Ajgaibinath Dham, Sultanganj
Temple · Lord Shiva · Uttarvahini Ganga · Sultanganj, Bhagalpur, Bihar
Where the kanwar yatra begins, on the north-flowing Ganga
Ajgaibinath Mandir stands on a rock island in the Ganga. Here the river is traditionally held to turn north - the Uttarvahini Ganga - and water drawn at this point is what kanwariyas carry to Baidyanath.
History
A Nagara-style shrine renovated in the 19th century by Rani Kalavati. The Sultanganj Buddha, a 2.3 metre copper figure of the Gupta-Pala period, was found here in 1861 and is now in Birmingham, England.
Beliefs
The lingam is washed continuously by the river. Filling and sealing the kanwar here is the first act of the yatra; the vessel must not touch the ground again until Deoghar.
What devotees do
Pilgrims bathe in the Ganga, fill sealed vessels, and set out barefoot in saffron. Chants of Bol Bam carry the whole route.
Plan your visit
- Best season
- Sep - Apr
- Typical visit
- 2-3 hours
- Stay in Sultanganj
- 1 day
- How to reach
- The railway station is now named Ajgaibinath Dham (code SGG), on Eastern Railway. Sultanganj is about 25 km west of Bhagalpur by road.
- Dress code
- Silence is asked for inside the temple, and leather is not carried in.
- Area
- Sultanganj
Festivals
- Shravani Mela: A month-long fair drawing 35 to 40 lakh pilgrims, who walk about 105 km barefoot from Sultanganj carrying Ganga water. Dates are set each year by the district. (Jul - Aug (Shravan))
Experiences here
- Lifting water at Sultanganj: A hundred kilometres on foot in saffron, carrying Ganga water on a pole
- Silk at Bhagalpur: Tussar woven on handlooms in a city that has done it for two hundred years
Pujas
- Ganga Jal Sankalp: Water drawn and sealed at the Uttarvahini Ganga in your name, to be carried to Baidyanath.
- Ajgaibinath Abhishek: Abhishek at the river shrine where the kanwar yatra begins.
Tirtham can arrange here
Guide, car and stay around Sultanganj
Also around Sultanganj
- Manjusha art of Bhagalpur: The only Indian folk painting told as a strip, in three colours, of the Bihula-Bishahari legend; GI-registered in 2021.
- Bhagalpur silk: The tussar silk of the Silk City, GI-registered in 2013.
- Jardalu mango: Bhagalpur's pale, fragrant mango, sent every year to the President; GI-registered in 2018.
- Katarni rice and chura: The fragrant rice of the Munger-Bhagalpur plain, GI-registered in 2018, best known here as beaten rice.
- Dahi chura on Makar Sankranti: The Makar Sankranti breakfast across Bihar: flattened rice, curd and jaggery, with tilkut after.
Nearby places
- Ruins of Vikramshila: Buddhist pilgrims and students of the dharma come to one of the two great Pala universities, from which...
- Bateshwar Sthan: To perform jalabhishek at an ancient linga on the Uttarvahini Ganga at the Ganga-Kosi confluence...
- Budhanath Temple: In Shravan the temple draws over a million devotees for Rudrabhishek and Jalabhishek, and the Bhagalpur...
- Champapuri: Champapuri is the only place where all five kalyanaks of Bhagwan Vasupujya occurred, which makes it one...
- Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Bhagalpur: It is the mother church of the Catholic diocese covering eastern Bihar, and the focus of the diocesan...
Questions pilgrims ask
Why is Ajgaibinath Dham important?
Ajgaibinath Mandir stands on a rock island in the Ganga. Here the river is traditionally held to turn north - the Uttarvahini Ganga - and water drawn at this point is what kanwariyas carry to Baidyanath.
When is the best time to visit Ajgaibinath Dham?
Sep - Apr.
How do I reach Ajgaibinath Dham?
The railway station is now named Ajgaibinath Dham (code SGG), on Eastern Railway. Sultanganj is about 25 km west of Bhagalpur by road.
How long should I spend at Ajgaibinath Dham?
2-3 hours
What should I wear to Ajgaibinath Dham?
Silence is asked for inside the temple, and leather is not carried in.
Which festivals are celebrated at Ajgaibinath Dham?
Shravani Mela.
Can Tirtham plan a yatra to Ajgaibinath Dham?
Yes. Tell us how long you have and who is going, and Tirtham plans the days, the guide, the car and the stay.
Plan my Yatra. Rather talk to someone? Call or WhatsApp +91 87893 56605, or contact us.