Baijnath Temple Uttarakhand

Local tradition holds that the wedding of Shiva and Parvati took place at the confluence of the Gomti and the Garur Ganga, close to the temple complex. Devotees therefore treat Baijnath as a spot where the divine couple may be worshipped together, and the confluence itself is part of the pilgrimage. A second popular tale says the eighteen temples were raised in a single night, with only two left unfinished.

By Air: Pantnagar airport is the nearest, about a hundred and eighty kilometres away by road. By Rail: Kathgodam is the nearest railway station, roughly a hundred and fifty kilometres from Baijnath. By Road: Bageshwar town is about twenty kilometres away, and buses and taxis run from Bageshwar and Almora. The temple stands beside the Gomti, and the approach is from the riverside flight of steps rather than from the road above.

Kausani, sixteen kilometres from Baijnath, is the tea estate town where Gandhi stayed at the Anasakti Ashram and where the Himalayan range is visible across the valley. Baijnath Lake sits beside the temple complex and is used for short boat rides by visitors. Kot Bhramari Devi temple, three kilometres away, stands in a former Katyuri fort and is known for its Vishnu image.

Bageshwar, at the confluence of the Gomti and Saryu rivers, is the district headquarters and the base for most visits to Baijnath.