Baidyanath Temple

Baidyanath Dham at Deoghar is one of the twelve jyotirlingas and the centre of one of the largest annual pilgrimages in the world. During Shravan, the monsoon month falling in July and August, pilgrims called kanwariyas collect water from the Ganges at Sultanganj in Bihar and carry it about a hundred and five kilometres on foot, barefoot and dressed in saffron, to pour over the lingam here; the numbers over the month run into millions and the route becomes a continuous moving corridor. The temple complex holds twenty-two shrines, and a thread tied between the main tower and the Parvati temple beside it is a local custom.

What you actually see

• The jyotirlinga shrine - the main temple within a complex of twenty-two.
• The kanwariya route - the saffron column walking from Sultanganj in Shravan.
• The linked towers - the thread tied between the main and Parvati temples.
• The temple compound - shrines and tanks within the walls.

When to go

October to March for a calm visit; Shravan in July and August is the great pilgrimage and the town is overwhelmed, with queues running many hours and the route packed continuously.

Honest expectations

Shravan queues can take a full day and crowd crushes have caused deaths in past years. Phones and bags are restricted. Priests inside press hard for payments. Outside Shravan the town is quiet.

Nearby

Parasnath Hill lies southwest; Patna is northwest.