Uttarakhand
the land of God is famous for its natural beauty as well as for its ancient
temples, their mythological significance and wonderful architecture. Situated
at the banks of Gomti River is Baijnath town and is well known for its ancient
group of Temples known as Baijnath temple in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand.
The temples are believed to be about 1000 years old.
It consists
of 1 main temple devoted to Lord Shiva and a series of 17 other temples called
as Kedareshwar, Laxmi Narayan, Brahmi Devi etc. The temple is built from very
large pieces of stones and its architecture depicts it as the creation of
Katyuri Dynasty of Uttarakhand during 9th to 12th AD.
It is said
that the temple was built in one night. The main attraction of the temple is
the statue of Goddess Parvati built from gery schist of the size of a human.
The temple can be approached from riverside by a series of steps made of
stones. On the way to main temple, situated is the temple of Brahmini Devi.
Outside the
premises of main temple, there is a beautiful lake known as “Golden Mahasheer”
and is full of beautiful fishes. Fishing is strictly prohibited here. The
temples are actually a complex of number of temples having idols of Shiva,
Ganesh, Parvati, Garud, Kuber, Surya etc.
History of
Temple: The temples of Baijnath are said to be built around 1150 AD by Katyuri
Dynasty of Kumaon. Baijnath was the capital of Katyuri Kings, who ruled the
area during 7th -11th century AD. The place was known as
Kartikeyapura and was the centre of Katyur Valley.
Mythology: As
per our mythology depicted in Puranas, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married at
the confluence of river Gomati and Garur Ganga, which is this place. Folklore
also says that temple was built by a Brahmin women, devoted to lord Shiva.
There are two major places to visit:
Bhramri Devi
Temple: About 2 km away from Baijnath is the temple known as Bhramri Devi temple
devoted to Bhagwati Mata. It was once a fort at the times of Katyuri Kings. It
is also said that Adi Guru Shankaracharya stayed at this place while on their
visit to Badrinath.
Garur Market:
The main market of this region and full of shops.
Bheem Pathar (Stone): There is a small garden opposite to the entrance of the temple
complex, it is famous for a huge stone known as “Bheem Pathar” which is placed
at the centre of it. As per the local belief Bheem (one of Pandavas) used to play with it during
their stay here while in exile. It is believed that no other man can lift this
stone except Bheem. Therefore people come here and try to lift the stone alone,
locals say that no one has been able to lift it alone yet. Although a strange
thing is that it can be carried by 9 men with their index finger standing in a
circle surrounding the stone while chanting “Om Namah Shivaya”.
How to Reach: Delhi is
at a distance of 405 kilometers from Baijnath, where one can find plenty of
state and private buses plying to Kausani, Almora, Haldwani, Ranikhet etc.
Location:
Bageshwar District, Uttarakhand
Dehradun to Baijnath Temple
(shortest route)– 302 km
Ranikhet to Baijnath Temple
– 75 kms
Almora to Baijnath Temple
– 71 kms,
Kausani to Baijnath Temple
– 17 kms
Altitude : 1131 meters
Ideal season : Round the year (avoid July and
august)
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