The day began early in the morning at Bhagsunag in Mcleodganj, where we received blessings at the Bhagsunag temple. Following our visit, we returned to McLeodganj to explore the Tsuglagkhang monastery and a few other local attractions. Our next destination was Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, and we initially aimed to reach there by nightfall. However, as the day unfolded, we found ourselves running short on time.
It was almost 8:30 pm in the night and we reached Baijnath only. We still had to cover almost 100 km to reach Mandi. So, we decided to spend a night in Baijnath and continue our journey the next day. It was all dark there and 90% of Baijnath was closed (so early). Didn’t expected this. We searched for a nice hotel in Baijnath that too which lies in our budget. However, getting a cheap accommodation is quite easy in Baijnath and so after looking in 4-5 hotels, we finally got a nice budget hotel.
So, finally, we were in Baijnath. Let’s see what Baijnath had for us to offer.
How I Experienced Baijnath
While we were searching hotel, we came across an old temple – Baijnath temple (the Lord Shiva temple). I still remember my mother told me few things interesting about the temple and its significance in Hinduism. The temple was closed at that time. So, we decided to visit the temple early in the morning. Also, I thought there must be some more spots to look at in Baijnath. I needed to search them out…
Our hotel was a 10-minute walk from the temple. I didn’t remember our hotel’s name but was run by a father and his son. We checked in and left our luggage in our allocated room. Then we went to the hotel’s restaurant for dinner. The father was cooking food for himself and for the other 3 local tourists. The restaurant was a pretty small room type so we all sat together and had dinner. We exchanged a load of thoughts and glances with each other. They told me everything about Baijnath, its temple and nearby destinations.
So, Here’s a Brief About Baijnath
Baijnath is a small town in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. It is located at a distance of 16 km from Palampur and 50 km from Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as Kiragrama. The town got its name “Baijnath” after the 13th-century old Baijnath temple. “Baijnath” or “Vaidyanath” is basically the other names of Lord Shiva. The literal meaning of the term “Vaidyanath” means “The lord of physicians” or “the lord of healing“.
Baijnath is located on the banks of river Binwa which is a tributary of river Beas. There are a few exciting things that one can do in and around Baijnath. From the spiritual point of view to the adventure, here I came up with the list:
- Baijnath Temple
- Tashi Jong Buddhist monastery
- Paragliding in Bir Billing
- Tea estates of Palampur
These are the top things to do in Baijnath. However, since we stayed in Baijnath for a day only, so exploring all these spots was quite an impossible task. We had to skip the visit to tea plantations in Palampur. Certainly, nobody can explore Baijnath completely in merely 24 hrs. So, here’s how I experienced Baijnath in one day. Starting with…
Baijnath Temple
Baijnath temple is one of the most important Shiva temples in India. It is considered similar to the 12 jyotirlingas. Jyotirlingas are considered as the supreme temples of Lord Shiva in India. So, now you can understand, how important the Baijnath temple would be!!!
The temple has Shivalinga in the form of Ardhnarishwar (Lord Shiva in the form of half male and half female). In 1204 A.D. two locals merchants – Ahuka and Manyuka constructed the temple there. Today, the temple reflects the ancient culture and traditions of the town and is taken care by the Archeological survey of India.
Speaking About the Architecture of Baijnath Temple
Design of Baijnath temple is simple yet elegant (Nagara style) spreading spirituality in the air of Baijnath. The temple looks similar to Kedarnath temple (one of the Char Dham temples) of Uttarakhand. The temple complex has a group of small temples dedicated to mainly Lord Shiva. However, the walls of the temple have carvings of various god and goddess. Furthermore, what makes this temple more picturesque…is that the temple gives a surreal view of Dhauladhar Himalayan Mountain range.
The temple was engulfed by sprawling gardens. And following the path, will lead us to the gushing river.
The Mythology Behind Baijnath Temple
Baijnath temple got its existence from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Ravan (one of the main characters of Ramayana) worshipped Lord Shiva in Kailash Mansarovar to get the unconquerable powers. He spent years in devotion and offered his ten heads as a deed to Lord Shiva. He finally succeeded in pleasing Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva returned back all the deeds and provided him with invincible powers.
However, Ravan also requested Lord Shiva to accompany him to Sri Lanka. Acknowledging his worship, Lord Shiva transformed himself into a Shivalinga which Ravan could carry to Sri Lanka. Lord Shiva also asked Ravan to not to put Shivalinga on earth till he reaches Sri Lanka. If he put it on the earth, the Shivalinga will get established there itself and then he will have to go empty handed.
On his way to Lanka, Ravan felt the need to answer the nature’s call. He handed the Shivalinga to a shepherd passing by (Lord Ganesh cleverly took the face of that shepherd) and told him to hold it until he returns. When he returned, he found that the Shepherd had put that Shivalinga on the ground and so the Shivalinga got established there. Now, Ravan had to return to Lanka without Shivalinga. That ground was Baijnath.
This is how the Baijnath temple got its existence. Shivalinga is present in the form of Ardhnarishwar.
Paragliding in Bir Billing
After taking blessings from Baijnath temple, we headed towards Bir Billing. I used to think, once in a year we should visit a place we’ve never been to or we’ve never thought of visiting. I was experiencing the same feeling. Lucky, Bir Billing was close to Baijnath and we got a chance to visit it. Actually, Bir Billing is considered among the world’s highest natural paragliding spots.
Bir is basically a small village lying close to Baijnath town. And Billing is the highest point from where the Paragliding activities happen. The height of Billing is approximately 2700 m or 9000 ft. Moreover, I got to know that Bir Billing is actually inhabited by Tibetan people. So, finding monasteries in Bir Billing is an easy task. Chokling monastery and Nyingyang monastery are among the popular monasteries there.
For me, the aim was to stand at the highest point of Billing and get the feeling of some real paragliding adventure. I never ever seen any paragliding activity earlier in my life. So, I didn’t want to miss this chance. Also, it was the best chance to admire the lofty mountains and landscapes from the top. Have a look at the photographs…
However, since Billing was not in our itinerary earlier and doing paragliding requires a handful of money. It is a job of experts and they are there to give us the feel of adrenaline dying adventure. So, they were charging nearly 3000 to 3500 per person and we were on a tight budget. So, it was better for us to not to do paragliding this time. Just watch and observe how they do it.
That’s where I have to compromise. But that’s ok, we spent a few hours observing the paragliders and eating snacks there. I think I’ve to plan my next trip to Bir Billing especially and that too for Paragliding.
Tashi Jong Buddhist Monastery
Tashi Jong Buddhist monastery was our last spot to visit because we have to reach Mandi on that day. The monastery lies in Tashi Jong village in between Palampur and Baijnath and is the home to the sacred Drukpa Kagyu tradition. The complex of the monastery has a main temple, stupa of Khamtrul Rinpoche (8th Rimpoche) and a retreat centre. The monastery also houses a school where Kagyu tradition is taught. This tradition is inspired by yoga, meditation and tantras. So, basically, it was quite a spiritual experience for me.
Tea Estates of Palampur
Palampur is one of the lush green hill stations of Himachal Pradesh, established at a distance of 16 km from Baijnath. It is famous for its tea estates and is also known as the tea capital of north India. So, if you are both a tea lover/addict and a nature lover then Palampur is a must-visit destination. The reason is that the Palampur offers wide specialties of tea and that too with an amazing backdrop of Dhauladhar range.
Since we skipped the visit to Palampur tea estates, I wasn’t able to experience it. But the 3 locals that I met at my hotel said to me, “Bhaiya tea gardens ki khushbu apne man ko bilkul mantramugdh kar deti hai” meaning “the aroma of the tea estates is so pleasing that it will capture your soul“. However, from the tourist’s point of view, one can walk through these beautiful tea estates and can taste the specialties of tea.
Finally, this is how I experienced Baijnath. It is true that I had to skip the tea estates of Palampur but the sites that I visited was more than enough for the day. Also, being a spiritual person, I feel too much fascinated in exploring the temples with high mythological importance. And when it comes to Bholenath (Lord Shiva), I cannot resist myself at all.
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