Vaidyanath jyotirlinga, Commonly referred as Baidyanath dham or Baba dham is located in Deoghar in the state of Jharkhand. Deoghar which translates as the house of Gods is the most visited town in Jharkhand. It is mentioned in ancient texts as Ketakivan.

The manifestation of Shiva here is linked with Ravan, the king of Lanka. Lanka was a prosperous town but there was no happiness. Ravan, who was a devotee of Shiva felt that all will be good only if the Lord resides here. He prayed to lord shiva and offered his heads to impress the lord. Pleased with his prayers,Shiva appeared as a vaidya (doctor) and blessed him with his heads back on his body. Shiva also gave him a Shivling to carry back to Lanka with a warning that he should not keep it down on the way.

The other Gods who were jealous sought help from Varun Dev, the God of water. Varun entered Ravan’s belly and initiated the urge to relieve. Ravan handed the Shivling to a boy, but when he returned, the boy had disappeared leaving the Shivling on the ground. Ravan tried hard but could not lift it. Since Shiva had appeared as a vaidya, the Jyotirlinga here is called Vaidyanath.

There is another story linked with this Jyotirlinga. A cowherd boy named Baiju rediscovered this Jyotirlinga, therefore it is also called Baijnath.

The temple complex has a feel of both ancient and modern style of architecture. The temples built in stone with little carvings are painted in white. There is a well called Chandrakoop . It is believed to have been built by Ravan. The Matsyapuran narrates the place as Arogya Baidyanathitee, the holy place where Shakti lives and assists Shiva in freeing people from incurable diseases. This whole area of Deoghar was under the rule of the Kings of Gidhaur who were much attached with this temple. Raja Bir Vikram Singh founded this princely state in 1266. Mr. Keating, the first English collector of Birbhum, initially wanted to control the temple trust in order to earn profits from temple donations. It is said that he was suffering from chronic disorder which was cured after praying to baba Baidhyanath, thus he abandon his policy of direct interference and handed over the full control of the temple to the hands of the high priest.

The primary temple in the complex is lotus shaped and is 72 feet tall. It is located in a huge complex which houses twenty two other smaller temples that are dedicated to different deities. There is a temple of Ma Parvati which is considered as a Shakti peeth. It is believed that Sati’s heart fell here.

The main temple faces eastward. The garbhagriha is a small room with only one gate. The Shivling here is worshipped as Kama ling. It is a small lingam, only a few inches above the ground. It is believed to be the same Shivling that Ravan was supposed to take to Lanka. During the holy month of Shravan, the temple is crowded by devotees who come here to perform Abhishek on the Jyotirlinga.

The main complex of Vaidyanath is a disputed. The three following temples also claim their shrines as ‘real’ jyotirlinga of Vaidyanath

• Baidyanath temple at Deoghar, Jharkhand,
• Vaidyanath temple at Parli, Maharashtra and
• Baijnath temple at Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh.

All these temples share a similar story linked to Ravan.

Deoghar is located in the Chota Nagpur Plateau region which is covered with small hills and dense forests . After praying in the temple you can visit some of the beautiful places like Tapovan and Trikut Parvat which are also linked with mythology. Tapovan is a forest area where Rishi Valmiki stayed during Penance. (Tapasya). Trikut Parvat is a nice picnic destination. You can enjoy trekking and ropeway rides, it is also known for Ayurvedic herbs that grow on these hills.

At a distance of about 100Km is the temple of Basukinath, another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that a pilgrimage to Deoghar is incomplete without visiting it.