Roopnath Dham

Getting there

• By air

  Katni has no airport, so the nearest is Jabalpur airport.

• By train

  No railway station is within 10 km of Bahoriband town.

• By road

  Roopnath Dham lies in Bahoriband tehsil. Bahoriband town is 44 km west of Katni and has two major roads, one from Sihora and one to Sleemnabad.

Rules to know

• Bathing and swimming in the kund pools is prohibited.

Why devotees come here

Roopnath Dham is a historical place in Bahoriband tehsil of Katni district. It is a centre of archaeological importance and faith, and its Shiva lingam sits in the cleft of a rock.

Roopnath Dham is a centre of archaeological importance and faith in Katni district. Shiva is worshipped here as a Panchlingi idol known as Rupnath. Priests say Bholenath travelled from this place to Jageshwar Dham at Bandakpur, a local belief rather than settled history.

Emperor Ashoka Maurya is said to have stayed at Rupnath until 232 BC. Descriptions of the hill mention three pools built one above the other on its rocks, a cave between huge stones, and Ashoka inscriptions. The temple itself is three storeys high, and its ground floor is dedicated to Shiva and Parvati. The Shiva lingam sits in the cleft of a rock, which makes this an unusual Shiva temple.

The site lies in Bahoriband tehsil of Katni district. A very large mela is organised here every year.

Festivals

• Every year, 14 to 24 JanuaryRoopnath mela

  A very large mela is organised here each year.

Tips for your visit

• If you want fewer crowds, avoid the days of the mela.
• The three pools, the cave and the Ashoka inscriptions are on the hill rocks, so the site is more than the temple.

Questions people ask