Balbal Hot Spring Ban: Soaps, Shampoos Prohibited to Protect Water Purity

Chatra: The district administration has banned the use of soaps, shampoos and detergents while bathing at the Balbal hot spring located on Bageshwari temple premises in Gidhaur block, citing environmental degradation and water impurity, officials said on Monday.

Simaria sub-divisional officer (SDO) Sunny Raj notified the ban, acting on the direction of state tourism directorate.


Raj said, “The move was necessary to ensure the purity of the hot spring. Every year, a cattle fair is organised at Balbal Dham from Makar Sankranti for 15 days. It attracts traders and buyers from across Jharkhand and other parts of the country. During this period, footfall at the hot spring rises significantly as devotees and villagers take ritualistic bath.”

The administrative notification stated that the hot spring contains oxygen and sulphur, which are responsible for its therapeutic properties. But the use of chemical products like soap, detergent, and shampoo was found to damage these elements and compromise the purity of the water.”

The shrine is widely revered for its religious and medicinal significance. Devotees from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal visit the shrine throughout the year.

Chief priest of the temple, Pramod Pandey, said, “The shrine was built in 1857, a year after idols of Shiva and Parvati were unearthed during an excavation. The first temple was constructed in 1857, while the Durga temple was built in 1990.”

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