Baba Baidyanath Temple, Deoghar, Dhanbad- Jharkhand

Deoghar (pronounced Devaghar) is a major city in Jharkhand, India. It is a holy sacred place of Hinduism. The city is primarily known for Baidyanath Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of God Shiva. The sacred temples of the city make this a place for pilgrimage and tourists. The city is administrative headquarter of Deoghar District which comes under Santhal Parganas division of Jharkhand.

Etymology
Deoghar is a Hindi word and the literal meaning of ‘Deoghar’ is abode (‘ghar’) of the Gods and Goddesses (‘dev’). Deoghar is also known as “Baidyanath Dham”, “Baba Dham”, “B. Deoghar”. The origin of Baidyanathdham is lost in antiquity. It has been referred to as Haritakivan or Ketakivan in Sanskrit Texts. The name Deoghar seems to be of recent origin and probably dates from the erection of the great temple of Lord Baidyanath. Although the name of the builder of the temple is not traceable, certain parts of the front portion of the temple are said to have been built by Puran Mal, an ancestor of the Maharaja of Giddhour, in 1596 but by sanatan dharma it is believed that it is built by Lord Vishwakarma. Deoghar is a place of worship for Lord Shiva, in the month of Shravan many devotees take ganga jal from Sultanganj to Deoghar for worship and they get the desired wish of their life.

Religious significance

Baba Baidyanath Temple
Deoghar, also known as Baidyanath Dham, is an important Hindu pilgrimage site. It is one of the twelve and also one of the 51, and is famous for the mela of Shrawan, 5th month according to the Hindu calendar system. It is, along with Shrisailam, one of the few places in India where the Jyotirlinga and the Shaktipeeth are together, lying side beside each other. Each year between July and August (on the eve of the month of Shrawan) in Deoghar Yatra, about 7 to 8 million devotees come from various part of India bringing holy water from various areas of Ganges at Sultanganj, which is almost 108 km (67 mi) from Deoghar, in order to offer it to Lord Shiva. During that month, a line of people in saffron-dyed clothes stretches over the full 108 km (67 mi). It is the longest Mela of Asia.

The temple of Baidyanath or Lord Shiva is the most important of all the temples in the courtyard. The temple faces the east and is a plain stone structure with a pyramidal tower, 72 feet tall. The top contains three ascending shaped gold vessels that are compactly set, and were donated by the Maharaja of Giddhaur. Besides these pitcher shaped vessels, there is a Punchsula (five knives in a trident shape), which is rare. In the inner top, there is an eight-petaled lotus jewel called Chandrakanta Mani.

Geography
Location
Deoghar is located at 24.48°N 86.7°E. It has an average elevation of 255 metres (833 feet). It is a part of the Indian peninsular plateau which forms a part of the oldest landmass on Earth, Gondwana land. Deoghar is situated on the bank of Ajay river (which originates from Batpar village of Jamui district in Bihar) and its tributary Dadhawa river (which originates from Purnia Lake near Karangarh village 24.595501°N 86.474369°E in Jamui district of Bihar). The city is surrounded with various small relict hills such as Dighriya Pahaad, Nandan Pahaad, Trikuti Pahaad, and Tapovan Pahaad. Dighriya Pahaad forms the western boundary of the city and there is a national park being constructed on these hills. Nandan Pahaad is a children’s amusement place and serves as one of the principal recreational places in the city. Tapovan Pahaad has its cultural relevance found in Hindu scriptures. It is one of the amusement places in the city and serves as a habitat for monkeys.

Area

Deoghar has an area of 119 square kilometres (46 sq mi)