BAIDYANATH JYOTIRLINGA

BAIDYANATH, ALSO CALLED VAIJNATH TEMPLE AND VAIDYANTH

Temple is located at Deogarh in the Santal Parganas region ofBihar in the south west of Keeul Station. Baidyanath shrine is revered as one of the Dwaadash Jyotirlingam of Shiva. Itmay be noted that some schools of thought believe Vaidyanath near Parali in Andhra Pradesh to be the VaidyanathaJyotirlingam.Devotees of Lord Shiva believe that by sincere worship of Vaijnath Jyotirlinga a person is relieved of all worries andmiseries in life. It is also said that by worshipping in the shrine a person attains Moksha and all types of happiness. As atradition, devotees carry ‘Kanwars’ on their shoulders and complete their travel here.

LEGEND BEHIND VAIDYANATH TEMPLE

Legend has it that demon King of Lanka, Ravana meditated upon Lord Shiva, as he wanted to request him to comeover to Sri Lanka and make his capital invincible. It is said that Ravana attempted to lift Mount Kailash and take it withhim to his capital. However, Lord Shiva crushed it with his finger. Ravana prayed to him and sought his mercy, after which Bhagwan Shiva gave him one of the twelve Jyotirlingams on the condition that if it were placed on the ground itshall fix itself to the ground and shall remain there for eternity. Ravana thanked Lord Shiva and holding the Linga carefully started of to the Lanka. However, Varuna the God of Water, entered his belly and caused him to feel an urgentneed to relieve himself. Vishnu then came down in the form of a lad and volunteered to hold the Jyotirlingam as he relieved himself. Before Ravana returned, Vishnu placed the Jyotirlingam on the ground and it became rooted to the spot. A disappointed Ravana offered severe penance to Shiva here, and cut off nine of his heads. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, as if by the work of a Vaidya or a physician, hence this Jyotirlingam goes by the name Vaidyanath.

According to another legend, Baidyanath is one of the 52 Shakti Peeth shrines of Sati. It is believed that the heart ofSati fell here, when her half burnt body being carried by Shiva at the end of Daksha’s Yagna was chopped to pieces byVishnu’s discus.Some people believe that this temple was re-discovered by a cowherd Baiju and hence named Baijnath.

Baidyanath Temple at Deogarh houses.