Story of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga

Baidyanath Temple Premises

||परल्यां वैद्यनाथं||

Baidyanath Jyotirlingam is the fifth Jyotirlinga of the supreme god Lord Shiva. Here he resides in the form of a ‘वैद्य’ (Doctor) and therefore he is known as Baidyanath. The Jyotirlinga is situated in the town of Deogarh, Jharkhand. The temple complex consists of 22 temples in total. The main temple is of Lord Shiva who is seated there in the form of Vaidyanath. Just opposite to Baidyanath temple is the temple of Devi Parvati. The Maa Parvati temple is tied up with the main temple, with huge red sacred threads which are unique and worthy of reverence, showing the unity of Shiva and Shakti. According to the stories narrated in the Shiva Purana, the holy Baidyanath temple resembles the unity of souls and thus fits marriage for Hindus.

The mention of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga is found in the Shiv Maha Puran and the Padma Puran(Pataal Khand). The present temple of Baba Baidyanath was built by King Puran Mal who was the Rajput ruler of Amber. The Baidyanath Dham is also known as Baba Dham. Unlike Somnath or Rameshwaram or Srisailam, here the devotees can get satisfaction by offering Abhishek themselves on the Jyotirlinga. The pandas who perform different poojas for devotees are very important persons. They have a union called Dharmarakshini Sabha founded by revolutionary Pandit Shivram Jha. The devotee can also buy Peda as prasad from Babadham. Peda is a local specialty of Deoghar. Babadham has a regular and well-maintained office to accept offerings and donations.

Story of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga:

When Raavan offered his head to Lord Shiva

The story of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga starts with Raavan. Raavan was the demon king of Lanka but the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva. He always observed penances to please his Lord. This time too he did the same. But this time there was a twist. Even after the passage of many kalpas, Lord Shiva was not happy with his penance. Therefore Raavan decided to do a stricter penance. What he did this time was that he dug up a big pit in the earth and started a Yagya to please his Lord. In the summer months, he used to do Yagya, in the Monsoon season, he stood on one leg in open fields, meditating while in the winter months he did penance underwater. Still, Lord Shiva was not moved by his penance.

Do read 'An introduction to Jyotirlinga' to get yourself familiar with the Jyotirlingas and better understand their legends.

After trying and trying and trying, Raavan finally decided to sacrifice all his ten heads to Lord Shiva. Each time he used to worship Lord Shiva according to the rituals, chop off his head and offer it to Lord Shiva. This went on till he had offered his nine heads to him. He was bleeding heavily and was in great pain. Just as he was about to chop off his tenth head, Lord Shiva appeared before him. Raavan was very happy to see him. Lord Shiva took the form of Baidyanath and cured the injured Raavan back to health. When Lord Shiva asked Raavan for making his wish, Raavan said, “Lord! Come with me to Lanka. Provide me with the opportunity to worship and serve you all my life.” Hearing this Lord Shiva said, “So be it! I will take the form of a linga and come with you. But be warned, if you ever put me on the ground I will be seated then and there only and then you will not be able to carry me any further.” So Raavan began his Journey from Kailash to his city, Lanka with the shivling in his hands.

Ravan's penance to Please Lord Shiva

But after some time because of the ‘Maya’ of Lord Shiva, Raavan felt the need to answer nature’s call. Raavan tried to control it but failed. Since he could not put the shivling on the ground, he began to look for someone who could hold it for him. He spotted a shepherd and prayed to him to hold the shivling until he comes back. Saying this he gave the shivling to the shepherd and hurried to answer nature’s call. No sooner did he give it to the shepherd, the shivling began to become heavier. Now it became unbearable for the shepherd to hold any longer. He put the shivling on the ground. That’s it! The shivling was now established on the ground.

Meanwhile, Raavan came back. He was shocked to see the linga on the ground and tried to lift it to take it to Lanka. Then he remembered Lord Shiva’s words. Dejected, he again sat there to pray to him. Lord Shiva gave him the boon of limitless strength. Contented, Raavan went back to Lanka.

Darshan and Aarti timings:

Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga

On a normal day, the worshipping of Baidyanath Jyotirlingam begins at 4 AM The temple doors open at this time. The Head priest worships with Shodashopachar. Then the devotees begin their worship of the lingam.

The most interesting tradition is that priests of the temple pour kuchcha Jal upon the lingam first, later on, other pilgrims pour water and offer flowers and Vilva leaf upon the lingam. The Puja rituals continue till 3.30 PM After this, the temple doors are closed.

In the evening at 6 PM the doors are opened again for devotees/ pilgrims and the process of worshipping begins. At this time Shringar Puja takes place.

Scent is spread over the lingam. Again a stream of water is poured over the lingam. Sandal paste of Malayagiri is also pasted on the head of the lingam. There is an interesting tradition that a snake-like throne of flowers (Jata Mukut) is also placed on the lingam which comes regularly from the Deoghar Jail since the British time

Normally, at 9 PM the temple doors are closed.

During various religious occasions, the darshan timings are extended depending on the decision taken by the mandir committee.

How to reach Baidyanath:

By Train:

Deoghar is well connected to the rest of India via railways as well. Regular rail services, both passenger and express trains, operate daily to and fro Deoghar. Baidyanath Dham Junction is the principal railway station that serves the city of Deoghar.

By Flight:

There is no direct flight connectivity to Deoghar. Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport (Patna Airport) is the nearest airport available from Deoghar.

By Road:

Regular bus services ply to and fro the city of Deoghar. They operate daily, through a well-connected roadways network, whether day or night, from places like Patna, Ranchi, etc. You can also take shared taxis or cabs for the same route.

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