Festivals of Deoghar

Festivals of Deoghar offer an opportunity to experience the holiness of the place. Deoghar is one of the major pilgrimages in Jharkhand. The tiny town is famous for its abundance of temples, dedicated to several incarnations of the Lord Shiva. The town houses a temple complex comprising 22 temples, among which Shiva-Baidyanath Temple is the most famous. Thousands of pilgrims visit Deoghar due to its religious importance round the year. Baidyanath temple is the main attraction of Deoghar, which is one of the twelve jyotirlingas in India.

Shiva-Baidyanath temple is located in a large court enclosed by granite walls. It is an important place to observe the festivals of Deoghar closely. There are 22 small temples in the main complex of Shiva-Baidyanath temple.


The main entrance of the temple faces east. Chandrakoopa well is located close to the main entrance. Its waters are considered holy. Shivaganga Lake is also located nearby the temple. A dip in the waters of the lake is of religious significance. Shravan Mela is one of the major festivals of Deoghar. Thousands of tourists and pilgrims come to take part in the Shravan Mela. Shravan is a holy month according to the Hindu calendar. Shravan Mela festival is celebrated in the months of July and August. During July and August, the land is clad in greenery due to the initial sprays of the monsoon. The Shravan festival starts from Sultanganj, where the pilgrims assemble to fill their jars with the sacred waters of the river Ganga.


Pilgrims wear saffron clothes to celebrate the festivals of Deoghar. Monday is considered as the most favourable day to worship Shiva. Pilgrims fill their water jars at Sultanganj and carry it with them. The water is used to sprinkle over the Shiva lingam. Pilgrims carry pure water of the river Ganga on their shoulders. Each devotee carries two jars of water, which are properly balanced on a stick. It is necessary that no part of the jar should be touched to the ground.

Some of the pilgrims cover the distance between Sultanganj and Deoghar only in 24 hours. At the same time, some pilgrims prefer to cover the distance with great reverence, which take a longer time to undertake the journey. Such worshipers are called bhoomi parees. They lie plane on the floor, then they stretch their hands over their heads and offer acknowledgement rehearsing sacred prayers and mantras.


After all these offerings, they take another step. One needs to take a trek of around 100 km to cover the distance.Satsang Ashram is another sacred place near Deoghar, which belongs to Sri Anukul Chandra Thakur. Followers of Sri Anukul Chandra gather here to celebrate a festival in the month of Kartik according to the Hindu calendar. Pilgrims celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm and eagerness. Really, festivals of Deoghar can infuse spirituality among tourists who visit Deoghar during the times of this festival.