Dedicated
to the "Goddess of Light", the Jwalamukhi temple
is one of the most popular Hindu temples in Northern India.
The temple located on a small spur on the Dharamshala-Shimla
road at a distance of about 20-kms from the Jwalamukhi Road
Railway Station attracts lakhs of pilgrims every year. In
this temple there is a copper pipe through which natural gas
comes out. The priest of the temple lights this and the blue
flame emanating is worshipped as the manifestation of Goddess.
There is no idol inside the temple. After Daksha Yoga Bhagna,
Lord Shiva placed the burnt dead body of Sati on his shoulders
and started wandering about in a state of madness. To save
the world from the destructive wrath of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu
started cutting the limbs of the dead Goddess Parvati one
by one. The places where they fell became sacred centers for
the worship of Shakti. The tongue of Sati fell at the place
where the temple of Jwalamukhi is situated. The flames that
come out of the openings in the earth’s surface are regarded
as the manifestations of the fallen tongue of Sati and are
worshipped as “Jwalamukhi Devi” (Goddess, who emits flames
from her mouth).
Recognized as one of the 51 Shaktipithas of India, the Jwalamukhi
Devi Temple, tended by the followers of Goraknath, is set
against a cliff. The picturesque temple, built in the Indo-Sikh
style, is a modern building whose dome is of gilt, gold and
pinnacles and possesses a beautiful folding door of silver
plates, presented by the Sikh Raja Kharak Singh. There is
a small platform in front of the temple and a big Mandap where
a huge brass bell presented by the King of Nepal is hung.
The interior of temple consists of a square pit about three
feet deep with a pathway all round.
In the middle, the rock is slightly hollowed out about the
principal fissure and on applying a light the gas bursts into
flames. The gas escapes other points from the crevices of
the walls of the pit. On the backside of the temple water
runs along a watercourse, which takes off from a spring high
above. Some say this canal was constructed by Emperor Akbar
to try to quench the flames. The attempt having proved abortive,
he became a devotee of the Goddess. The songs popularly sung
in praise of the Goddess describe how the Mughal Emperor came
barefooted and placed a crown of gold before the Goddess as
offering. That crown is still preserved and it is said, it
was turned into copper as soon as the Emperor looked back
in pride and thought of costly present he has made.
Services offered: Usually milk and water
are offered to the sacred flames in the pit. The puja has
different phases and goes on practically the whole day. Aarti
is done five times in the day, Havan is performed once daily
and portions of "Durga Saptasati" are recited. The
women on way to the temple sing beautiful songs in praise
of the Goddess.
Fairs: During March-April and September-October
every year colourful fairs are held during the Navaratri celebrations.
Apart from Jwalamukhi temple, there is the Gorakh Dibbi Chaturbhuj
temple and a host of other smaller shrines at Jawalamukhi
town.
Location: 30-km from Kangra and 56-km from
Dharamshala.
