Baba Balak Nath Temple also known as Sidh is situated in the northern Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. “Deotsidh” is the name of his shrine.
This Temple is found within 45 km of “Hamirpur” and close to the boundary of the Himachal Pradesh district of Bilaspur and Hamirpur.
The Baba Balak Nath Temple, which is said to be where Baba lived, is situated in the natural cave that was hewn out of the hills near the village of “Chakmoh” in the district of Hamirpur. In the cave is where Baba’s statue is located.
Baba Balak Nath Temple History
Baba was born in Gujarat’s Junagarh. His mother was Laksmi Devi, and his father was Pandit Vishnu. One version claims that his birth name was Dev, while another claims that it was Bal Shiva. Also unclear is his reason for leaving home.
Others claim that he did it because his mother reprimanded him, while others claim that he did it to avoid being drawn into family affairs.
However, both of these accounts concur that he left for Vrindavan after he left home. He met his instructor Dattatreya there and joined him as a disciple.
Balak Nath First Name Is Bal Shiv
A strange incident occurred while Baba was residing with his Guru at his ashram in Girnar. When a mother who had lost her child visited Dattatreya’s ashram, she begged him to bring the child back.
All of Dattatreya’s disciples were sent in search of the youngster. Bal Shiv discovered the youngster in a demon’s grasp.
The demon was then killed and brought back to the ashram by the man. His Guru was pleased and gave him the new name Balak Nath, which means “the savior of little boys.”
A Story of Shah Talai
Shah Talai was thereafter referred to as Changer Talai. He performed penance there under a banyan tree and grazed animals for Mata Ratno side by side.
Ratno Mai used to leave him Chapattis and Chach at the location of his meditation, under the tree. This continued for twelve years.
When he sent rain to help prevent a near-famine and provide relief for the farmers in that area, he became well-known throughout the world.
The peasants, however, quickly began to complain to Mata Ratno about how her cattle were ruining their crops. She initially chose to ignore this but eventually felt compelled to reprimand Baba for neglecting his duty.
The locals saw that Baba had preserved their harvests. He made the decision to depart this location at the same moment.
By demanding payment for everything she had fed him, Mata Ratno attempted to restrict him. All of the chapattis that she had provided for so many years appeared as Baba flung his trident at the ground.
When Babaji threw the trident a second time, the chach started to ooze out of the ground. Later, he headed towards the hills. As chach began to emerge from the ground, the area became known as Chah Talai, which over time evolved into Shah Talai.
Hamirpur’s Deot Sidh
The Deot Sidh Dhar Range of the Shivalik Mountains surrounds Deot Sidh. From there, one can view the upright, snow-capped Dhaula Dhar Range. Indeed, it was the ideal location for meditation, so Baba went in search of a natural cave and set up residence there.
This cave serves as the focal point of the Deot Sidh Temple Complex today. There is a Baba Balak Nath idol installed. It is usual to present Baba with rot made of wheat flour and jaggery.
He is also given goats, although they should not be sacrificed. Instead, they receive a nutritious diet and attention.
Women are not permitted inside the sanctuary, though. A higher platform has been built by the temple’s administration for their use. At this stage, women are welcome to stand and receive Darshan from Baba to their hearts’ content.
However, it is usually too crowded to do that.
Deo Sidh & Shah Talai Festivals
The Navaratri, in addition to Sundays, attracts a sizable number of followers to Deo Sidh. A nice time to go to this temple is during Holi. The temple administrators organize a fair at such time. Additionally, Shah Talai hosts a Chaitra Mela from 15 March to 15 April.
Location
On the border of the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Bilaspur, it is 45 kilometers from “Hamirpur” In the village of “Chakmoh” in the district of Hamirpur, the Baba Balak Nath Temple is situated in a natural cave on top of a hill.
In the cave is where Baba’s statue is located.
Best Time To Visit
You can visit this revered temple at any time of the year. Since Baba Ji’s birthday is observed on a Sunday, the weekend traffic is always strong, especially on Sundays.
The month-long Chaitr Malas festival is observed here every year from March 14 to April 13.Â
Read More – History of Shreenathji Haveli Pushtimarg Temple