Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga - Devghar, Jharkhand

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga is visited after Omkareshwar. The temple of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga is located at a place called Devghar in Jharkhand, India.

The Glory and beliefs of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga

Vaidyanath is also known as Siddhapeeth. It is believed that all the desires of the visitors are fulfilled here which is why the Shivalinga of Vaidyanath temple is also called Kamana linga.

God Shiva, was pleased with Ravana's intense penance offered him a bridegroom. However, in reply, Ravana expressed his desire to take Shiva to Lanka forever instead of a bridegroom. Shiva then gave a conditional gift to Ravana. The condition was that Ravana can carry Shiva in the form of Shivalinga to Lanka, however, he should not put him on the ground in between. If he did, the Shivalinga would be established in the very sport. It is said that while on his way, Ravana stops to urinate and asks a shepherd to carry the Shivalinga. The shepherd puts it on the ground, unable to carry it and Shivalinga was established as Jyotirlinga in the spot which became Vaidyanath.

There are two other temples of Vaidyanath Jyotilinga. Vaidyanath Dham exists as Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga in Parli village of Maharashtra and Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. The Shravan Mela is held throughout the month of Shravan (August/Septemeber) in the Vaidyanath temple where Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga is located. Devotees carry water on foot from the holy Ganga River or Ganges in Sultanganj about 100 kilometres away and offer it to God Shiva. It is believed that the container filled with water from Ganges should not be placed on the ground. A special fair is also held here on Mahashivaratri. Trishul, God Shiva’s trident can be seen everywhere in Shiva temples but in case of Vaidyanathdham, there are Panchshul in temples of Shiva, Parvati and Laxmi Narayan.    

Every year, two days before Mahashivaratri (February/March), Panchshul is brought down from these temples for devotees that gather to touch the Panchshul. The Panchshul is worshiped and returned to the temples again.

How to reach Vaidyanath Temple?

Road, rail or air mediums can be used to reach Vaidyanath Temple. Vaidyanath Temple is close to places like Sarava, Sarath, Jarmundi, Chandamari, Dhanwad, etc. Private bus services are available from Jharkhand State Road Transport Corporation and West Bengal State Road Transport Corporation. Train services are available from New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Varanasi and other places for the nearest Jasidih railway station from Deoghar. The Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport is around 300 kilometres from Vaidhyanath and from there bus service is available to Deoghar.

When to visit Vaidhyanath?

Most visitors go to Vaidhyanath Temple during the special fair held during the Shravan Mass which falls between August/September. The weather is moderate during monsoon. Likewise, devotees also visit Vaidyanath during Mahashivaratri(February/March). The weather remains favourable during the festival. Occasional cyclones and typhoons in the Bay of Bengal also affect the Jharkhand region, so it is advisable to travel with advance information about the weather.

Itinerary

Locations on Shiv Shakti Circuit

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Shiv Shakti Circuit , India