Name: Deoghar
Rating: 3.1

Basukinath, Deoghar Overview

Located in the Dumka district of Jharkhand on the Deoghar-Dumka state highway, Basukinath is a popular place of worship for Hindus. The most famous attraction at Basukinath is undoubtedly the Basukinath Temple, and lakhs of pilgrims visit the temple each year from all parts of the country to worship Lord Shiva, who is the presiding deity. The crowd at magnificent the temple drastically increases in the month of Shravan, when not only local and national tourists but also international visitors visit.

It is widely believed that the Basukinath Temple is the court of Baba Bhole Nath. The temples of Shiv and Parvati are located just in front of each other in the Basukinath Temple. The gates of both of these temples open in the evening, and it is believed that Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati meet each other at this time. Thus, devotees are asked to move away from the front gates of the temple. Other small temples that are dedicated to different Gods and Goddesses can also be found inside the compound.

The Basukinath temple is undoubtedly the most famous temple dedicated to Lord Shiva that can be found in all of Bihar and Jharkhand, and the peaceful aura and tranquillity make devotees want to visit it over and over again to spend some time introspecting and contemplating peacefully.

Shravan Mela at Basukinath

Shraavana is a month in the Hindu calendar that falls sometime between July and August, and Basukinath is particularly famous for the Shravan Mela that is organised here. Devotees from all parts of the country visit the Basukinath Temple in this month to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva.

During these religious prayers, the holy water of the Ganga is offered to the deities who are collected from Sultanganj, which is located in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar, about 135 kilometres away from Basukinath. The entire path from Bhagalpur to Basukinath is seen dotted with people wearing saffron coloured clothes during this time. The devotees who are known as 'Bol Bam' stop at multiple places during the journey, while the devotees known as 'Dak Bam' do not halt even once in their journey from Sultanaganj to Basukinath. Finally, at the end of this long trip, water is offered to the Shivalinga.

Ram Janaki Vivah Utsav at Basukinath

Every year on the occasion of Vivah Panchmi, the Ram Janaki Vivah Utsav is celebrated with great zeal and passion. This festival holds immense importance, especially amongst the Hindus, since it marks the marriage of Lord Ram with Sita. As per the Hindu calendar, this festival falls on the fifth day of the Shukla Paksha in the Margashirsha month, which falls in November or December.

The concept of this festival was initiated by Late Pandit Nainalal Jha, Pradhan Tirth Purohit Baba Basukinath. He began celebrating this festival with a lot of enthusiasm. A proper baarat procession, which comprised of elephants and horses, participated in the celebrations and was referred to as the 'Palki Utsav'. This procession is taken forward by Pandit Nainalal Jha's son, Pandit Tara Kant Jha.

Basukinath Temple Timings

The timings of darshan for the general public at the Basukinath Temple are as follows:
Daytime: 3:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Night time: Sunset to 8:00 PM

The temple remains open for Darshan for more hours on the following events:
1) Mondays
2) Full moon nights or Poornima
3) Entire month of Shravan

Tips For Visiting Basukinath

1. The Basukinath Temple is extremely crowded during the morning hours, so try and visit it in the latter half of the day.
2. You can perform "jalabhishek" and "puja-Archana" throughout the day at the temple.
3. In case you hire a priest, make sure that you talk about the Dakshina beforehand to save yourself from paying exorbitant rates later on.

How To Reach Basukinath

Basukinath lies on the Deoghar - Dumka State highway, around 25 kilometres to the northwest of Dumka. The Basukinath Railway Station is located on the Jasidih-Dumka New Railway line. Basukinath is at a distance of approximately 50 kilometres from Deoghar, and you can book a cab or take a shared taxi to reach your final destination. It will cost you around INR 800 to INR 1,000, depending upon the number of passengers and the type of cab.