26/05/2026
Baidyanath Dham (or Baba Dham) in Deoghar, Jharkhand, is one of the 12 sacred Jyotirlingas and 51 Shakti Peethas in Hinduism. The temple’s lore centers around the demon king Ravana, divine intervention, and healingidyanath Dham, Deoghar.
Ravana, the king of Lanka and a devout follower of Lord Shiva, wanted to bring the powerful Shiva Lingam from Mount Kailash to his kingdom to make Lanka invincible.
Lord Shiva agreed to let him take the Lingam, but on one condition: if the Lingam was placed anywhere on the earth during the journey, it would be fixed to that spot forever.
Fearing Ravana's growing power, the gods sought help from Lord Ganesha. Disguised as a young cowherd boy, Ganesha met Ravana just as the king desperately needed to relieve himself. Ravana entrusted the boy to hold the Lingam, warning him not to put it down.
Ganesha "accidentally" dropped the Lingam at Deoghar. Despite all his strength, Ravana could not move or lift it. The Lingam became permanently rooted there, marking the site of the present-day temple.
