in Gujarat state and the Jageshwar temple near Almora in Uttarakhand state.other Naagnath temple which is believed to be Jyotirlinga 


11. Rameshvaram Temple 

Rameshvaram in Tamil Nadu is home to the vast Ramalingeswarar Jyotirlinga temple and is revered as the southernmost of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of India. It enshrines theRameśvara ("Lord of Rama") pillar. It is also one of the Padal Petra Stalam of Pandya                                       Naadumentioned in Thevaaram.   

12. Ghushmeshwar Temple

Ghushmeshwar  Jyotirlinga is one of  the twelfth Jyotirlinga  shrines mentioned in  the Shiva Purana  "kotirudra sahinta",  referred as  ghushmeshwar  jyotirlinga.  Ghushmeshwar is  believed as the last or  twelfth Jyotirlinga on the earth.