Jwalamukhi Shakti Peeth is among the 51 Shakti Peeth of Maa Sati. It is said that, the tongue of Sati fell here, and considering the holy importance of this place where tongue, a temple was constructed. This temple is located near to the Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India. Located on one of the hills of Himalayan Mountains, the natural beauty around this holy is really adorable and mesmerizing in nature. From sea level it is around 621 m above, and thus it has a pleasant cool whether all around it. Dhauladhar Ranges are near to this temple. One of the interesting facts about this temple is its inextinguishable flame. At the middle of the temple, from the crevices of rock, a flame always keep on lighting, no matter what is the weather. Scientifically it is said that, the temple is residing on natural gas resource, but nobody has yet found out where it is and how it is working. May this is the reason of spiritual significance of this place and hence a major holy site in Hindu culture. There is no idol in the temple; people worship the flame that is continuously protruding out of the rock. Actually this is situated in the middle of the temple, around having 1m depth. There are four major pillars been constructed around this complex.
There is a Yantra or carving like diagram on which mantra (Spiritual wordings) are written. It is mostly covered and during the prayers mantra is recited by all the people coming here. Just at the entrance of the temple, a large bell made of brass is hanging. And it is said the king of Nepal gifted this bell to the temple. Prayers are done five times a day and ‘havan’ is also carried out each day.
Here the idol of Maa ‘Sati’ is called as Ambika and the lord Shiva is worshipped as ‘Unmatta’.
History of Jwalamukhi Shakti Peeth
It is said that, a famous king of Kangra known as Raja Bhumi Chand was the ardent believer of Maa Durga. One day in his dreams, the picture of a holy site came. Curiosity over the dream forced him to send men to search for this sacred site. His man after months of search found this site, and in order to pay his respect, King made Jwalamukhi temple. But in the 1009 A.D, cruel and dreadful king known as Mohammed Ghazni looted and destroyed this temple. But over the years it was restored to its original shape. As per history some interesting happening took place. Akbar, who was almighty of the Mughal Empire, tried to extinguish the flame with stream of water. But the power almighty goddesses Durga did not let this happened. By this time, Akbar knew the power of this holy sacred site. As an offering he came up with Golden Umbrella. But According to the people, Golden metal changed to unknown metal, which is a sign of anger of goddesses over the Akbar. In 1815 A.D Maharaja Ranjit Singh, plated the dome of the temple with gold.
Festivals in Jwalamukhi temple
From time to time there are many ceremonies, rituals and festivals are conducted around this temple. Special prayers are organized on the eve of Shivaratri, Navratri etc. During the Navaratri the celebration is something to see for and is celebrated with the exorbitant energy and devotion by the people. But since the importance of this temple is so much that the number of people coming here is same in any period or month of a year. So, every time you will go, you will find people in exorbitant numbers. Basic items needed for the prayer are available just outside the temple and the price ranges as per your choice of items.
Where to stay
Jwalamukhi temple is pretty near to the city Kangra, which is big town city in the Himachal Pradesh. There are several tourist lounges, hotels and motels which can be found near to the temple. The price of a room depends on the choice of hotel. Cheap rooms are also available on the share basis and they are having all basic amenities needed for stay. But in the prime season like during the festive seasons, the rooms get filled quickly. During this time the price of the hotel rooms shoots up. So, it is advisable to make a prior booking of the rooms when you are coming in the prime season.
Shopping around Jwalamukhi temple
There are various religious stuff that is available around the temple. For people coming from the different countries, there are items like local outfits, handmade products available in the temple vicinity. There are shops (So many), and they offer variety of items related to the Hindu religion. You can buy various things that will serve as souvenir for your journey. If you want to do, heavy shopping, then head towards the Shimla city. Do Bargain for the items before buying them.
How to reach the Jwalamukhi temple
Jwalamukhi is directly connected through railway and road. But mostly people prefer Bus services and they directly ply to the Jwalamukhi town. Bus service is available from all major cities like Delhi, Chandigarh etc. The nearest airport is in Shimla and the flights are available from major cities like Delhi, Chandigarh. There is no direct railway available to this place; people have to change in between to reach through the rail here.