Baijnath Temple in Palampur Himachal Pradesh, India

I am fascinated by the mythological narratives related with the ancient cities & heritage, especially of my faith Hinduism.  Although, I am more of a spiritual person who most often is a bit lazy about the faith related rituals in my daily life, I am constantly wanting to know about the various narratives of our gods & goddesses; I find that Hinduism has very nicely emphasised many great teachings on humanity, environment and life, through the mythlogical narratives of the various gods & goddesses that are worshipped & revered. One of my favourite Gods (yes I say favourite as I feel a connection to him) is Lord Shiva. I make it a point to visit temples or places related to the mythology of Lord Shiva whenever I’m travelling to a destination (i.e. if it is supposed to have one).

Some months back, I visited Palampur in Himachal Pradesh, India on an invite by Himachal Heritage Village for a long weekend getaway and amidst many wonderful experiences, a serene experience was making a visit to Baijnath Temple, located in main town. Sharing my experience of my Visit to Baijnath Temple in Palampur.

Baijnath Temple is a quaint  temple and is completely unassuming; in fact, located in main town market, one can actually miss it and walk or drive pass it, if not alert. I knew about the mythological story related to Lord Shiva and King Ravana which goes like this ‘King Ravana wanted to establish Lord Shiva from Kailash to his kingdom, did hard penance for the same and Lord Shiva granted his wish, only on one condition that his ‘Lingam’ should be carried to the kingdom without setting it on earth by the King. Ofcourse, King Ravana had to fail and there was one spot that King Ravana set down the Lingam on his journey to his kingdom and then the king could not lift it again. The Lingam is said to be existing there since time immemorial and now worshipped’. However, I did not know that Baijnath Temple was the shrine to the mythological ‘Lignam’ and as the host Gagan narrated me this story while we walked into the temple, I felt that it was divine intervention that I had to visit this temple.

There are mostly locals visiting this temple and it has a very relaxed vibe, unlike more crowded ones. The architecture is classic Hindu style along with Himachali elements; I mean it looks like a temple which has been here since many years (maybe centuries).

I spent around half an hour inside the temple complex, mostly observing other devotees and ofcourse being with my favourite God. I felt quite tranquil when I came out of Baijnath Temple.

A visit to Baijnath Temple should be on your list if  interested in mythology & religion, if in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh.