Location
Baijnath is a town situated in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. It lies between 32.05°N and 76.65°E. It is 50 km from Dharamsala.
About Baijnath
Baijnath is popular for ancient Lord Shiva temple. According to legends Lord Shiva temple is one of the twelve jyotirlingas. The ancient name of Baijnath is Kirgrama. After dedicating this temple to Lord Shiva the name of Kirgrama is changed to Baijnath. Baijnath got its name from Shiva Vaidyanatha.
The Shiva temple attracts a large number of tourists and pilgrims. There is a small porch in front of the mandapa hall. The idol of Nandi is in front of Mandapa hall. The Shiva temple is enclosed by a high wall with entrances in the south and north.
History
Baijnath is famous for its 13th-century temple dedicated to Shiva as Vaidyanath, ‘the Lord of physicians’. Originally known as Kiragrama, the town lies on the Pathankot-Mandi highway (National Highway No. 154) almost midway between Kangra and Mandi. The present name Baijnath became popular after the name of the temple.
The town is located on the left bank of the river Binwa, a corrupt form of ancient Binduka, a tributary of river Beas. The Baijnath temple has been continuously under worship ever since its construction in 1204 A.D. The two long inscriptions in the porch of the temple indicate that a temple of Shiva existed on the spot even before the present one was constructed.
The present temple is a beautiful example of the early medieval north Indian Temple architecture known as Nagara style of temples. Source: Wikipedia
The Myth of the Temple
On attainting boon from Lord Shiva,Ravana requested the Lord Shiva to accompany him to Lanka. The Lord Shiva agreed to the request of Ravana and converted himself into Shivling. The Lord Shiva asked Ravan to carry Shivling and told the Ravana that he should not place the Shivling down on the ground on his way.
Ravana started moving south towards Lanka and reached Baijnath. On seeing a shepherd,Ravana handed over the Shivling to the Shepherd. On finding the Shivling heavy the shepherd kept the Shivling on the ground and Shivling got established there.
How to Access
By Air: The nearest airport is Gaggal airport.
By Train: The nearest broad gauge railhead is Pathankot.
By Bus: It is well connected by roads.The HRTC runs buses on the this routes.