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Vaidyanath Shakti Peeth (Jaya Durga)

Baba Baidyanath Dham complex, Deoghar, Deoghar district, Jharkhand

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Vaidyanath Shakti Peeth (Jaya Durga)
Photo: Pinakpani, CC BY 4.0

Traditions differ: Hindi Wikipedia's table of Shakti Peeths places the heart at the Ambaji temple in Gujarat instead. The Tantra Chudamani ('हार्दपीठं वैद्यनाथे') and most lists give Vaidyanath (Deoghar). Devotees honour both places.

About

In the Baba Baidyanath Dham complex at Deoghar, Jharkhand, right in front of the main temple, stands the shrine of Maa Parvati, worshipped as Maa Jaya Durga. By tradition this is the 'heart peeth' (hard peeth), where the heart of Devi Sati fell. Here Shiv and Shakti are honoured side by side: the Jyotirlinga as Baba Baidyanath, who is also the Bhairav of this peeth, and the Devi as Jaya Durga. Long red sacred threads tie the tops of the two temples together, like the gathbandhan knot of a Hindu wedding, a sight that makes this dham unique.

The story

The Shakti Peeth story tells that after the sorrowful events at King Daksha's yagya, Shiv ji wandered in grief with Devi Sati's body until Vishnu ji's Sudarshan chakra divided it. Where the heart fell, here at Deoghar, the Devi is worshipped as Jaya Durga and Shiv as Vaidyanath. Devotees say this is why Shiv and Shakti live here together.

The place is also linked with the story of Ravan's linga. Ravan was carrying Shiv ji's linga to Lanka on the condition that it must not be set down on the way. Near Deoghar a cowherd boy, believed by devotees to be Vishnu ji, placed it on the ground, and Shiv ji stayed here as Baidyanath. The red threads that join the two temples are seen as the gathbandhan of Shiv and Shakti, a sign of their union. In the month of Shravan, lakhs of kanwariyas bring Ganga water from Sultanganj to offer to Baba, and take darshan of the Mother as well.

Visiting

October to February is comfortable; the Shravani Mela brings very large crowds and long queues. Wear simple clothes. Jasidih railway station is close by, and Deoghar also has an airport. Many pilgrims visit the Basukinath temple after Baba Dham.

Festivals

  • Shravani Mela (the kanwar yatra through the month of Shravan)
  • Sharad Navratri
  • Maha Shivratri

51 Shakti Peeths

Sources