East India · Jharkhand
Deoghar, Jharkhand
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia
Before you go
The Shravani Mela (July-August) sees kanwariyas walk ~105 km from Sultanganj carrying Ganga water -- one of the largest religious walks anywhere; the town is at capacity then.
About Deoghar
- Inland
Where it is
Deoghar is a temple town in the Santhal Pargana division of eastern Jharkhand, on the undulating eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau, ringed by low hills such as Trikut.
History
Legend says the demon king Ravana was carrying a linga of Shiva to Lanka when he was made to set it down here, where it stayed rooted as Baba Baidyanath. The temple is counted among the twelve Jyotirlingas and among the Shakti Peethas, and Deoghar, the abode of the gods, grew up around it; in 2022 it gained an airport.
People
Deoghar's people speak Hindi, Khortha, Angika and Santali, and Santhal and other adivasi villages lie in the surrounding hills. Priestly panda families serve the temple, and the town's milk pedas are carried home by pilgrims as prasad.
Known for
- Baba Baidyanath Temple
- The Shravani Mela
- Basukinath Temple
- Naulakha Mandir
- Deoghar pedas
Did you know?
During the Shravani Mela, saffron-clad kanwariyas walk about 105 km, many of them barefoot, from Sultanganj on the Ganga to pour its water on the Baidyanath linga.
Shrines and sites
- Baba Baidyanath Temple
- Basukinath Temple
- Naulakha Mandir
- Trikut hills
Traditions
- Hindu
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.