Baba Garibnath Temple

Getting there

• By train

  Muzaffarpur Junction is the nearest railway station.

• By road

  Imlichatti Government Bus Stand in Muzaffarpur is the nearby bus stand.

Rules to know

• Free meals are served to devotees in the dining hall inside the temple complex.

Why devotees come here

Baba Garibnath Temple stands near Purani Bazar in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. It is one of the oldest Shiva temples in the state and is often called the Deoghar of Bihar. Shiva is worshipped here as Garibnath, master of the poor.

Garibnath is a name of Shiva that means master of the poor. Tradition gives the temple a history of about three hundred years. Devotees believe that prayer in the month of Sawan carries special meaning.

Legend says this place was once a dense forest with seven peepal trees. When the trees were cut, blood-red matter is said to have flowed out, and a huge lingam was found. Another account says a labourer's axe stroke revealed it, and the lingam still shows the cut mark.

The Bihar State Religious Trust Board took over the temple and set up an eleven-member trust. Kanwar pilgrims began bringing Ganga water from Sonpur in Shravan around 1960. The temple has a large dome, and the courtyard has a very old kalpavriksha tree that is believed to be older than the lingam's appearance.

Festivals

• Phalgun krishna chaturdashiMahashivratri

  The temple holds a special mahashringar, a full decoration of the deity.

• Shravan monthShravan Mondays

  Every Monday has a special mahashringar.

• Shravan monthShravani Mela

  A large fair with services set up for kanwariyas.

Tips for your visit

• Look for the very old kalpavriksha tree in the courtyard, believed to be older than the lingam's appearance.
• Look for the cut mark on the lingam that the legend speaks of.
• Visit on a Shravan Monday or Mahashivratri if you want to see the special mahashringar.

Questions people ask