At Deoghar — the abode of the gods — in Jharkhand, Baidyanath is revered as the Jyotirlinga where Shiva is worshipped as Vaidyanath, the divine physician who heals all affliction. Its beloved legend tells how the devout Ravana, having pleased Shiva through severe penance, sought to carry the Lord's Atmalinga to Lanka; warned never to set it upon the ground, he was beguiled into placing it down at this spot, where it took root forever — and Ravana, unable to lift it again, worshipped it as Vaidyanath.
The shrine is doubly sacred, for it is also counted among the Shakti Peethas, revered as the place where a part of Sati fell, and so is known as Hardapeeth. In the living tradition of the east, Baidyanath Dham of Deoghar is honoured as the Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, sought by devotees for healing and liberation alike.
Baidyanath Dham is the goal of one of the largest pilgrimages in the world: through the holy month of Shravan, lakhs of saffron-clad kanwariyas carry Ganga water on foot from Sultanganj for over a hundred kilometres to bathe the Lord — a river of devotion that makes Deoghar unforgettable.
