Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga temple, also commonly known as Baba Baidyanath Dham is situated in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India. Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga temple is the most distinguished temple in the area that draws devotees in crowds every year. Vaidyanatha Jyotirlinga temple or Baba Baidyanath Temple is revered as both a jyotirlinga (sacred representation of Bhagwaan Shiva) and a Shaktipeeth (sacred shrines where the dissever body parts of goddess Shakti fell). The temple is one of the 12 holy sites of jyotirlingas in the country. It is also a home to Bhagwan Ganesha and Mata Parvati. The temple complex consists of the main temple of Baba Baidyanath and 21 other temples.

Legend

According to the Hindu legend associated with the temple, it is said that, this is where Ravana, the King of Lanka worshipped Bhagwan Shiva. The demon king Ravana worshipped Shiva to get the blessings that he later created havoc in the world. In the legend, it is said that Ravana gave his ten heads one by one to Bhagwan Shiva. Seeing this, Bhagwan Shiva emerged in-front of Ravana and healed his injuries. Through this incident Bhagwan Shiva came to be known as ‘Vaidhya’ meaning healer. Through this legend the temple got its name.

History

In history the mention of the temple has been found in the last ruler of Gupta dynasty Adityasena Gupta, 8th century AD. In the Mughal era, Raja Man Singh, the King of Amber, is said to have built a pond here, known as Mansarovar. After the Battle of Plassey in 1757 the officers of the East India Company started paying their attention to this temple. One of the officers of the East India Company took the administration in their hands and started collecting dues from the pilgrims who visited the temple. However, the officer after visiting the temple gave the control to the priests and stopped his direct interference.