Jai Durga Temple

Jai Durga Temple at Baidyanath is the place where Sati’s Heart had fallen. Here Sati is worshipped as Jai Durga and Lord Bhairav as Vaidyanath or Baidyanath. The Shakthi Peeth is popularly known as Baidyanath Dham or Baba Dham. Since the heart of Sati fell here, the place is also called as Hardapeetha. Lord Bhairav as Vaidyanath is worshipped as one of the important twelve Jyotirlingas.

Devi Jai Durga temple is located in Deoghar district, Jarkhand. Baidyanath dham is surrounded by dense forests, mountains like Nandan and Trikoot and Rivers like Yamunajor and Gharula flow here. The Mayurakshi River is also located close by. Baidyanath Dham or the Shakthi peeth temple is 7 kms from Jasidi Railway Station on the main line of the Eastern Railway from Howrah to Delhi. There is a small railway branch line from Jasidih to Babadham which is called as Baidyanath Dham station. State run buses are available from Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Hazaribag, Bhagalpur, Dumka, Patna, Gaya, Munger, and other places in Jharkhand and Bihar to Deogarh, besides easy access to private transport. Babadham (Deoghar) to Kolkatta is 373 kms, Giridih 112 kms, Patna 281 kms, Dumka 67 kms, Madhupur 57 kms, Shimultala 53 kms etc. Nearest Airports are – Ranchi, Gaya, Patna and Kolkata. Jai Durga Shakthi Peeth is located exactly opposite the main temple of Baidyanath in the same complex.

Another puranic reference is that, once Ravan meditated upon Lord Shiva and requested him to reside at Lanka to protect his capital. Ravan attempted to lift Mount Kailash and take it to Lanka. However, Lord Shiva crushed Ravan with his finger. Ravan realized his folly and meditated upon Lord Shiva to get His mercy. Lord Shiva was pleased with Ravan’s penance and gave away one of the Jyotirlingas with the condition that the linga would get rooted, if kept on the ground. While Ravan was carrying the Jyotirlinga back to Lanka, Lord Varun entered his belly and created discomfort. Lord Vishnu came in the form of a lad and offered Ravan help to hold the Jyotirlinga till he relieved himself. By the time Ravan was back, the Jyotirling was placed on the ground and the linga was rooted. A disappointed Ravan undertook severe penance to appease Lord Shiva and cut off his nine heads. Shiva pleased with Ravan’s penance joined the nine heads as a Vaidya (physician). Thus the place gets the name Vaidyanath. Gokaran in Karnataka also has the same puranic reference.