Baba Baidyanath Temple - बाबा बैद्यनाथ मंदिर

Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple, also commonly known as Baidyanath Dham, is considered to be the holiest abode of Bhagwan Shiva. Baidyanath Dham is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas located in Deoghar, Jharkhand.

What is the significance of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple?
The importance of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga is that the main temple is beyond historical dates. Devotees from the age of Ram, the king of Ayodhya, come to see it. The top has three ascending shaped gold vessels set compactly, which were donated by the Maharaja of Gidhaur, Raja Puran Singh.

✽ Apart from these pitcher-shaped utensils, there is a 'Panchasula' (five knives in the shape of a trident), which is rare.
✽ The lingam is of a cylindrical shape which is about 5 inches in diameter and is located about 4 inches from the center of a large slab of basalt.
✽ Devotees also believe that Shiva first transformed himself into a Jyotirlinga on the night of Aridra Nakshatra, thus having special reverence for the Jyotirlinga.
✽ The Jyotirlinga is the supreme partless reality, from which Shiva partially appears. Jyotirlinga temples are thus the places where Shiva appeared as a fiery pillar of light.

Architecture of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple:
The Baidyanath Dham temple is shaped like a lotus and is 72 feet tall. Both ancient and modern architecture is seen in the temple. Here Baidyanath is facing east. It is believed that Vishwakarma built this temple. Apart from the temple of Baidyanath, the temple has 22 shrines of various deities in the same complex. This temple has three parts; Main temple, central part of main temple and main temple entrance. In the sanctum sanctorum, the life of Shivling has been consecrated.

Major Festivals of the Temple:
Maha Shivratri and Shravan Mela are the famous festivals celebrated in Baba Baidyanath Dham. Lakhs of devotees throng the Baba Baidyanath temple during the month of Sawan. Everyday the temple is open for darshan from 4:00 am to 3:30 pm and from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Some of the places of interest near Baba Baidyanath Temple are:
✽ Trikuta Parvat, collectively known as Trikutachal, is a combination of three main peaks on the hill, rising to an elevation of about 2,470 feet. This place is at a distance of about 10 km from Deoghar on the way to Dumka.
✽ Naulakha Temple is at a distance of about 2 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple. It has an architecture similar to that of the Ramakrishna Temple in Belur. The temple has beautiful idols of Radha and Krishna.
✽ Satsang Ashram is a holy place where the followers of Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra gather to worship. There is also a zoo and a museum in the premises of the ashram.