Deoghar
Deoghar (Hindi: देवघर Devghar), also called Baidyanath Dham, is a Hindu pilgrimage town in Jharkhand. It is famous for the Baidyanath (Shiva) temple.
Get in
[edit]By plane
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By train
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There are three railway stations serving Deoghar, 2 Deoghar Junction ER 
3 Baidyanathdham Deoghar ER and 4 Jasidih Junction ER .
Deoghar Junction ER is on Rampurhat–Jasidih line, while Baidyanathdham Deoghar ER is the terminus of a 7-km branch line originating at Jasidih Junction ER on the Howrah–Delhi main line. Apart from local trains on the branch line, trekkers (type of terrain vehicle) taking in passengers on a per person fare basis. Auto-rickshaws are available frequently just outside Jasidih station. They charge ₹8 per person in a shared auto and up to ₹150 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 ₹150 in reserved. The best means to get to Deoghar is the local up-down train available every few hours at Jasidih station on Platform No. 4.
Some express trains that stop at Deoghar Junction:
Some express trains that stop at Jasidih:
- From New Delhi: Howrah Duronto Express, Howrah Rajdhani Express
- From Howrah: Amritsar Mail, Bagh Express, Kumbha Express, New Delhi Duronto Express, New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Patna Jan Shatabdi Express, Patna Vande Bharat Express (fastest), Poorva Express, Vibhuti Express
- From Patna: Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express, Howrah Vande Bharat Express (fastest)
- From Rampurhat: Jasidih Express
- From Ranchi: Godda Intercity Express
By bus or car
[edit]Deoghar is 373 km from Kolkata, 60 km from Giridih, 281 km from Patna, 67 km from Dumka, 30 km from Madhupur, 250 km from Ranchi, 53 km from Shimultala etc. Regular buses are available from surrounding towns.
No need to wait for minutes or hours, all conveyances are available in this route.
Get around
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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
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- 1 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 (June–July) people from across the country come to offer ganga jal to the divine shivalinga. For centuries, devotees, in the month of Sawan 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.
- 2 Ramkrishna Mission Vidyapith, Tiwari Chowk (Williams Town). The Universal Temple of Sri Ramakrishna held in the bosom of the Vidyapith campus is a place of attraction to the religious minded. There, morning prayer and evening services (Aratrikam) are conducted by the resident boys as part of their daily routine. Religious festivals, observances and worships are carried out in it.
- 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.
- 3 Trikut Hill (16 km (9.9 mi) from Deoghar). Source of the Mayurakshi River. Vehicles come to the base but one has to walk up. A ropeway has been built to ferry people to the top. Other than the ropeway, tourists can also use the stairs to reach the top. The hill is covered with clouds in rainy seasons and waterfalls and small streams are visible from July–September. There are views from the top of the mountain.
Do
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- 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.
- 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, mishrasanjeev68@rediffmail.com. 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.
Go next
[edit]- 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.