Baijnath Temple Complex, Baijnath, Uttarakhand
Baijnath Temple Complex is a cluster of 18 Hindu
temples, situated in the town of Baijnath in Bageshwar District in Uttarakhand,
India. The complex is situated along the banks of Gomati
river at an elevation of 1,125 m (3,691 ft) above
mean sea level. These temples are renowned for possibly being one of the
very few temples in the world where Parvati is
depicted with her husband Shiva. Pilgrims arrive here on occasion
of Shivaratri and Makar Sankranti. Baijnath Temple
Complex has been recognized as Monuments of National Importance by the
Archaeological Survey of India in Uttarakhand. Baijnath has been selected as
one of the four places to be connected by the ‘Shiva Heritage Circuit’ in Kumaon,
under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Government of India.
Legends
Lord
Shiva’s divine marriage:
The temple holds significance because, according to
Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married at the confluence of River
Gomati and Garur Ganga.
Brahmin
woman built this Temple:
Legend goes that the temple was built by a Brahmin woman
and dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Katyuri
Kings built this Temple in one night:
It is also believed that it was built in one night by
katyuri kings.
History
Baijnath, then known as Kartikeyapura, was the seat of
the Katyuri kings who ruled over an area consisting of combined parts of
Garhwal and Kumaon in modern-day state of Uttarakhand, India and Doti in Modern
day Nepal. When the Katyuri kings shifted their capital
from Joshimath to
Kartikeyapura, a large number of followers of Shaiva sects
like the Lakulisa,
Nath (Kanphata), Jangam, Vairagi, Sanyasi also
followed them. In order to rehabilitate them, The Katyuris built a large complex
of temples dedicated to Vaidyanath Shiva, the name later got corrupted to
Baijnath.
The first permanent settlement of the area was a town
named Karvirpur or Karbirpur. The ruins of this town were used by Katyuri King
Narsingh Deo to establish his capital in the area. Nepalese invader Kranchaldev
invaded Baijnath in 1191, and defeated the Katyuri kings. The weakened Katyuri
Kingdom later disintegrated in the 13th century giving rise to 8
different princely states. Baijnath remained under the rule of Baijnath
Katyurs, descendants of Katyuri kings, till 1565 until king Balo Kalyan Chand
of Almora annexed Baijnath to Kumaon.
In 1791, the Gorkhas of Nepal while expanding their
kingdom westwards across Kali River, invaded and overran Almora, the seat of
the Kumaon Kingdom and other parts of Kumaon. The Gorkhas were defeated by the
East India Company in Anglo-Nepalese War in 1814 and were forced to cede Kumaon
to the British as part of the Treaty of Sugauli in 1816. In 1901 it was a small
village with a population of 148.
This Temple is said to have been built by the Kumaon
Katyuri king in around 1150 A.D. Several inscriptions dating back to AD 1202
have been found in the Temple complex. The temples were restored and
rebuilt during the reign of king Gyan Chand. The temple complex was
plundered by the Rohillas in AD 1743-1744 which led to the
destruction of the Shikhar of the main shrine.
The Temple Complex
Baijnath Temple complex is a cluster of 18 stone
temples, located in the eastern part of the Baijnath town on the left bank
of Gomati river. The temple is approached
from the riverside by a flight of steps made of stones constructed by the
orders of a Katyuri queen. On the way to the main temple, just below the house
of the Mahanta, is the temple of Bamani. The main shrine in the complex is
dedicated to Vaidyanath Shiva in the form of a lingam. The depiction of
Parvati, made of grey chloride schist, is a marvel of art.
Another sculptural element of note is a life-size image
of Kal Bhairava in vilasasana seated outside the Vaidyanath Temple. There are
102 stone images, some of which are under worship, while other have been
reserved by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The principle deities at Baijnath temple complex are the Vaidyanath (Shiva), Parvati,
Nrithya, Kartikeya, Narsimha, Brahma, Mahishasuramardhini, Sapta
Matrikas, Surya, Garuda
and Kubera.
An artificial lake near the temple compound was
announced in 2007-2008. It was completed and inaugurated on 14 January 2016 by
Harish Rawat, the then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. The lake is full of
“Golden Mahaseer” fishes. Although fishing is strictly restricted at this site,
the lake is a major tourist attraction where tourists offer Chana to fishes.
The nearby market is Garur which is supposed to be one of the oldest in the
region.
Satyanarayan temple is also located nearby. It is just a
small walk away from the main temple complex. Around 2 Kms from Baijnath
there is a temple of Bhagwati Mata Kot Bhramri Devi Temple or (Kot Ka Mandir),
which once was a fort owned by the Katyuri Kings. Also, there is a myth that Adi
Guru Shankaracharya stayed on this temple overnight while en route to
Badrinath.
There is widespread belief among the local populace that
the goddess, (after whom the temple is named) Kot Bhramri Devi’s, Goddess face
should not be shown to anyone except the priest of the temple if not followed
this advice the entire Katyur Valley will face ill luck and massive disaster
will follow hence backside of the goddess is worshipped, except during the
annual festival of Nandaashtmi during Bhadrapad Ashtami or Radha Ashtami during
September month (the state government declares as State holiday) or when the
Raj Jaat Yatra which takes place once in twelve year.
Since last 150 Years buffalo and Lamb used to be
sacrificed in the name of Nandaashtmi has been stopped by The Honorable High
Court of Nainital on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Animal Protection
Society and as a result under police protection this practice has stopped.
Though the Goddess Ma Bhramri is Satvik but some 200 years back during Nepalese
Invasion and their Kingdom, local deity Ma Nandadevi’s status got installed at
Kot Bhramri Mandir as a result animal sacrifice got started some 200 years
back.
Connectivity
The Temple Complex is located at about 17 Kms from Kausani,
21 Kms from Bageshwar, 69 Kms from Almora, 90 Kms from Karnaprayag, 98 Kms from
Jageshwar, 131 Kms from Nainital, 150 Kms from Kathgodam Railway Station,
184 Kms from Pantnagar Airport and 443 Kms from New Delhi Airport.
By Road:
Baijnath is well connected by motorable roads with major
destinations of Uttarakhand state and northern India.
By
Train:
Nearest Railway Station is Kathgodam Railway Station.
Kathgodam is the last terminus of the broad gauge line of North East Railways
that connects Kumaon with Delhi, Dehradun,
and Howrah.
By Air:
Pantnagar
Airport, located in Pantnagar is
the primary Airport serving entire Kumaon Region.
Indira Gandhi International Airport,
located in Delhi is
the nearest international Airport.
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