Attraction · Kausani
Baijnath
A group of twelfth-century stone temples on the bank of the Gomti, built by the Katyuri kings when this was their capital — and now the stop everybody makes on the road to or from Kausani.
Time needed45 minutes
Where17 km from Kausani
BuiltTwelfth century
ByThe Katyuri dynasty
OnThe Gomti river
EntryFree
About
Baijnath
Before Kumaon was ruled from Almora it was ruled from here. Baijnath sits on the Gomti about seventeen kilometres from Kausani, and the group of stone temples on the riverbank is what the Katyuri dynasty left behind when their capital moved — twelfth-century work, in grey stone, on a walled terrace above the water. The principal shrine is to Shiva as Vaidyanath, the lord of physicians, from which the name comes, and it holds a fine stone image of Parvati. The rest of the group is smaller shrines in various states, some complete and some reduced to their plinths. It is a quiet, unpolished, genuinely old place, protected as a monument and still used for worship, and it is the stop that every itinerary running between Kausani and the rest of Kumaon makes on the way.
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What to See
What to see
A walled group of stone temples on a riverbank. Forty-five minutes, unhurried.
The main temple
- The principal shrine to Shiva as Vaidyanath, in grey stone with a curved shikhara in the northern idiom.
- The stone image of Parvati inside, which is the finest single object on the site.
- The carving on the exterior, worn but substantially intact in places.
The group
- The smaller shrines around the main temple, several complete and several reduced to plinths and fragments.
- The walled terrace itself, which raises the whole group above the river.
- The loose sculpture assembled around the site, which is how a great deal of Katyuri work survives.
The setting
- The Gomti running below the terrace, wide and shallow over stones.
- The valley around it, terraced and cultivated, which is the Kumaon most itineraries drive through without stopping.
- The old bridge and the ghats, which are used.
Getting There
Getting there
On the main road below Kausani, and almost always visited in passing rather than as a trip.
From Kausani
- About 17 km, roughly forty minutes down from the ridge.
- Both packages that come to Kausani name it as the stop on the way in or out rather than a separate excursion.
- The road down is a descent of several hundred metres and is scenic throughout.
At the site
- Parking is at the road; the temples are a short walk down onto the terrace.
- It is a protected monument and entry is free.
- Footwear comes off before the temple platform.
Combining it
- With the drive to or from Almora, Ranikhet or Nainital, which is when everybody actually sees it.
- With Bageshwar further along the same valley, if the day allows.
- Not as a round trip from Kausani, which would be a lot of driving for forty-five minutes.
Best Time
When to visit
In passing, in daylight, and preferably not at midday in June.
Time of day
- Morning or late afternoon for the light on the stone, which is grey and takes a low sun well.
- It is an outdoor site with little shade; the middle of a hot day is the least comfortable slot.
- Daylight hours only.
Time of year
- October to March is comfortable and clear, and the valley is at its best after the monsoon.
- April to June is warm at this altitude, which is considerably lower than Kausani.
- The monsoon raises the Gomti and makes the terrace green and the road slower.
How long
- Forty-five minutes is right and is what the itineraries allow.
- Twenty minutes if it is a comfort stop with a look at the main temple.
- An hour if you are interested in the sculpture, which repays it.
Visitor Intelligence
Visitor intelligence
An eight-hundred-year-old monument that is also a working temple, with almost no interpretation.
What to look at
- The Parvati image in the main shrine, which is the best thing on the site and is easy to walk past.
- The shikhara profile — the curved tower of the main temple — which is the marker of the period and the region.
- The fragments and loose sculpture around the terrace, which are as informative as the standing buildings.
Respect
- It is protected and it is in use. Footwear off at the platform, and no climbing on the structures.
- Worshippers use the main shrine through the day; wait rather than walk through.
- Photography of the buildings is unrestricted; ask before photographing inside the shrine.
Expectations
- There is very little signage and no guide service. Bringing a little context with you doubles the value of the stop.
- It is not a grand site. Its interest is its age, its setting and the fact that it is the Katyuri capital.
- It is quiet on most days, which is a large part of the appeal.
Access
- A short walk down from the road onto the terrace, with steps.
- The terrace itself is broadly level once you are on it.
- The temple platforms have further steps and footwear is removed for them.
Nearby
Nearby
On the road between Kausani and the rest of Kumaon.
Anasakti Ashram
Up on the Kausani ridge — Gandhi’s 1929 stay and the Himalayan panorama.
The Kausani tea estate
On the slope below the town, and among the highest in India.
Kausani
Seventeen kilometres up the road and several hundred metres higher.
Bageshwar
Further along the same valley, at the confluence of the Gomti and the Saryu. No page of its own.
Good to Know
Frequently asked
Twelfth century, built by the Katyuri dynasty when Baijnath was their capital — before the seat of Kumaon moved to Almora. What survives is a walled group on a terrace above the Gomti: a principal shrine in grey stone with a curved shikhara in the northern idiom, several smaller shrines in varying states, and a quantity of loose sculpture assembled around the site. It is genuinely old and almost entirely unpolished.
It comes from Vaidyanath, "lord of physicians", which is the form of Shiva the principal shrine is dedicated to. The main image inside the temple, though, is a fine stone Parvati, and it is the best single object on the site — easy to walk straight past if you do not know to look for it, since there is very little signage and no guide service at Baijnath.
Yes, and both packages that come to Kausani name it as the stop worth making on the way in or out — which is exactly the right framing. It is not a grand site and forty-five minutes covers it. Its interest lies in its age, its riverbank setting and the fact that this was the Katyuri capital, and in how quiet it is on an ordinary day. As a round trip from Kausani it would not justify the driving.
About 17 km and roughly forty minutes, dropping several hundred metres off the ridge to the Gomti valley. It sits on the main road, which is why everybody sees it in passing on the way to or from Almora, Ranikhet or Nainital rather than as a separate excursion. The descent itself is scenic throughout — terraced, cultivated Kumaon that most itineraries drive through without stopping.
No charge — it is a protected monument and entry is free. There is also almost no interpretation on site and no guide service, which is worth knowing in advance: bringing a small amount of context with you roughly doubles the value of the stop. Footwear comes off before the temple platform, and worshippers use the main shrine through the day, so it is a working temple as well as a monument.
Morning or late afternoon. The stone is grey and takes a low sun well, and the site is outdoors with very little shade, so the middle of a hot day is the least comfortable slot — particularly since Baijnath sits considerably lower than Kausani and is correspondingly warmer. October to March is the comfortable season generally, and the valley is at its best in the months just after the monsoon.
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