Baijnath

This is the most disputed jyotirling as there are three places in India whose natives claim that their temple houses this jyotirling. During a severe penance, Ravana offered his heads to Shiva. When he is about to cut off his tenth head, Shiva appears before him and offers him a jyotirling which he can take to Lanka but without placing on the ground anywhere on the way. However, he is tricked by Ganesha and the linga is installed at the same place. The first one is at Deoghar, Bihar that has a huge complex with twenty two temples of different deities among which Shiva’s is one. The nearest railway station is Jaisidih, seven kms away on the Patna Howrah route. Parli-Vaijanath near Latur, Mahashtra, is the second one that was constructed by Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar in typical Maratha style architecture and this explains its fort like appearance. The third one made in Nagara style is 1000 year old temple in Baijnath town situated in Dhauladhar range of Western Himlaya in Himachal Pradesh. If you love panoramic hilly landscapes, then take the heritage toy train from Pathankot. As a mark of respect to Ravana, people of Baijnath don’t celebrate Dusshera.