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&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;New page&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;{{short description|Temple in Jharkhand, India}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Copy edit|date=April 2023}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2023}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox Hindu temple&lt;br /&gt;
| name               = Vaidyanath Dham, Deoghar&lt;br /&gt;
| image              =Baidyanathdham.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| alt                = Group of temples with pyramid shaped Shikhara&lt;br /&gt;
| caption            = Pyramid shaped Shikhara of the temple&lt;br /&gt;
| map_type           = India Jharkhand&lt;br /&gt;
| map_caption        = Location in Deoghar, Jharkhand.&lt;br /&gt;
| coordinates        = {{coord|24|29|33|N|86|42|00|E||display=inline,title}}&lt;br /&gt;
| country            = [[India]]&lt;br /&gt;
| state              = [[Jharkhand]]&lt;br /&gt;
| district           = [[Deoghar district|Deoghar]]&lt;br /&gt;
| location           =[[Deoghar]] &lt;br /&gt;
| elevation_m        = &lt;br /&gt;
| deity              = [[Shiva]]&lt;br /&gt;
| festivals          = [[Maha Shivaratri]], Shravani Mela&lt;br /&gt;
| architecture       = &lt;br /&gt;
| temple_quantity    = 22&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Deoghar&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
| monument_quantity  = &lt;br /&gt;
| inscriptions       = &lt;br /&gt;
| established        = &lt;br /&gt;
| creator            = Raja [[Pural Mal of Gidhaur|Puran Mal]] &lt;br /&gt;
| temple_board       = Baba Baidyanath Temple Management Board&lt;br /&gt;
| website            = [http://www.babadham.org/ babadham.org]&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Temples at Deorgag, Santal Parhanas, Bihar - William Hodges, 1782 - BL Foster 396.jpg|thumb|Oil on canvas painting by William Hodges, 1782|260x260px]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Baidyanatha &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;temple&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, also called Baba Baidyanath Dham is a [[Hindu temple|Hindu Temple]] dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in [[Deoghar]], in the [[Santhal Parganas]] division of the [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Jharkhand]], [[India]]. It is one of the twelve [[Jyotirlinga|Jyotirlingas]], and considered to be the most revered places where [[Shiva]] lives. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The temple complex comprises the central shrine of Baba Baidyanath, housing the revered [[Dham]], along with additional 21 other temples.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Deoghar&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.babadham.org/maintemple/maintemple.php|title=Baba Baidyanath Temple Complex|access-date=2010-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627041433/http://www.babadham.org/maintemple/maintemple.php|archive-date=2015-06-27}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
According to [[Hindu]] beliefs, it is said that the demon king [[Ravana]] worshipped Shiva at this location to gain divine blessings, which he used to cause chaos and destruction tin the world. Ravana offered his ten heads as a symbol of sacrifice to Lord Shiva. Pleased with this gesture, Lord Shiva descended Ravana&amp;#039;s injuries. As Lord Shiva acted as a doctor, he is also referred to as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Vaidhya|Vaidya]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (&amp;quot;doctor&amp;quot;). The temple is named after this aspect of Shiva.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Kanwar Yatra]] (Devanagari: कांवड़ यात्रा) is an annual pilgrimage for the devotees of Shiva, known as Kānvarias (कांवड़िया) or &amp;quot;Bhole&amp;quot; (भोले). They visit the Hindu pilgrimage sites of [[Ajgaibinath temple|Ajgaibinath]], and [[Sultanganj]]  in [[Bihar]] to collect the [[sacred waters]] of the [[Ganges]]. Millions of people gather holy water from the Ganga and carry it as an offering for 105 km to the Baidyanath Temple in  Deoghar, Jharkhand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Legend ==&lt;br /&gt;
According to the legends, Ravana was performing penance in the Himalayan region to appease Lord Shiva. He offered nine of his heads as an offering to Lord Shiva. As he was to sacrifice his tenth head, Lord Shiva appeared before him and expressed satisfaction with the offering, Then, Shiva asked what boon he desired. Ravana asked to take the &amp;quot;Kamna Linga&amp;#039; to the island of Lanka and expressed his desire to take Lord Shiva from Kailash to Lanka.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Lord Shiva agreed to Ravana&amp;#039;s request but with a condition. He said that if the lingam was placed en route, it would become the permanent abode of the deity and could never be moved.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Celestial gods became worried upon hearing that Lord Shiva had departed from his abode on [[Mount Kailash]]. They sought a resolution from Lord Vishnu. Then, Lord Vishnu asked [[Varuna]], the deity associated with water, to enter Ravana&amp;#039;s stomach through &amp;#039;&amp;#039;achamana,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; a ritual which involves sipping water from the palm of one&amp;#039;s hand. As a consequence of performing &amp;#039;&amp;#039;achaman&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, Ravana departed for Lanka with the lingam and felt the need to urinate in the vicinity of Deoghar.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The story goes that Lord Vishnu took the form of a cowherd named Baiju. While Ravana was off to urinate, he gave a lingam to this cowherd. Baiju positioned the lingam on the ground. Upon Ravana&amp;#039;s return, he attempted to displace the lingam, but he was unsuccessful in his endeavor. He became upset and proceeded to press his thumb onto the lingam before departing. The Shiva lingam was then worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu, and other deities. Since then, Mahadev has taken up residence in Deoghar as the embodiment of the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Kamna Linga&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web |date=2016-07-25 |title=जानें क्या है बाबा बैजनाथ धाम की कथा... |url=https://www.aajtak.in/religion/worship/story/story-of-baidyanath-or-baijnath-temple-devghar-377262-2016-07-25 |access-date=2023-04-04 |website=आज तक |language=hi}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Location of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Vaidyanatham Chitabhoomau&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (1/21-24)&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://imgur.com/DPV9XwK |title=The magic of the Internet |publisher=Imgur |date= |accessdate=2022-08-07}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Shivamaha puran Shatarudra Samhita&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (42/1-4)&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://imgur.com/FW7VC6M |title=The magic of the Internet |publisher=Imgur |date= |accessdate=2022-08-07}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; are the ancient verses that identify the location of Vaidyanth Jyotirlinga. According to which Shri Vaidyanatham is in &amp;#039;Chitabhoomi&amp;#039;, Dwadasha jyotirlinga stotram, [[Adi Sankaracharya]] has praised Shri Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga location in following verses, before &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Shivamaha puran Shatarudra Samhita&amp;#039;&amp;#039;  as following:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |url=http://www.shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssk-dvadasha-jyotirlinga-smaranam.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806175350/http://shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssk-dvadasha-jyotirlinga-smaranam.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-06 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote class=&amp;quot;toccolours&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;float:none; padding:10px 15px; display:table;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Sourashtre Somanadham, cha Sri Shaile Mallikarjunam,&lt;br /&gt;
Ujjayinyam Maha Kalam, Omkaram, amaleshwaram,&lt;br /&gt;
 Vaidyanatham Chitabhumau, Dakinyam Bhimasankaram,&lt;br /&gt;
Sethubandhe thu Ramesam, Nagesam thu Darukavane,&lt;br /&gt;
Varanasyam thu Viswesam, Trayambakam Gouthami thate,&lt;br /&gt;
Himalaye thu Kedaram, Ghushmesam cha Shivalaye,&lt;br /&gt;
Ethani Jyothirlingani sayam pratha paden nara,&lt;br /&gt;
Saptha janma krutham papam smaranena vinasyathi.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&amp;quot;Parlam Vaidyanatham cha&amp;quot; instead of &amp;quot;Vaidyanatham Chitabhumau&amp;quot; is an alternative reading for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adi Shankaracharya further evaluates the above main verse as below:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|title=Dwadash Jyotirlinga Stotram |url=http://www.ithaat.com/devotional/dwadash_jyotirlinga_stotram.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305155145/http://www.ithaat.com/devotional/dwadash_jyotirlinga_stotram.asp |archive-date=5 March 2012 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |url=http://www.shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssdvada2.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806193034/http://shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssdvada2.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-06 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote class=&amp;quot;toccolours&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;float:none; padding:10px 15px; display:table;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Poorvottare prajwalika nidhaane&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
sada vasantam girija sametam&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
suraasuraaradhita paada padmam&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
shri vaidyanaatham tamaham namaami&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This states that:  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I salute that Vaidyanatha,&lt;br /&gt;
Whose lotus feet are worshipped&lt;br /&gt;
By all asuras and devas&lt;br /&gt;
And who lives in place of eternal shine,in the north east of (Vaidyanatham) of Chitabhoomi,&lt;br /&gt;
along with his consort Parvathi.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bhavarth in Hindi: [https://web.archive.org/web/20230305000736/https://sanskritslokas.com/shiva-mantra2.html]&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote class=&amp;quot;toccolours&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;float:none; padding:10px 15px; display:table;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
पूर्वोत्तरे प्रज्वलिकानिधाने सदा वसन्तं गिरिजासमेतम्। सुरासुराराधितपादपद्मं श्रीवैद्यनाथं तमहं नमामि ॥&lt;br /&gt;
    &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;भावार्थ&amp;quot;:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
    जो भगवान् शंकर पूर्वोत्तर दिशा में चिताभूमि वैद्यनाथ धाम के अन्दर सदा ही पार्वती सहित विराजमान हैं, और देवता व दानव जिनके चरणकमलों की आराधना करते हैं, उन्हीं ‘श्री वैद्यनाथ’ नाम से विख्यात शिव को मैं प्रणाम करता हूँ ।&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;Also, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Chitabhoomi&amp;#039;&amp;#039; indicates that, in olden days, this was a funeral place, where corpses were burnt, and post-death ceremonies were performed. This place could have been a center of tantric cults like [[Kapalika]]/[[Bhairava]] where [[Lord Shiva]] is worshipped significantly as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;shmashaan vaasin&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (meaning, one who resides in a crematorium),  and a bhasma bhushita&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (meaning, smearing body with ashes of burnt bodies).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Vaidyanath&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia Of Political Parties, Volumes 33-50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qmsJoi7lcMYC&amp;amp;q=vaidyanath+jyotirlinga&amp;amp;pg=PA90|author=Om Prakash Ralhan|year = 1998|isbn = 9788174888655}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Dvadashalinga Smaranam also mentions its location as the verse is &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Prachikam Vaidyanatham&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, i.e., Vaidyanatham is in east (prachi means east). Another version of Dvadasalinga Smaranam mentions its location in the verse &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Paralyam Vaidyanatham, i.e.&amp;#039;&amp;#039;,Vaidyanatham is in Parali.The names and the locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas mentioned in the distorted version of Dvadasalinga Smaranam are:&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |url=http://www.shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssk-dvadasha-jyotirlinga-smaranam.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806175350/http://shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssk-dvadasha-jyotirlinga-smaranam.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-06 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.shreehindutemple.net/hinduism/12-jyotirlingas-of-lord-shiv/|title = 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiv – Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre – Hindu Mandir Leicester}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |url=http://www.shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssdvada1.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806185717/http://shaivam.org/sanskrit/ssdvada1.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-06 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;blockquote class=&amp;quot;toccolours&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;float:none; padding:10px 15px; display:table;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Saurashtre Somanatham cha Shrishaile Mallikarjunam|&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleshwaram ||&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Prajwalayam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Setu Bandhe tu Raamesham, Naagesham Daarukavane||&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Varanasyantu Vishwesham Tryambakam Gautami tate|&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Himalaye tu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesham cha shivaalaye||&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Pathennarah|&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||&amp;lt;/blockquote&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thus, the three temples claiming their shrines as &amp;#039;real&amp;#039; jyotirlinga of Vaidyanath are&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Baidyanath temple&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; at [[Deoghar]], Jharkhand,&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Shri Vaijnath Temple]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; at [[Parli, Maharashtra|Parli]], [[Maharashtra]] and&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Baijnath temple&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; at [[Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh|Baijnath]], [[Himachal Pradesh]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web |last=Unecha |first=Santosh |date=2017-04-21 |title=Conflicts of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga |url=https://punetopune.com/conflicts-of-vaidyanath-jyotirlinga/ |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=PuneToPune |language=en-US}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bhavishyapurana also describes Baidyanath as follows:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;quot;Narikhande is district abounding in thickets. It lies west of the Dwarikashwari River. It extends along the Panchakuta hills on its west, and approaches Kikta on the north. The forests are very extensive, chiefly of Sakhota, Arjuna and Sal trees with a plentiful addition of brushwood. The district is celebrated for the shrine of Baidyanath. The deity is worshiped by people from all quarters and is the source of every good in the present age.&amp;quot;{{fact|date=January 2023}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is believed that Shiva first manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. The same shrine of Vaidyanath is considered one of 51 [[Shakti Peethas]], where &amp;#039;heart&amp;#039; of [[Sati (goddess)]] fell, after being broken apart by the [[Sudarshana Chakra]] of Lord [[Vishnu]], from the body of Dakshayani (Sati), carried by the lovelorn, distraught [[Shiva]], at the location on which the respective temple is built. Since the heart of Sati fell here, the place is also called as Hardapeetha. Here Sati is worshipped as Jayaa Durga (Victorious Durga) and Lord Bhairava as Vaidyanath or Baidyanath. Dakshayani was reborn as [[Parvati]], daughter of [[Himavan|Himaavat]], king of the mountains, and his wife, the Devi [[Mena (goddess)|Mena]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;51 Shaktipeethas http://www.taramaa.net/shaktipeethas.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630041807/http://www.taramaa.net/shaktipeethas.htm |date=2015-06-30 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;51 Shaktipeethas-History http://kumbhujjain.in/blog/temple/shakti-peeths/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216203704/http://kumbhujjain.in/blog/temple/shakti-peeths/ |date=2015-02-16 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Jyotirlinga==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Priests conducting worship inside the Baijnath temple.jpg|thumb|An 1870 watercolour showing worship of the Jyotirlinga in Deoghar.|343x343px]]&lt;br /&gt;
According to [[Shiva Purana|Shiv Mahapuran]], once [[Brahma]] (the Hindu God of creation) and [[Vishnu]] (the Hindu God of preservation) had an argument in terms of supremacy of creation.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;R.&amp;quot;&amp;gt;R. 2003, pp. 92-95&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;  To test them, [[Shiva]] pierced the three worlds as a huge endless pillar of light, the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;jyotirlinga&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Vishnu and Brahma split their ways to downwards and upwards respectively to find the end of the light in either direction. Brahma lied that he found out the end, while Vishnu conceded his defeat. Shiva appeared as the second pillar of light and cursed Brahma that he would have no place in ceremonies while Vishnu would be worshipped until the end of eternity. The &amp;#039;&amp;#039;jyotirlinga&amp;#039;&amp;#039; is the supreme partless reality, out of which Shiva partly appears. The &amp;#039;&amp;#039;jyothirlinga&amp;#039;&amp;#039; shrines, thus are places where Shiva appeared as a fiery column of light.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;Eck 1999, p. 107&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Gwynne&amp;quot;&amp;gt;See: Gwynne 2008, Section on Char Dham&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
Originally there were believed to be 64 &amp;#039;&amp;#039;jyothirlingas&amp;#039;&amp;#039; while 12 of them are considered to be very auspicious and holy.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;R.&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; Each of the twelve &amp;#039;&amp;#039;jyothirlinga&amp;#039;&amp;#039; sites take the name of the presiding deity - each considered different manifestation of Shiva.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lochtefeld&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Lochtefeld 2002, pp. 324-325&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; At all these sites, the primary image is &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[lingam]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; representing the beginningless and endless &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Stambha]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lochtefeld&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;E. U. Harding&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Harding 1998, pp. 158-158&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;paris_congress&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Vivekananda Vol. 4&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The twelve &amp;#039;&amp;#039;jyothirlinga&amp;#039;&amp;#039; are [[Somnath Temple|Somnath]] in [[Gujarat]], [[Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam|Mallikarjuna]] at [[Srisailam]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]], [[Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga|Mahakaleswar]] at [[Ujjain]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Omkareshwar]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]], [[Kedarnath Temple|Kedarnath]] in [[Uttarakhand]], [[Bhimashankar Temple|Bhimashankar]] in [[Maharashtra]], [[Kasi Viswanath Temple|Viswanath]] at [[Varanasi]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple|Triambakeshwar]] in Maharashtra, Baidyanath at Deoghar in [[Jharkhand]], [[Nageshwar Temple, Dwarka|Nageswar]] at [[Dwarka]] in [[Gujarat]], [[Ramanathaswamy Temple|Rameshwar]] at [[Rameswaram]] in [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Grishneshwar]] at [[Maharashtra]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;R.&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Chaturvedi&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Chaturvedi 2006, pp. 58-72&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Description of Temple==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Baba Dham.jpg|thumb|The main temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Maa Parvati temple is tied up with the main temple, with huge red sacred threads which is 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.&lt;br /&gt;
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The nearest railway station is [[Jasidih railway station]], which is 7&amp;amp;nbsp;km from Vaidyanath temple. Jasidh is 311&amp;amp;nbsp;km from Howrah/Sealdah on Patna route. On a normal day, the worshipping of Baidyanath Jyotirlingam begins at 4 AM. The temple doors open at this time. At 4:00 am the &amp;quot;patt&amp;quot; of Baidyanath Jyotirlingam opens and for the very sharp 15 minutes the &amp;quot;Panda&amp;quot; (priest&amp;#039;s families) offer Kacha Jal to LORD SHIVA, during 4:15am to 5:40 am, the Head priest worships with &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Shodashopachar&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Locals also call it &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Sarkari Pooja&amp;#039;&amp;#039;. Then the devotees begin their worship of the Shivalinga. The most interesting tradition is that priests of the temple pour &amp;#039;&amp;#039;kuchcha Jal&amp;#039;&amp;#039; upon the lingam first, and later on, the pilgrims pour water and offer flowers and [[Aegle marmelos#Religious significance-The Holy Bael patra|Bilva leaf]], upon the lingam. The Puja rituals continue until 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 again. At this time Shringar Puja takes place. The temple closes at 9:00 pm on a normal day, but during Holy Shravan month, the timings are extended. Unlike [[Somnath]] or [[Rameshwaram]] or [[Srisailam]], here the devotees can get satisfaction by offering Abhishek themselves on Jyotirlinga.{{fact|date=January 2023}}&lt;br /&gt;
The devotee can also buy Peda as prasad from Babadham. &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Peda&amp;#039;&amp;#039; is a local sweet and is the speciality of Deoghar. Babadham has a regular and well-maintained office to accept offerings and donations.{{fact|date=January 2023}}&lt;br /&gt;
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The Matsyapuran narrates the place as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Arogya Baidyanathitee&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, the holy place where Shakti lives and assists Shiva in freeing people from incurable diseases. This whole area of Deoghar was under the rule of the Kings of Gidhaur who were much attached with this temple. Raja Bir Vikram Singh founded this princely state in 1266. In 1757 after the [[Battle of Plassey]] the officers of the East India Company paid their attention to this temple. An English man, Keating was sent to look at the administration of the temple. Mr. Keating, the first English collector of Birbhum, took interest in the administration of the temple. In 1788, under Mr. Keating&amp;#039;s order Mr. Hesilrigg, his assistant, who was probably the first English man to visit the holy city, set out to supervise personally the collection of the pilgrim offerings and dues. Later, when Mr. Keating himself visited Babadham, he was convinced and forced to abandon his policy of direct interference. He handed over the full control of the temple to the hands of the high priest.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |url=http://www.babadham.org/maintemple/maintemple.php |title=Baba Baidyanath Temple . Babadham . Deoghar |access-date=2010-04-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627041433/http://www.babadham.org/maintemple/maintemple.php |archive-date=2015-06-27 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.liveindia.com/jyotirlinga/baidyanath.html|title = Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Shiva Temples}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==List of High Priest==&lt;br /&gt;
1.  Mukund Jha&lt;br /&gt;
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2.  Judhan Jha&lt;br /&gt;
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3   Mukund Jha (Second time)&lt;br /&gt;
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4.  Chikku Jha&lt;br /&gt;
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5.  Raghunath jha (in 1586 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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6.  Chikku Jha (Second time)&lt;br /&gt;
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7.  Mallu&lt;br /&gt;
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8.  Semkaran Jha Sarewar&lt;br /&gt;
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9.  Sadanand&lt;br /&gt;
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10. Chandrapani&lt;br /&gt;
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11. Ratnapani&lt;br /&gt;
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12. Jay Nath Jha&lt;br /&gt;
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13. Vaamdev&lt;br /&gt;
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14. Yadunandan&lt;br /&gt;
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15. Tikaram (until 1762 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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16. Devakinandan (until 1782 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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17. Narayan Datt (until 1791 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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18. Ramdatt (until 1810 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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19. Anand Datt Ojha (until 1810 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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20. Parama Nand (1810-1823 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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21. Sarva Nand (1823-1836 AD)&lt;br /&gt;
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22. Ishwari Nand Ojha (until 1876)&lt;br /&gt;
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23. Shailaja Nand Ojha (until 1906)&lt;br /&gt;
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24. Umesha Nand Ojha (until 1921)&lt;br /&gt;
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25. Bhavpreeta Nand Ojha (1928-1970)&lt;br /&gt;
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26. Ajita Nand Ojha (6 July 2017- 22&lt;br /&gt;
Mai 2018)&lt;br /&gt;
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27. Gulab Nand Ojha (from 22 Mai 2018)&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.prabhatkhabar.com/state/jharkhand/deogarh/1165843|title=Prabhat Khabar}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Connectivity==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Nearest Airport&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;: [[Deoghar Airport]]&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Nearest Railway Station&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;: [[Deoghar Junction railway station|Deoghar]] and [[Jasidih Junction railway station|Jasidih]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==Shravan Mela and Kanwar yatra ==&lt;br /&gt;
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Millions of pilgrims visit this shrine every year. It is famous for the mela of [[Shraavana]] (a month of the [[Hindu calendar]]), between July and August. About 8 to 10 million devotees visit the place from various parts of India and offer holy water of [[Ganges]] ([[Uttarvahini Ganga]]) to the deity collected from [[Ajgaibinath temple|Ajgaibinath]] , [[Sultanganj]], which is almost 108&amp;amp;nbsp;km from Deoghar and Baidyanath.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web |url=http://www.distance.co.in/bihar/distance-from-sultanganj-to-deoghar-jharkhand/by-road/ |title=Distance from Sultanganj to Deoghar Jharkhand, Distances Between Sultanganj to Deoghar Jharkhand, Calculate Deoghar Jharkhand Distance from Sultanganj by Road, Travel Time Driving Direction Calculator from Sultanganj to Deoghar Jharkhand |access-date=2019-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602053638/http://www.distance.co.in/bihar/distance-from-sultanganj-to-deoghar-jharkhand/by-road/ |archive-date=2016-06-02 }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The water is also brought by the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Kānvarias&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, who carry the water in &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Kavadi&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, and walk all the distance, on barefoot. You will find large crowds walking all the way carrying water. An unbroken line of people in saffron-dyed clothes stretches over the full 108&amp;amp;nbsp;km for the month. The pilgrims are called &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Dak Bam&amp;#039;&amp;#039; and they do not stop even once in their journey from [[Ajgaibinath temple|Ajgaibinath Temple]] located at [[Sultanganj]] , [[Bhagalpur]] district to Vaidyanath. Pilgrims to the temple later visit the [[Basukinath|Basukinath temple]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Baba&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|title=Administration gears up for Shravani Fair|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-05-30/patna/28348050_1_shrawani-bhagalpur-high-level-meeting|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811055452/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-05-30/patna/28348050_1_shrawani-bhagalpur-high-level-meeting|archive-date=2011-08-11|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=2004-05-30|access-date=2010-04-06|first1=Pranavkumar|last1=Chaudhary}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Baba1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|title=Month-long Shrawani Mela ends|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-06/ranchi/28156469_1_kumbh-mela-lakh-pilgrims-shrawani-mela|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811055512/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-08-06/ranchi/28156469_1_kumbh-mela-lakh-pilgrims-shrawani-mela|archive-date=2011-08-11|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=2009-08-06|access-date=2010-04-06}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web |last=Desk |first=Blitz India |date=2023-07-17 |title=PHOTOS: See picture of government worship in Ajgaibinath temple, Kanwariyas seen in Sultanganj on Monday |url=https://www.weeklyblitz.net/news/photos-see-picture-of-government-worship-in-ajgaibinath-temple-kanwariyas-seen-in-sultanganj-on-monday/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=BLiTZ |language=en-US}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ajgaibinath temple|Ajgaibinath Temple]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Yatra#Famous yatras|Famous Hindu yatras]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Hindu pilgrimage sites in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[List of Hindu festivals]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Padayatra]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ratha Yatra]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tirtha (Hinduism)|Tirtha]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Tirtha and Kshetra]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Baidyanath Dham (Nepal)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist|3}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Notes==&lt;br /&gt;
{{refbegin|2}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Citation&lt;br /&gt;
 | ref=Chaturvedi&lt;br /&gt;
 | last=Chaturvedi&lt;br /&gt;
 | first=B. K.&lt;br /&gt;
 | year=2006&lt;br /&gt;
 | title=Shiv Purana&lt;br /&gt;
 | place=New Delhi&lt;br /&gt;
 | publisher= Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd&lt;br /&gt;
 | edition=First&lt;br /&gt;
 | isbn=81-7182-721-7&lt;br /&gt;
 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bchgql0em9YC&amp;amp;q=jyotirlinga&amp;amp;pg=PA58&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Citation&lt;br /&gt;
 | ref=Eck&lt;br /&gt;
 | last=Eck&lt;br /&gt;
 | first=Diana L.&lt;br /&gt;
 | year=1999&lt;br /&gt;
 | title=Banaras, city of light&lt;br /&gt;
 | place=New York&lt;br /&gt;
 | publisher= Columbia University Press&lt;br /&gt;
 | edition=First&lt;br /&gt;
 | isbn=0-231-11447-8&lt;br /&gt;
 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J57C4d8Bv6UC&amp;amp;q=jyotirlinga&amp;amp;pg=PA107&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Citation |ref=Gwynne|last=Gwynne|first=Paul |title=World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction|year=2009|publisher=Blackwell Publication |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1-4051-6702-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tdsRKc_knZoC&amp;amp;q=jyotirlinga&amp;amp;pg=PT271}}.&lt;br /&gt;
*{{cite book&lt;br /&gt;
  | ref = Harding&lt;br /&gt;
  | last = Harding&lt;br /&gt;
  | first = Elizabeth U.&lt;br /&gt;
  | title = Kali: The Black Goddess of Dakshineswar&lt;br /&gt;
  | chapter = God, the Father&lt;br /&gt;
  | publisher = Motilal Banarsidass&lt;br /&gt;
  | year = 1998&lt;br /&gt;
  | pages = 156–157&lt;br /&gt;
  | isbn = 978-81-208-1450-9&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Citation | ref = Lochtefeld| last = Lochtefeld | first = James G. | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M | year = 2002 | publisher=Rosen Publishing Group | isbn=0-8239-3179-X | page=122 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5kl0DYIjUPgC}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{Citation&lt;br /&gt;
 | last=R.&lt;br /&gt;
 | ref=R.&lt;br /&gt;
 | first=Venugopalam&lt;br /&gt;
 | year=2003&lt;br /&gt;
 | title=Meditation: Any Time Any Where&lt;br /&gt;
 | place=Delhi&lt;br /&gt;
 | publisher= B. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd.&lt;br /&gt;
 | edition=First&lt;br /&gt;
 | isbn=81-8056-373-1&lt;br /&gt;
 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZtnNw_hiA9oC&amp;amp;q=jyotirlinga&amp;amp;pg=PT113&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
*{{cite book&lt;br /&gt;
  | last = Vivekananda&lt;br /&gt;
  | ref = Vivekananda&lt;br /&gt;
  | first = Swami&lt;br /&gt;
  | title = The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda&lt;br /&gt;
  | chapter = The Paris Congress of the History of Religions&lt;br /&gt;
  | chapter-url = http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_4/translation_prose/the_paris_congress.htm&lt;br /&gt;
  | volume = 4&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{refend}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
*[https://www.babadham.org/ Official Website of Baba Baidyanath Temple Management Board]&lt;br /&gt;
*{{facebook|BabaBaidyanathDhamDeoghar}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Shaivism}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Shiva temples}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Hindu temples in Jharkhand}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Hindu holy cities}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Santhal Pargana Division topics}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Jyotirlingas]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Shiva temples in Jharkhand]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Deoghar]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Shiva temples in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Hindu temples in Jharkhand]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Jharkhand]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Temples in India]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Hindu temples in Deoghar district]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Ajay Kumar</name></author>
	</entry>
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