Baidyanath Temple

Rebuilt in its present form in the 18th century under the patronage of Raja Puran Mal of Giridih over a shrine of much older origin, Baidyanath Dham holds the rare distinction of being counted among both the twelve Jyotirlingas of Shiva and the 51 Shakti Peethas, its site associated with the fall of Sati's heart. The main golden-kalasha Nagara shikhara stands within a walled compound of 21 subsidiary temples, the most elaborate multi-shrine Jyotirlinga complex in eastern India. A distinctive local ritual sees devotees tie sacred threads connecting the pinnacle of the Shiva shrine to the adjacent Parvati temple, a practice found nowhere else among the Jyotirlingas. During the monsoon Shravani Mela, millions of Kanwariya pilgrims carry Ganga water here on foot, making it one of India's largest annual pilgrim gatherings.