Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Hindu temple in Deoghar, India.

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga is a Hindu temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand, whose complex comprises the central shrine of Baba Baidyanath plus 21 additional temples. The main shrine is joined to the temple of Mother Parvati, and a large pond lies close by. The stone towers rise in vertical ribbed bands to finials, some carrying thin poles and tattered pinkish flags.

The Matsya Purana called the site Arogya Baidyanathitee, and the area was ruled by the Kings of Gidhaur, whose line began when Raja Bir Vikram Singh founded the princely state in 1266. After the 1757 Battle of Plassey, East India Company officers took an interest: Keating, first English collector of Birbhum, sent his assistant Hesilrigg in 1788 to supervise collection of pilgrim offerings, then abandoned direct interference and handed full control to the high priest.

During the month of Shravan, millions of pilgrims carry water from the Ganges River along a 65-mile (105-kilometer) route to offer at the shrine. This practice, called Kanwar Yatra, transforms the surrounding roads into processional paths filled with devotees wearing orange garments.

The sanctuary opens at 4:00 AM for early morning ceremonies, with priests performing traditional rituals that include pouring pure water over the lingam. Visitors should wear modest clothing and remove footwear before entering the inner shrines.

Every shrine in the Vaidyanath complex, including those of Shiva, Parvati and Lakshmi-Narayan, carries a panchshul, a five-pronged trident, rather than the trishul usual elsewhere. Two days before Mahashivratri the panchshuls are taken down and devotees crowd to touch them; they are worshipped the day before the festival and then put back in place.