Baijnath is a small town on the banks of the
Gomati river Gomati, which means, among other things, "full of water", may refer to:
Geography
* Gomati district, a district of Tripura state, India
* Gomati monastery, a monastery in Khotan, Turkistan, see Buddhism in Khotan
* Gomati Lake, a lake in Vadtal, du ...
in the
Bageshwar district
Bageshwar is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Bageshwar is the district headquarters. Prior to its establishment as a district in 1997 it was part of Almora district.
Bageshwar district is in Kumaon, and is bounded ...
in
Kumaon division
Kumaon (; Kumaoni: ''Kumāū''; ; historically romanized as KemāonJames Prinsep (Editor)John McClelland ) is a revenue and administrative division in the Indian State of Uttarakhand. It spans over the eastern half of the state and is bounde ...
of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The place is most noted for its
ancient temples, which have been recognized as
Monuments of National Importance
This article contains lists of Monuments of National Importance in India.
An Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 defines an "Ancient Monument" as follows:
A "Monument of National Importance" is designated by the Archaeological Survey o ...
by the
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...
in
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
. Baijnath has been selected as one of the four places to be connected by the 'Shiva Heritage Circuit' in
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
, under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
.
Baijnath, then known as ''Kartikeyapura'', was the seat of the
Katyuri kings
The Katyuri kings were a medieval Hindu Rajput's ruling clan of Khasha origin from Joshimath that ruled over the regions in present day regions of Kumaon, Uttarakhand in India and parts of Doti/ Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal from 700 to 1 ...
who ruled over an area consisting of combined parts of
Garhwal and
Kumaun in modern-day state of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Doti
Doti ( ne, डोटी), also known as Doti region, Dotigarh (डोटीगढ़) as used in the Jagar (folk tales; जागर), in the Farwestern region of Nepal (Sudurpashchim Province), is a region situated between River Kali bordering ...
in Modern day
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
.
History
![Descriptive board, temples of Baijnath, Uttarakhand, India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Descriptive_board%2C_temples_of_Baijnath%2C_Uttarakhand%2C_India.jpg)
The first permanent settlement of the area was a town named ''Karvirpur'' or ''Karbirpur''. The ruins of this town were used by
Katyuri King Narsingh Deo to establish his capital in the area. Baijnath remained the capital of
Katyuri Dynasty, who ruled the area from 7th-13th century AD., it was then known as ''Kartikeyapura''. The katyuri kingdom then consisted of combined parts of
Garhwal and
Kumaun in modern-day state of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and
Doti
Doti ( ne, डोटी), also known as Doti region, Dotigarh (डोटीगढ़) as used in the Jagar (folk tales; जागर), in the Farwestern region of Nepal (Sudurpashchim Province), is a region situated between River Kali bordering ...
in Modern day
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
.
After death of ''Birdeo'' the last king of united katyuri kingdom. the kingdom disintegrated in the 13th century giving rise to 8 different princely states. Baijnath remained under the rule of Baijnath Katyurs descendants of Katyuri kings, till 1565 until king Balo Kalyan Chand of
Almora
Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...
annexed Baijnath to
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
.
The
Gorkha
The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India.
The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Gorkhas and are recruit ...
s of
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
while expanding their kingdom westwards across
Kali River, invaded and overran
Almora
Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...
, the seat of the Kumaon Kingdom and other parts of Kumaon in 1791. In 1816, the Gorkhas were defeated by the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
in
Anglo-Nepalese War
The Anglo-Nepalese War (1 November 1814 – 4 March 1816), also known as the Gorkha War, was fought between the Gorkhali army of the Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Nepal) and the British forces of the East India Company (EIC, present-day In ...
in 1814 and were forced to cede Kumaon to the British as part of the
Treaty of Sugauli
The Treaty of Sugauli (also spelled Sugowlee, Sagauli and Segqulee), the treaty that established the boundary line of Nepal, was signed on 4 March 1816 between the East India Company and Guru Gajaraj Mishra following the Anglo-Nepalese War ...
.
It was a small village with a population of 148 in 1901 although it has grown somewhat since.
Geography
![Baijnath_Lake_Uttarakhand_India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Baijnath_Lake_Uttarakhand_India.jpg)
Baijnath is located at , 20 km northwest of
Bageshwar
Bageshwar ( Kumaoni: ''Bāgshyār'') is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital ...
city, in
Bageshwar district
Bageshwar is a district of Uttarakhand state in northern India. The town of Bageshwar is the district headquarters. Prior to its establishment as a district in 1997 it was part of Almora district.
Bageshwar district is in Kumaon, and is bounded ...
in
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
. It has an average elevation of 1,130 metres (3,707 feet). Baijnath is situated in the Katyur valley of the Kumaon Himalayas at the left bank of
Gomati river Gomati, which means, among other things, "full of water", may refer to:
Geography
* Gomati district, a district of Tripura state, India
* Gomati monastery, a monastery in Khotan, Turkistan, see Buddhism in Khotan
* Gomati Lake, a lake in Vadtal, du ...
. Nearby villages include Dangoli, Gagrigol, Haat, Teet Bazar, Purara, Noghar, etc.
An artificial lake near the temple compound was announced in 2007-2008. It was completed and inaugurated on 14 January 2016 by
Harish Rawat
Harish Singh Rawat (born 27 April 1948) is an Indian politician who was Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2014 to 2017. A five-time Member of Parliament, Rawat is a leader of the Indian National Congress party. As a member of 15th Lok Sabha, ...
, the then
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand
The chief minister of Uttarakhand is the chief executive of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief mi ...
. The lake is full of "Golden Mahaseer" fishes. Although fishing is strictly restricted at this site, the lake is a major tourist attraction where tourists offer chana to fishes. The nearby market is
Garur which is supposed to be one of the oldest in the region.
Heritage
The temple is significant to Hindus because of mythology concerning its location near a river.
![Temples of Baijnath, Uttarakhand, India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Temples_of_Baijnath%2C_Uttarakhand%2C_India.jpg)
There is a famous
Baijnath Mandir (Lord Shiva) on the bank of the river which is said to have been built by the Kumaon Katyuri king in around 1150 A.D. and it was Capital of the Katyuri dynasty of kings who ruled Uttaranchal during 12th and 13th century, Baijnath was once known as Kartikyapura. One of the most important places to visit in Baijnath is the historically and religiously significant Baijnath Temple constructed in the twelfth century. The temple holds significance because, according to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and Parvati were married at the confluence of River Gomati and Garur Ganga. Dedicated to SivaVaidyanatha, the Lord of Physicians, the Baijnath temple is actually a temples’ complex built by the Katyuri kings with the idols of Shiva, Ganesh, Parvati, Chandika, Kuber, Surya and Brahma. Also the town of Baijnath draws its name from the temple. Situated on the left bank of the Gomti River at an elevation of 1,126 m, the temples are constructed in stone. The main temple that houses a beautiful idol of Parvati is chiseled in black stone. The temple is approached from the riverside by a flight of steps made of stones constructed by the orders of a Katyuri queen. On the way to the main temple, just below the house of the Mahanta, is the temple of Bamani. Legend goes that the temple was built by a Brahmin woman and dedicated to Lord Shiva. it is believed that it was built in one night by katyuri kings.
Around 2 km from Baijnath there is a temple of Bhagwati Mata
Kot Bhramri Devi Temple or (Kot Ka Mandir) (traces of Ma Bhramri can be found in the last two paragraph of Chapter Eleven of Durga Shaptashati Path - The most sacred Hindu Book equivalent to Gita and Ramayana), which once was a fort owned by the Katyuri Kings. Also there is a myth that Adiguru Shankaracharya stayed on this temple overnight while en route to Badrinath. There is widespread belief among the local populace that the goddess, (after whom the temple is named) Kot Bhramri Devi's, Goddess face should not be shown to anyone except the priest of the temple if not followed this advice the entire Katur Valley will face ill luck and massive disaster will follow hence backside of the goddess is worshipped, except during the annual festival of "Nandaashtmi" during Bhadrapad Ashtami or Radha Ashtami during September month (the state government declares as State holiday) or when the Raj Jaat Yatra which takes place once in twelve year. Since last 150 Years buffalo and Lamb used to be sacrificed in the name of Nandaashtami has been stopped by The Honorable High Court of Nainital on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Animal Protection Society and as a result under police protection this practice has stopped. Though the Goddess Ma Bhramri is Satvik but some 200 years back during Nepalese Invasasion and their Kingdom, local deity Ma Nandadevi's status got installed at Kot Bhramri Mandir as a result animal sacrifice got started some 200 years back.
Commerce and tourism
For travelers, there are good lodging and boarding facilities at Baijnath with budget accommodation at the state run Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) and good rooms with all modern amenities can be availed at very cheap rates. Two kilometres further is a heli-pad facility for emergency landing for state and defence usage.
The chief occupation of its inhabitants are pensioners from retired services, State Government Teachers, Bankers, Post Officer Employees, Forest Services, agriculture, retired and serving defence personnel, petty and large shopkeepers dealing into day to day items and tea stall owners, butchers and finally point small scale taxi services.
There is a nearby market at Dangoli but main market remains two kilometers away at Garur which caters to household items, daily use goods to people and is considered to be biggest market place in the region after Almora, Ranikhet and Bageshwar District in Kumaon Hills up to Karanprayag District in Garhwal.
The market of Garur is one of the oldest in the region (since pre-independence days of the British Rule in India, but the market expanded during 1970 to 2010 with the efforts of local area people. In this area
Mohan Chandra Joshi is a well known
Poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
, notable social worker and another one industrialist K D Pandey is also known for his vast development for
Garur. In 2011 the major banks and other government services - the polytechnic, post office and the only ATM of the region are situated in the property owned by the Pandey Family. One can find modern shopping complex recently came up in Garur market build up by the Pharswan family. Primarily, Garur is the last recognised and biggest Kumaon market prior to entering Garhwal via Kumaon en route to Garur Gwaldam road.
Transport
Pantnagar Airport, located in
Pantnagar
Pantnagar is a town and a university campus in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand. Nainital, Kashipur, Rudrapur and Kiccha, Haldwani are the major cities surrounding Pantnagar.
The town is home to the first agricultural university of I ...
is the nearest Airport, while
Kathgodam railway station
Kathgodam railway station (station code: KGM) is railway station located in Kathgodam town near Haldwani, just 35 km from Nainital Town in Nainital district of Uttarakhand State of India.
The station code is KGM and is 101 km from the he ...
is the nearest railway station to Baijnath. Baijnath is located at the junction of the
Bageshwar
Bageshwar ( Kumaoni: ''Bāgshyār'') is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital ...
-
Gwaldam and the
Almora
Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...
-
Gopeshwar
Chamoli Gopeshwar is a township in the Garhwal hills and a municipal board within Chamoli district. It is the administrative headquarters of the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand in India. Located above sea level, it is famous for its weather (p ...
road. It is connected to
Haldwani
Haldwani ( Kumaoni: ''Haldvānī'') is the largest city of Kumaon. It is also the third most populous city and largest commercial market in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Haldwani is said to be the financial capital of Uttarakhand, having the ...
,
Bhimtal
Bhimtal ( Kumaoni: ''Bhīmtāl'') is a town and a nagar panchayat, near Nainital city in Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at an altitude of 1370 meters above sea level and is about 22 kilometers from Nainita ...
,
Almora
Almora ( Kumaoni: ''Almāḍ'') is a municipal board and a cantonment town in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Almora district. Almora is located on a ridge at the southern edge of the Kumaon Hills of th ...
and
Ranikhet
Ranikhet ( Kumaoni: ) is a hill station and cantonment town, nearby Almora Town in Almora district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the home for the Military Hospital, Kumaon Regiment (KRC) and Naga Regiment and is maintained by the In ...
by the 'Kumaun Darshan' service of
Uttarakhand Transport Corporation
Uttarakhand Transport Corporation also referred to as UTC or Uttarakhand Roadways, is the state run bus service of Uttarakhand state of India. UTC buses serves routes to towns and cities within Uttarakhand and adjoining states and union territt ...
.
From Baijnath en route to Bageshwar Bridge which is motorable route up to 'Song' at sub town place called Kapkot whereby thousands of foreign as well as domestic trackers come to trek on
Sunderdhunga as well as
Pindari Glaciers which are within a trekable distance of one hundred km (fifty Up and fifty down trek on foot).
A discussion is being held on laying a railway track between
Tanakpur
Tanakpur (Kumaoni: टनकपुर) is a city and a municipal board in Champawat district of Uttarakhand state of India. Located in the plains area in the northern part of India. The town is the gateway for Purnagiri Temple (around 24 ...
to
Bageshwar
Bageshwar ( Kumaoni: ''Bāgshyār'') is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital ...
which if materialised would bring this district on faster national connectivity and invite much larger tourist population by 2020.
Image Gallery
File:One of the temples of Baijnath, Uttarakhand, India.jpg
File:20140818-Baijnath 4485.jpg
File:A view from the backside of the baijnath group of temples.JPG
File:Durga, Baijnath, Uttarakhand.jpg
File:BAIJNATH TEMPLE, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA.jpg
File:Bells, temples of Baijnath, Uttarakhand, India.jpg
File:Shiva, temples of Baijnath, Uttarakhand, India.jpg
File:Group of Temples, Baijnath.JPG
References
{{Bageshwar district
External links
Baijnath Temple Uttarakhand
Cities and towns in Bageshwar district
Tourism in Uttarakhand