The cave temple dedicated to Baba Balak Nath is located on the spur of a hill in Deotsidh town in Himachal Pradesh. A murti of Baba Balak Nath is worshipped in the cave here.
Deotsidh Baba Balak Nath Temple Story
Legend has it that once a parrot flew to Mount Kailash and accidently heard the Amar Katha being narrated by Shiva to Goddess Parvati. Shiva, angry at being disturbed, aimed the trishul at the parrot. The parrot took refuge in the stomach of the wife of Rishi Vyasa and requested Shiva to make him immortal once he emerged in human form. The baby that wife of Sage Vyasa gave birth became Baba Balak Nath.
According to the Lok Srutis Shiva blessed Baba to become the Siddha symbol for devotees in the Kalyug, and for his childlike image to remain forever. Hence the name Balak (meaning child) Nath.
Siddha in Sanskrit means ‘the accomplished one’ referring to the person who has overcome his ahamkara, and is believed to be immortal.
Baba Balak Nath in his incarnation reached Bilaspur where he met an old woman called Ratno Mai. Baba undertook to graze her cows in return for roti and lassi.
Twelve years later, villagers complained to Ratno Mai that her cows were damaging their crops. When rebuked for negligence by Ratno Mai, the Baba challenged the villagers to show the damage and indeed nothing could be located.
In her anger, Ratno Madi had asked Balak Nath to return all the roti and lassi she had given him over the last 12 years. And, lo and behold! Roti and lassi started pouring out. This lassi soon filled the village pond which came to be known as Shaha Talai.
The fame of Baba Balak Nath spread far and wide and the Tantric Guru Gorakhnath invited him to join his sect. Baba refused and Gorakhnath decided to forcibly capture him.
Baba escaped to a cave on this hill to meditate. A Brahmin called Banarasi became his great devotee, and started lighting a lamp outside his cave. People started calling him Baba Deotsidh or the ‘Light of Truth,’ and later the cave or cave became a sacred pilgrimage for his devotees.
There is a tharra, or mound, just below the cave temple of Baba Balak Nath, where devotees offer roti prepared with flour and sugar or gur. The cave, which was earlier out-of-bounds for women, had recently opened its doors to women.
Sunday is the most auspicious day in the cave temple and there is a huge rush of devotees here on weekends and particularly on Sundays. Month long Chaitr Malas are celebrated here every year from 14th March to 13th April every year.