Baba Balak Nath Temple

Introduction to Baba Balak Nath Temple

The Baba Balak Nath Temple is in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is a cave Temple dedicated to Baba Balak Nath or Sidh Baba Balak Nath. It lies on a hill, 740 meters above sea level, in Deotsidh town, Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh. The Baba Balak Nath Temple is under the management of Shri Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust Deotsidh. The Temple Trust Commissioner-cum-Deputy Commissioner in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, is heading it.

Baba Balak Nath in Kali Yuga

It is believed that Baba Balak Nath, a reincarnation of Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati, was born in Satya Yuga to destroy the demon Tarakasura. He was said to be born as Kaul in Treta Yuga and Mahakaul in Dwapara Yuga. In Kali Yuga, he was born in Kathiabad, Gujarat. His mother's name was Laxmi, and his father was Vishno Vaish. Babaji's name was Dev.

Baba Balak Nath was very religious. After watching his behavior, his parents arranged his marriage. But he did not wish to marry and left home. Baba Ji met Swami Dattatreya in Junagadh's Girnar hill. He learned Siddhi from him. After that, he became a Siddha and was named Baba Balak Nath.

Legend of the Baba Balak Nath Temple

The birth of Baba Balak Nath is associated with the Amar Katha of Shiva. It is said that when Shiva was sharing Amar Katha with Parvati, she fell asleep. A baby parrot was listening to his story. Shiva found that Parvati was sleeping and realized that the parrot had been listening to his story. He lost his temper and threw his Trishul on the parrot.

The parrot escaped from his divine weapon, but the Trishul followed it. As it was flying, it saw the wife of Rishi Vyas yawning. The baby parrot entered into her mouth and reached her stomach. In order to obey religious principles, the Trishul did not kill her. After seeing this, Shiva came to the spot and explained the story to Rishi Vyas. The sage requested Shiva to wait for the parrot to come out.

The whole universe came to a standstill as Shiva was standing there for hours. To save the universe, sage Narada reached Shiva and requested him to cool down. He also pointed out that as the baby parrot had already heard the Amar Katha, it had become immortal and could not be killed. Shiva then ordered the baby parrot to come out. In return, it demanded a blessing from him.

Shiva agreed, and the parrot prayed that any child born when he came out would be granted immortality and all kinds of knowledge. Shiva agreed. A divine baby emerged from the Rishi's mouth and was later named Sukhdev Muni. Other babies born at that time included Nau Nath and Chaurasi Sidh. Baba Balak Nath was one of them.

The Architecture of the Baba Balak Nath Temple

The Baba Balak Nath Temple is ancient and historical. Its exact date and construction remain unknown. The temple is a blend of traditional Himachali and contemporary architectural styles.

The Baba Balak Nath Temple is constructed with white marble. It features ornate silver doors and beautiful wall paintings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The magnificent idol of Baba Balak Nath is in a rock cave and is believed to be self-manifested. The two idols in the main shrine are Baba Balak Nath and Shri Peepal Mata. The Baba Balak Nath Temple captivates devotees who visit it in large numbers.

There is a Bhairava shrine, Jyoti Mandir, prayer halls for worship, and meditation halls for seekers of enlightenment. A huge old banyan tree, said to be over 500 years old, is in the temple. Devotees tie threads around it as part of their prayers. The detailed craftsmanship and attention to elements in the Baba Balak Nath Temple's construction reflect the devotion and talent of the artisans who built it.

Devotees offer Roti made with flour, sugar, or Gur (jaggery) on Baba Ji's altar. Some devotees even offer animal sacrifice. However, females are not allowed in the inner cave. There is a raised platform opposite the cave for female devotees for Baba Ji's darshan. Baba Ji is said to have performed penance at Shahtalai, 6 km from the Baba Balak Nath Temple. People maintain it as a sacred spot and reach it by a ropeway.

Festivals in the Baba Balak Nath Temple

The Baba Balak Nath Temple celebrates Chaitra Mela Shri Sidh Baba Balak Nath Ji as a day and night festival. Every year, from March 14 to April 13, the temple celebrates this occasion grandly.

Vasant Panchami, Maha Shivratri, Ram Navami, Holi, Sri Krishna Jayanti, Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Diwali, Karva Chauth, and Makar Sankranti are the other festivals celebrated in the Baba Balak Nath Temple. Kanwar Yatra, Baba Balak Jayanti, and the Peepal Fair are also celebrated on Shravan Somwar with great pomp.

Benefits of Worshipping at the Baba Balak Nath Temple

People believe that Baba can cure their physical and mental sickness. This firm faith in Baba's healing powers continues to draw many people.

Devotees even visit this Baba Balak Nath Temple to seek salvation, wealth, wisdom, and knowledge.