Deoghar is the main city of the Deoghar district in the Santhal Parganas Division of the state of Jharkhand, India.
It is an important Hindu pilgrimage center with the Baidya Nath temple being one of the twelve shiva jyotirlingas in India and one of the 51 shakti peethas in India.
Deoghar is a Hindi word and the literal meaning of ‘Deoghar’ is abode (‘ghar’) of the gods and goddesses (‘dev’). Deoghar is also known as “Baidya Nath Dham", or “Baba Dham”
The landscape itself is quite inviting and the place enjoys a pleasant climate in winter.
Lying at a distance of just 3 km from Baba Baidyanathdham station, Nandan Pahar is hardly ever missed by devotees. There are many other temples dotting Nandan Pahar, most of which have beautiful idols of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartik.
As legend goes, once Ravana tried to enter Shivadham forcibly when Nandi (the bull mount of Lord Shiva), who was the doorkeeper, stopped him. Ravana got furious and threw him down at this site and hence, the hill is known by Nandi's name.
The hill also offers beautiful panoramas of the town and also stunning sunrise and sunset views. There is also an entertainment park boasting swimming pools, playing fields and boating facilities.
Trikut Pahar is one of the most exciting tourist destination in Deoghar, where one can enjoy trekking, ropeway, wildlife adventures and a safe natural retreat.
It is also a popular picnic spot and a place for pilgrimage. In dense forest on the uphill lies the famous Trikutachal Mahadeva temple and the hermitage of sage Dayananda.
Trikut hills contain three peaks named after the three Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and the highest peak goes to the height of 2470 ft from the sea level. The ropeway takes the tourists to the top of main peak only. An exciting 360 degree view of Deoghar is available from the top of Trikut Pahar.
The beautiful Naulakha temple is dedicated to Goddess Radha and Lord Krishna and is about 2 km from the main town.
Its architecture looks a lot like that of the Ramakrishna Temple in Belur, West Bengal. The shrine has beautiful idols of the deities that are about 146 ft high.
The construction of Naulakha Mandir began with the donation of nine lakh rupees by Queen Charushila of Pathuria Ghat, a royal family from Kolkata, and hence the temple has been endowed the name, ‘Naulakha' ('nau' meaning nine and 'lakha' meaning lakh).
The Tapovan hills are located 10 km from Deoghar and boast Tapo Nath Mahadev, a temple of Lord Shiva.
Another attraction here is a cracked rock, in whose inner surface one can allegedly see the portrait of Lord Hanuman. This is particularly marvellous as it is almost impossible to insert a paint brush into the crack and draw anything. Below the hill, there is a small kund (water body) and it is believed that Goddess Sita used to bathe in it. Thus, it has been named as Sukta Kund or Sita Kund by local people.
Basukinath Temple is believed to be the court of Baba Bhole Nath. Temples of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati have been erected here, facing each other. During the opening of the gates, devotees are asked to move away from the gates, as it is believed that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati meet each other at this time. Basukinath is one of the oldest temples in the region and is located near the village of Jarmundi. The best time to visit this temple is during the Shravana (a month in the Hindu calendar).
One of the major religious establishments in India, Satsanga Ashram has over 2,000 branches worldwide. Satsanga Deoghar is the main branch started by Thakur Anukulchandra, who migrated to Deoghar from Himaitpur (now located in Bangladesh). The ashram has large buildings with rooms and dormitories. Accommodations are available for visitors and can be booked online. It also has a free kitchen called Anandabazar, a museum and a zoo within its complex that are open to visitors.
How to reach Deoghar by Air
The nearest Domestic Airport is Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport, Patna, located at a distance of 274 Kms from Deoghar. Patna has daily flights to many cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ranchi, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Goa and Vishakhapatnam.
How to reach Deoghar by Rail
Jasidih Junction is located at a distance of 7 Kms from Deoghar and is well connected with many major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Varanasi and Bhubaneswar. Shankarpur Railway station located at a distance of 1 km from AIIMS campus is being upgraded and will provide connectivity to all major cities of the country.
How to reach Deoghar by Road
Deoghar is 16 Kms from Sarawan, 41 Kms from Jarmundi, 70 Kms form Giridih, 132 Kms from Dhanbad, 148 Kms from Koderma, 278 Kms from Ranchi and is linked via Jharkhand State Road Transport Corporation Limited, West Bengal State Road Transport Corporation Limited and some private travel services.
