Deoghar - Deoghar

Deoghar (also called Baidyanath Dham) is in Jharkhand. It is famous for the Baidyanath (Shiva) temple.

Get in

• By rail - Deoghar Junction is the main railway station at Deoghar City.

Another railway station is Baidyanath Dham (Deoghar) which is a terminal station of a 7-km branch line originating at Jasidih Jn. on the Howrah-Delhi main line. Apart from local trains on the branch line trekkers (type of jeep) taking in passengers on a per person fare basis and auto rickshaws are available. Auto-Rickshaws are available frequently just outside the Jasidih railway station. They charge ₹8 per person in a shared auto and up to ₹60 in a Reserved auto. However, due to the road bridge that connects Jasidih to Deoghar collapsing, the auto rickshaws take alternative longer route thus charge about ₹15 per person and up to ₹100 in reserved. The best means to get to Deoghar is the local up-down train available every few hours at Jasidih Railway station on Platform No. 4.

• By road - Deoghar is approachable from Kolkata 373 km, Giridih 60 km, Patna 281 km, Dumka 67 km, Madhupur 30 km,Ranchi 250 km Shimultala 53 km and other places. Regular buses are available from surrounding towns.

No need to wait for minutes or hours, all conveyances are available in this route.

Get around

Unmetered taxis or hired cars, auto rickshaws, tongas and cycle rickshaws are available. Tongas charge around ₹400, autorickshaws around ₹500 and hired cars ₹700-1,000 for a visit to most of the important places in the town.

See

• Baidyanath Temple - According to Hindu mythology, Ravana went to Mount Kailash and prayed to Lord Shiva, who gave him a Jyotirlinga to take to his land, with the promise not to place the lingam anywhere else. In case that happened, the lingam would remain fixed on that spot forever. The gods, who were unhappy at the prospect of the divine lingam being established in the enemy kingdom, which would render them powerless against their adversary, worked a trick on Ravana. He mistakenly handed over the lingam to a Brahmin, who grounded it at Deoghar. Ravana did his best to uproot it but beyond breaking the tip he was unsuccessful. In deep remorse, he used to come to this place everyday and worship the lingam by offering water from the Ganges. Historically the temple is dated to 1596. The temple has almost all god & goddesses and whole temple is built on a single rock. During the month of 'Sawan' people from across the country come to offer ganga jal to the divine Shiva ling.

For centuries, devotees, in the month of Shravan (June–July) undertake a rigorous 100-km pilgrimage on foot from Ajgaibinath (Sultanganj) in Bhgalpur district to offer holy water from the Ganges to the lingam at Deoghar. It is very crowded in Deoghar during this period as more than 5 million devotees visit every year. Hence it is not recommended for a casual traveler to visit Deoghar during these months.

• Balanand Ashram Yogashala, Karnibagh - Yoga Institution.

• Fuljhari Pahar - 48 km from Deoghar, this is hill for those who want to start mountain climbing. It has a height of around 800 m and it is safe for climbing.
• Harila Joria - 8 km from Deoghar, famous for Shiva Temple
• Nandan Pahar - A picnic spot with some basic rides atop a small hill. Vehicles come to the base but one has to walk up.
• Naulakha Mandir - it is a beautiful temple of Radha-Krishna on the outskirts of Deogarh
• Prabhu Jagadbandhu Ashrama - 4 km from Deoghar, on the way to Tapovan, near Charki Pahari crossing - for short stay in a cool, pristine environment with monks and other ashramiks.
• Ramkrishna Mission Vidyapith, Tiwari Chowk (Williams Town). 
• Satsang Ashram - it is a holy place for the followers of Sri Sri Thakur Anukulachandra. It also has a museum and a zoo with a sarva dharma mandir.
• Tapovan - A picnic spot with some caves and lots of monkeys. 8 km from Deoghar, Balanand Brahmachari used to meditate here.
• Trikut - 16 km from Deoghar, source of the River Mayurakshi - vehicles come to the base but one has to walk up. A ropeway has been built to ferry people to the top.

Do

• Rikhia Ashram, Village Pania Pagaar, ☏ 91 6432290870, 91 9304488889, 91 9430799449 (also fax). Rikhia peeth is the tapobhumi (place of spiritual sadhana or practice) of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of the Bihar School of Yoga, Munger. Swami Satyananda came to Rikhia with the sankalpa to live in seclusion, on 23 September 1989. 

Buy

• Beautiful Bangles (laah ki churri), mandit line (way to mandir). Beautiful bangles shop are available, on temple lane. 
• Bihar State Handloom Emporium
• Santhal Parganas Gramodyog Samittee
• Santhal Parganas Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan

Eat

One normally has food in the place of stay but there are numerous small eateries.

Deoghar has some food specialities:

• Bel ka Morabba Another speciality of Deoghar available form September to March. One must try this.
• Langra Aam- Deoghar's another speciality is its langra aam. One must never miss it.
• Paratha - made of flour filled with sattu and potato and blended with pure deshi ghee, famous location 'Parathas of Luchhu Shah' in the mandir lane, any one can point you to the shop when asked for.
• Peda - a type of milk-based sweet-meat is the Deoghar speciality. A visitor to Deoghar must not miss it.
• Rabri - made of condensed milk, available throughout the year.
• Tilkut- made of til and sugar mixed and crushed together, mostly available from the month of December to February.

Drink

Most of the places of Deoghar have groundwater as their main water source and therefore it is suggested to carry a bottle of mineral water in your journey.

• Lassi (dahhi ki lassi), on the mandir lane. Try cool dahhi ki lassi, it is also famous in Deoghar. 

Sleep

• Hotel Anand,☏ 91 6432 220540, rooms ₹200-350.
• Hotel Bharti, Very close to temple. ☏ 91 6432-223022, rooms ₹200-400.
• Hotel Samrat, ☏ 91 6432 222402, rooms ₹250-400.
• Hotel Yasoda International, ☏ 91 33 329 53360, ☏ 91 2264 2051, rooms ₹500-2000.
• Hotel Yatrik, ☏ 91 6432 323 299, rooms ₹300-400.
• Joty. Near to the West entrance gate of Baidyanath Temple. ₹350. (updated Jan 2021)
• Nataraj Vihar (Jharkhand Tourism), ☏ 91 6432 222422, rooms ₹200-₹500.
• New Grand Hotel, ☏ 91 6432 225245, rooms ₹250-350
• Hotel Prova, ☏ 91 6432 224112, rooms ₹200-300.
• Saraswati Ashram, Mansarowar Road, near Mandir, ☏ 91-9234716393. Saraswati Ashram is one of the budget hotels at Deoghar very near Bhaidyanath Dham Mandir, Good place to stay and good place to eat. ₹200-500. 
• Sewa Dham (Nandan Pahar), opposite Nandan Pahar Baidyanathdham (2 km from Satsangnagar Chowk), ☏ 91 7903148155, 91 9204255482, ✉[email protected]. Ashram-type accommodation, run by a trust, with non-AC rooms, big halls, one kitchen providing Vegan food, groups may use the kitchen upon request. (updated Aug 2017)

Go next

• Basakinath Temple (42 km): Famous for Shiva Temple
• Dumka - 65 km
• Giridih - 62 km
• Kali Dham, Pathrol - 53 km on bus route towards Madhupur via Sarath. Beautiful temple with nine more beautiful tamples around the Main Kali Tample which was built by Raja Digvijay Singh, 6 to 7 centuries ago.
• Massanjore Dam - 98 km.