वैद्यनाथ

Baidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deoghar

No. 9 in the stotram list, in Deoghar, Jharkhand. Ritual town, Shravan kanwar route.
Stotram list
No. 9
Season
July to August (Shravan), the pilgrimage the trust calls the temple peak
Railhead
Baidyanath Dham (BDME)
about 1 km
Airport
Deoghar (DGH)
about 9.2 km
Stay
Dharamshalas, town hotels

Official website: Baba Dham shrine website (babadham.org)

The emblem here is our own drawing. The site’s terms bar reproducing its logos without written permission.

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Map centre: town, not the gateOpen in Google Maps
Baidyanath temple from the approach road, wide enough to show the queue area and the shoe stand, taken in the morning light2000x583 webp

The story of Baidyanath

At Deoghar in Jharkhand, Baidyanath Dham, also called Kamana Linga, the linga of wishes. The trust places it as a pilgrimage site for over a millennium, with the present structure medieval and 22 smaller temples around the main shrine.

The legend

The temple site gives the legend: Ravana offered his ten heads to Shiva as a sacrifice, and Shiva, pleased, granted him the Atmalinga to carry to Lanka on the condition that it must never touch the ground. On the way Ravana handed it to a boy, who was Ganesha in disguise, and the boy set it down, fixing it where Deoghar now stands.

What it is known for

The trust derives the name from Vaidya, a physician, because Shiva is held to have healed Ravana here, and calls the linga Kamana Linga because the wishes of sincere devotees are held to be fulfilled at it.

Where this came from
What a jyotirlinga is, and the traditional order →

Darshan at Baidyanath

Baidyanath is an active temple with a daily ritual schedule, not a monument. The free queue is the default: it costs nothing and on a normal weekday it moves well. Paid darshan, if the trust offers one, buys a shorter line rather than a different view of the linga. On festival days the paid line is often suspended entirely.

Aarti is the part worth planning around. Slots are limited, some are booked days ahead, and walk-ins are turned away once the hall is full.

The temple opens at 4:00 AM, closes for the middle of the day, and reopens for an evening session.

Source: babadham.org, read 19 Oct 2026.

Booking and darshan optionsTrain, flight and road
The queue on a normal day

Darshan runs through the day in the main shrine, with the queue for the linga inside the small sanctum. The complex holds 22 smaller temples around it, so the visit is longer than the darshan itself.

What changes at peak

Shravani Mela is the period when Deoghar's numbers are on a different scale, followed by Mahashivratri and Basant Panchami.

Where this came from

When the crowds arrive

January to February, Basant Panchami

The Tilkotsav opens Shiva's wedding festivities, and devotees, many from Mithila, arrive carrying decorated kanwars to do jalabhishek and offer the tilak.

February to March, Mahashivratri

All-night vigil, special pujas and grand aartis at the jyotirlinga, per the trust festival page.

July to August, Shravani Mela

The trust describes the Shravani Mela as one of the largest and most sacred pilgrim movements in India, the kanwar route into Deoghar.

Where this came from
What Mahashivratri changes at all twelve →

Where to stay

Three ways people stay at Baidyanath, cheapest and closest first.

Trust guest houses and dharamshalasThe cheapest rooms with the shortest walk. Usually booked by phone or at the counter on the day, and the ones that take online bookings are listed on the stay page.
Hotels and lodges in townDharamshalas, town hotels. Price bands and the walk time to the gate are on the stay page, with the booking links.
Staying outside and driving inUseful when the town fills up: the nearest city with a wider choice of rooms, and what that adds to the morning.
All stay options near Baidyanath →

What is around Baidyanath

Shravan brings the largest crowds of the year. Most visitors give the temple a few hours and leave the same day, which is a miss: the places worth half a day sit within a short drive, and going early or late avoids the crowd that arrives with the coaches.

  • The 22 temples in the complex
  • Satsang Ashram
  • Naulakha Temple, 1.5 km
  • Trikut Pahar
Everything around Baidyanath, with the sources →
Baidyanath: what a visitor sees within a half day of the temple, shot the way a traveller arrives1600x1067 webp

Rules and practicalities

Phones, cameras and bags

Phones and cameras are not allowed inside the sanctum area at any of the twelve. Lockers and deposit counters sit at or near the gate.

Dress code

Covered shoulders and knees are the safe default. Checked against each temple's own notice.Data check pending

Accessibility and the walk

Wheelchair access, the length of the barefoot stretch and the shoe stand are checked at the gate rather than assumed.Data check pending

Festival days

Baidyanath on Mahashivratri and during Shravan runs on a different schedule with far longer queues. See the festival pages for what changes.

Sources for this temple: babadham.org, babadham.org, babadham.org. What each one covers, and the date it was read, is on the darshan and booking page.

Common questions about Baidyanath

What are the Baidyanath temple timings?
The temple opens at 4:00 AM, closes for the middle of the day, and reopens for an evening session. The full day schedule, with the source it was read from and the date, sits on the booking page.
How do I reach Baidyanath?
The nearest railhead is Baidyanath Dham (BDME), about 1 km, and the nearest airport is Deoghar (DGH), about 9.2 km. The how to reach page covers the last mile as well: which transport runs from the station, what it costs and how long it takes.
Where should I stay near Baidyanath?
Dharamshalas, town hotels. The stay page lists the options by walking distance and price band, including the trust rooms and dharamshalas.
When is the best time to visit Baidyanath?
July to August (Shravan), the pilgrimage the trust calls the temple peak. Open all year. Shravan brings the largest crowds of the year.

Also in the East group

Baidyanath is the only temple in the East group.

The East group: stations, airports and links to the other groups →

Plan Baidyanath

How to reachBaidyanath Dham (BDME) and Deoghar (DGH)Where to stayDharamshalas, town hotelsDarshan and bookingFree queue, paid options, aarti slots