DEVGHAR - THE ABODE OF GOD

The clanging of cymbals, the crescendo of chanting, the sea of devotees clad in orange-that is when you know you have reached Baba Dham in Deoghar. DEOGHAR OR DEVGHAR, literally the home of Gods, is located in northeastern Bihar. It is a major Hindu pilgrimage and has the ancient temple of Baba Baidyanath, one of the twelve 'jyotirlingas' in India.

One legend has it that the demon King Ravana, sought a boon from Lord Mahadeva to take away a Jyotirlinga to Sri Lanka. The sole condition being that there should be no break in the journey and if the lingam were put anywhere on the earth in the course of the journey, it would be fixed to that spot forever.

The story goes that Ravana agreed to this condition and started his journey back to Lanka. Now the gods dreaded the thought of the lingam with the demon king. Hence, they hatched a plan and soon Ravana had to descend to earth to relieve himself.

At that point, he perceived a Brahmin, (really Lord Vishnu) and requested him to kindly hold the Jyotirlinga for a few minutes. As soon as Ravana turned his back, Lord Vishnu left the Jyotirlinga on the spot and vanished.

When Ravana came back, he found that the Jyotirlinga was firmly fixed to the earth. He tried hard to remove it, thereby breaking a piece off the top.

It is also believed that the Brahmin instructed a Bhil hunter present there, to worship the linga. After the death of Ravana, Baiju, the Bhil hunter used to worship the lingam. Thus, the lingam, deposited in Deoghar, came to be known by Baiju's name as Baidyanath.

The temple of Baidyanath, situated in a spacious courtyard bound by stone walls, faces the east and is a plain stone structure with a pyramidal tower. There are bells fixed in the ceiling and pilgrims pull the bell-ropes as they approach the lord.

The lingam is cylindrical, about 5 inches in diameter and projects about 4 inches from the centre of a large slab of basalt. No one knows how much of the lingam is buried. The top is broken and has an uneven surface.

Here, the devotees, pour water on the lingam, smear it with sandal paste and offer flowers and a few grains of rice. However, money, silver and gold are also offered. There are more than 300 families of Pandas or priests, who are Maithil Brahmans and help the pilgrims in performing the various ceremonies.

At Deoghar, one can visit the Baidyanath Temple, Sivaganga Lake, The Chandrakoopa Well, Nandan hills, Naulakha, Mandir and Tapovan.

Deoghar is on the main line of the Eastern Railway and can also be reached by an all-weather road. It is a picturesque location. To the north of the town there is a wood called Data Jungle, to the north-west is a low wooded hill called Nandan Pahar and to the east about 10 miles away, there is a low range of hills known as Tiur or Trikutaparvata.

There are a number of small hills to the southeast, south and southwest. There are two rivulets Yamunajor and Dharua near the town. The countryside around Deoghar has an attractive set-up with undulations, watercourses and small hills. The climate is dry and congenial and Deoghar is also considered a health resort.

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