Baijnath Mandir - बैजनाथ मंदिर

Baijnath Mandir is located in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India. Baijnath or Vaidyanath is an incarnation of the great Bhagwan Shiva, and in this incarnation, the great Bhagwan relieves his devotees from all sorrows and sufferings. This temple holds immense importance for all Bhagwan Shiva devotees and is considered extremely sacred. Bhagwan Shiva of Baijnath Temple is worshiped as the 'God of Healing'. In fact, the water of this temple is considered to have medicinal value and has the ability to cure many diseases. It attracts thousands of devotees from all over the world every year.

History and Architecture of Baijnath Mandir
According to mythology and available historical evidence, the construction of this temple was done by two merchant brothers named ‘Ahuka’ and ‘Mamuk’ in 1204 AD. It is one of the very few temples in India where both Bhagwan Shiva and the demon king Ravana are worshipped.

According to Hindu mythology, this temple was built by the Pandavas during their exile. It is believed that he built this temple to seek the blessings of Bhagwan Shiva during his period of exile. This temple is said to have been built on the ruins of an older temple, which was built by the Katyuri kings of Kumaon.

According to the ancient texts of Hindu tradition, Bhagwan Shiva established 12 Jyotirlingas across the country to challenge Bhagwan Vishnu and Bhagwan Brahma, which were pillars generating pure light and uninterrupted power; And one of these 12 Jyotirlingas is located inside the famous Baijnath Mandir. There are many sculptures engraved on the walls of the temple. Some of them even predate the construction of the present temple. The idols include: Ganesha, Harihara (half Vishnu and half Shiva), Kalyanasundara (marriage of Shiva and Parvati) and the defeat of the demon Andhaka by Shiva.

The ancient but magnificent temple of Dhauladhar is set against the backdrop of the Himalayan range. Imagine an ancient rustic temple standing majestically in front of vampire white mountains! The view of the peaks of the Himalayan range covered with hazy mist touching the sky, gives a feeling of both wonder and satisfaction.

Baijnath Mandir Darshan Timings
Baijnath Temple opens throughout the week and darshan timings are from 6 am to 8 pm.

Major festivals in Baijnath Mandir
Mahashivratri is actively celebrated in Baijnath temple and people from all over the country come to celebrate this festival with full enthusiasm and excitement. The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated here with great enthusiasm, reverence and gaiety. During this period, a fair based on religion and culture is organized here. The temple is more crowded than usual, and the queues are incredibly long. Dussehra is not celebrated in Baijnath because Ravana was a favorite devotee of Shiva.

How to reach Baijnath Mandir?
Baijnath Mandir There are no direct trains running from other major cities to Baijnath. The nearest railway station is Amb Andaura which is about 65 km away. This Mandir is located at a distance of about 16 kilometers from Pathankot-Mandi. However, all major cities run buses to Baijnath, and the nearest bus stop is Baijnath Bus Stop, which is only a 4-minute walk from the Mandir.