Baijnath Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Gaggal, at Dharamshala.

• By train

  Incredible India lists Pathankot Junction (PTK) as the nearest railway station. Taxis and buses run from Pathankot to Baijnath.

• By road

  The temple lies between Kangra and Mandi on NH 154, the Pathankot to Manali highway. Taxis and buses run daily from Dharamshala, Palampur, Bir and Pathankot.

Why devotees come here

Baijnath Temple stands in the small town of Baijnath in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas spread across the country. Shiva is worshipped here as Vaidyanath, a title linked to physicians.

The Puranas tell a legend that Ravana once worshipped Shiva at Kailash and offered his ten heads to gain invincible powers. A second legend says the Shivalinga settled here in the form of Ardhanarishwar, after Ravana set it down on his journey to Lanka. Both are told as legend, not as settled history.

The temple is said to have been built in 1204 by two local merchants, Ahuka and Manyuka. In 1786 Sansar Chand, who took control of Kangra Fort, undertook its renovation and restoration. Historians believe he also made additions and renovations in the late 18th century. The 1905 Kangra earthquake caused massive destruction in the Kangra valley.

The temple is a Nagara style structure of carved sandstone. A mandapa hall leads to the sanctum, which is topped by a shikhara spire. Carved idols line the walls, and some of them are older than the present temple. The temple stands on a hilltop overlooking the Binwa river and the snow-clad Dhauladhar mountains.

Festivals

• Monthly Shivratri and the grand MahashivratriShivratri

  Rituals and cultural performances mark both, especially during the monthly Shivratri and the grand Mahashivratri.

Tips for your visit

• Numerous idols are carved on the walls, and some date from before the present temple was built.
• Historians believe Sansar Chand, the art-loving ruler of Kangra, also made additions and renovations in the late 18th century.

Questions people ask