If you’re planning to make a trip to sacred places in the Himalayas, be sure to include the ancient Jwala Ji temple in your itinerary. The Jwala Ji temple sits in Jwalamukhi town in Himachal Pradesh. In Sanskrit the word ‘Jwala’ means flame.
Jwalaji Temple History
There was a time when demons ruled the mountains of Himalaya and agitated the gods. Hence, Lord Vishnu and the gods decided to put an end to this. They combined their strengths as a result of which flames erupted from the ground. From those flames, a young girl called AdiShakti (the firstborn)was born.
Prajapati Daksha named her as Sati. He also took responsibility for her upbringing. She later married Lord Shiva. Following which, Prajapati Daksha humiliated Lord Shiva. Unable to tolerate the insult, she sacrificed herself. This angered Lord Shiva. He carried her body and created havoc in all the three worlds. The other gods witnessed the worst and insisted Lord Vishnu to intervene. Thus, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan Chakra to cut Sati’s body into 51 pieces. Her body parts were scattered in different places. Thereafter, Shakti Peetha came into existence. We get to witness this flame since Sati’s tongue fell in Jwalaji town.
Importance of Jwala Ji Temple Himachal Pradesh
The temple resembles a quadrangular shape with a small dome at the top. Whereas, the temple’s inner structure has a square-shaped pit with a sacred stone in it. In fact, the eternal flame burns continuously. There are many temples dedicated to goddess Jwala Ji. But the devotees strongly believe that the temple located at Jwalamukhi town is the most auspicious temple.
This shrine is the most important Shakti Peetha existing in South-East Asia. Also, the devotees believe that the goddess Sati’s tongue fell here on the ground. And this is the reason we are able to see the flame. Along with the tongue, the flames of Sati’s yogic power also had spread across this place. Facts relating to this temple can even be found in ancient scriptures like the Mahabharata. The eternal flames keep burning in a small cave to date.
Jwala Ji Temple Mystery
According to the legends, there was a cattle grazer who led a group of cattle to the mountains. Often, he noticed that one of his cows would run out of milk every day. The next day he followed the cattle to the place of grazing. To his surprise, a young girl took the cattle’s milk and vanished in no time. Later, the cattle grazer narrated this incident to the King. However, the king acted immediately and tried to trace the girl, but could not succeed. A few years later, the same cattle grazer informed the King regarding a burning flame in the mountains. This time, the King was able to track the place and see the mysterious flame. Soon after this, the King built the Mata Jwala Ji temple maidhar Himachal Pradesh.
How to Reach Jwala Ji Temple Himachal Pradesh
By Air: The nearest airport is at Gaggal in Himachal Pradesh. It is located at a distance of 50 km from Jwala Ji temple.
Train Services: Narrow gauge railhead is located in Rani T
By Road: You can take the connecting buses from Delhi, Chandigarh and Dharamshala to reach the shrine. Local and State transport bus services and taxies are also available at
Must Visit Places
- Jwalaji Shrines: Nine different flames exist inside the temple and each flame has its own importance. The goddess’s bedchamber and Baba Gorakhnath temple are located on the same premises.
- Nagina Mata: This place holds an annual fair in the month of July or August. It is at a distance of 4.5 kms from the temple.
- Shri Raghunathji Temple: Shri Raghunathji Temple is also known as Teda Mandir. The temple is located 5 kms away from Jwala Ji’s shrine. According to the legends, Lord Ram, Laxman and Sita rested here.
- AstaAbhuja Temple: This temple is within a radius of 1 km from Jwalaji temple HP. The stone pattern of the goddess with her 8 arms is the main attraction here.
- Nadaun: This place captures the elegant beauty of Kangra. Historical temples and old palaces are the main USP of Nadaun. It is 12 kms away from the main shrine.
- Chaumukha: At this temple, the deity of Lord Shiva has four faces. Also, Chaumukha means four faces in Sanskrit. Chaumukha is 22 kms away from Jwala Ji temple.
If you are planning to visit Himachal Pradesh, do consider noting down Jwala Ji temple on your list. Jwala Ji or Jwala Devi temple is the most sacred and religious places of Himachal Pradesh. Many devotees come down here and seek blessings from the goddess. At Jwala Ji temple, the ritual of worshipping nine different forms of flames takes place. Interestingly, Mughal emperor Akbar could not succeed in dousing the flame of Jwala Ji temple. Later, he donated a ‘Gold Chattar’ and became an ardent believer of the goddess.
