Baijnath Temple

Location: At a distance of 16 km from Palampur in the Beas valley
Dedicated to: Lord Shiva
Year of Establishment: 1204 A.D
Established by: Ahuka and Manyuka
Significance: Viswanatha Nayak
Significance: It is believed that the water of this temple has several medicinal values

Festivals: During the festivals of Maha Shivaratri, maker Sankranti and various other Hindu festivals of India the whole of the temple gets decorated beautifully and people come from various parts of the country to take part in the celebration of the festivals. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated for a period of five days when people come here to take the blessing of Lord Shiva. Top avoid any ruckus during the festive celebration security arrangements are done. The temple authority takes care of the hassle free visit of the devotees.

One can hire a bus or a taxi from anywhere in Himachal Pradesh to reach the temple.

Introduction

Baijnath temple is one of the very well-known temples of the state of Himachal Pradesh which is dedicated to celebrating the existence of Lord Shiva. It is situated at a distance of around 16 kms from Palampur located in the Beas valley. As per the mention on the walls of the Baijanath temple it was built by two of the native businessmen called as Manyuka and Ayuka. There are two very long inscriptions on the walls of the temple that establishes that there used to be the shrine of Lord Shiva before the temple was made.

The structure with which the temple has been built is based on the architecture of medieval North India. The style has been taken from the Orissa style that defines the uniqueness of the state of Himachal Pradesh. The walls in the exterior side of the temples have a variety of images of Gods and Goddesses belonging to the Hindu religion.

One can enter the temple only after crossing the vestibule which contains a huge "Mandap" in the middle and on the two sides there are balconies. This sacred temple also has been fortified leaving some space in the South and North.A gigantic image of Nandi bull has been placed just before the Mandap where there is a small porch. There are a number of other artistic images on the door that leads to the sanctum.

Lord Shiva here is celebrated as the Lord of Physician or Vaidyanath and has been established here in the form of Shiva Lingam. The key Sanctum of the temple has five projections on each of its sides. The history of the temple has been clearly mentioned on the stones present inside the temple. It is belief that Ravana had worshipped Lord Shiva here in the temple.

As per the belief the water of this temple is highly beneficial and has the capacity to treat most of the human sufferings and diseases. This is also one of the reasons that people from various parts of the country visit every year to the temple and show their gratitude to Lord Shiva.

In addition to the Lord Shiva Shrines there are many other small shrines that depict the images of other Gods and Goddesses. During the early 20th century the temple has believed to have suffered from a major earthquake. After which Raja Sansar Chand has belived to have made all the effort to rework on the temple with all his heart and soul. The temple complex looks green and lush with a perfect and green field.