Preneeta Sharma
Renowned as the Devbhoomi of God, the shrines in Himachal Pradesh is a repository of Hindu art, traditions, and rituals. One out of them is a temple located in Hamirpur District which is considered as the one of the most sacred sites in the Himalayas.
This Shrine is Baba Balak Nath Temple which is situated in the village of Chakmoh in the Hamirpur district. This temple is best accessible to tourists and pilgrims from Bilaspur.
In this shrine, there is a cave which is a houses of an idol and is considered the abode of Babaji.
Devotees throng this cave throughout the year. The rush at this temple increases, particularly during the religious festival of Navaratra.
Sunday is an auspicious day, and you will mostly see local devotees on the premises. They offer “baba ji ka rote” (bread prepared with flour and sugar) at the altar. There is a platform for female devotees opposite the main cave for darshan (sighting the idol). However, female devotees are not allowed to enter the inner sanctum and those who tried to go fall from the stairs.
Pilgrims travel around 6 km further from Baba Balaknath Temple to another sacred site called Shahtalai. According to legend, this is where Babaji observed penance.
The Sidh Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust maintains the funds and keeps a watch on the functioning of the temple.
History
Baba Balak Nath was born in the Junagadh, Gujarat at Pandit Vishnu ji and Panditayin Lakshmi ji who did not have child for a very long time. Later a boon given to them by Lord Jagan Natha that they will soon be blessed with a child who will be become a prominent bhakta.
Baba Balak Nath is known for his devotion to Guru Dattatreya and his miraculous deeds. According to the legend, Baba left his family at the age of three and was guided by Sage Narada to do Japa or chant the mantras of Guru Dattatreya. When Baba was four years and eight months old, Guru Dattatreya took him as his disciple, and he embarked on a Char-Dhaam yatra (pilgrimage to four holy places). During his pilgrimage, Baba stayed at Banwala and later reached Shahtalai in Himachal Pradesh, where he became the adopted son of Mata Ratno and reared her cows. Baba Balak Nath spent twelve years in penance under a banyan tree, doing his yogic practices and accepting roti and lassi from Ratno Mai for food.
Towards the end of the twelfth year, complaints started coming from the village people that the cows were neglected by Baba and damaging their crops. Ratno Mai tried to appease the people herself, but the village head publicly scolded her for the severe damage to his crop by her cows. Ratno Mai lost her patience and complained to Baba about his negligence. On hearing this, Baba took her and the village chief to the field they were complaining about, where they saw to their surprise that the crops had miraculously recovered, with no damage at all.
Baba Balak Nath revealed that he had never eaten the roti and lassi Ratno Mai had brought him daily, and thus, he had not created any new debt. Baba threw his fire tongs at the trunk of the banyan tree under which he had been sitting for the past twelve years, and a piece of wood broke off, revealing a heap of chapattis inside. He also pushed his Chimta into the ground, and a spring of buttermilk sprung out, which soon became a pond of buttermilk. This pond can still be seen in Shahtalai, which is how the place got its name.
Today, the place where the legendary banyan tree was located has a hollow structure called ‘Land of Penance Under The Hollow Tree’ and a temple with idols of Baba Balak Nath, Guga Chauhan, and Nahar Singh. Devotees believe that the soil of that place is an effective medicine against the foot disease of cattle. Baba Balak Nath’s story is a reminder of the power of faith and devotion, and his miracles continue to inspire people to this day.
Workship/Tradition
The worship tradition at Deotsidh is said to have originated when a Brahmin named Banarasi complained to Baba Balak Nath, a famous Natha Yogi, that some of his cows were barren. Baba cured the cows with the ash of his Dhuni, and Banarasi became a close devotee of Baba.
When Baba Balak Nath’s time to withdraw from the earth came near, he asked Banarasi to continue the tradition of his Dhuni and worship. Banarasi followed these directions and maintained the practice, and the main sacred shrine dedicated to Baba Balak Nath and the place of his penance is located at Shahtalai. The Deotsidh shrine is found in a natural cave at the top of the hill, and worshippers believe that Baba Balak Nath is still present around this place in an invisible form.
