Jawalamukhi

Jawalamukhi
—  city  —
Jawalamukhi
Location of Jawalamukhi
in Himachal Pradesh and India
Coordinates
Country India
State Himachal Pradesh
District(s) Kangra
Population 4,931 (2001)
Time zone IST (UTC+05:30)
Area

Elevation


610 metres (2,000 ft)

Jawalamukhi is a town and a nagar panchayat in Kangra district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Contents

Geography

Jawalamukhi is located at .[1] It has an average elevation of 610 metres (2,001 feet).

Demographics

At the 2001 India census,[2] Jawalamukhi had a population of 4931. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%.

Area Profile of Jawalamukhi Town

As of 2001 India census,[3]

Jwalamukhi Devi temple

Jwalamukhi is a famous temple to the goddess Jwalamukhi, the deity of flaming mouth, built over some natural jets of combustible gas, believed to be the manifestation of the Goddess. Raja Bhumi Chand Katoch of Kangra, a great devotee of goddess Durga, dreamt of the sacred place and the Raja set people to find out the whereabouts of the site. The site was traced and the Raja built a temple at that location.[4] The building is modern with a gilt dome and pinnacles, and possesses a beautiful folding door of silver plates. Under the gaze of the Dhauladhar range and set amidst the undulating hills that character sub-Himalayan Himachal Sati's tongue is believed to have fallen at Jwalamukhi and the goddess is manifest as tiny flames that burn a flawless blue through fissures in the age old rock.

The temple located on a small spur on the Dharamsala-Shimla road at a distance of about 20 km from the Jwalamukhi Road Railway Station attracts lakhs of pilgrims every year. No idol is located in the temple and the deity is worshipped in the form of flames which come out from the crevices of the rock. They are natural jets of combustible gas. There is a small platform in front of the temple and a(check usage) big mandap where a huge brass bell presented by the King of Nepal is hung. Usually milk and water are offered and the ahutis or oblations are offered to the sacred flames in the pit, situated in the centre of the temple in between the floor pillars supporting the roof.

The deity is offered Bhog of Rabri or thickened milk, Misri or candy, seasonal fruits, milk. There is a mystic Yantra or diagram of the goddess, which is covered with, shawls, ornaments and mantras are recited. The puja has different 'phases' and goes on practically the whole day. Aarti is performed five times in the day, havan is performed once daily and portions of Durga Saptasati are recited.

The Mughal Emperor Akbar, learning about the legends of Jwalamukhi tried to douse the flames with a stream of water. However, the great power of the Goddess, still kept the flames burning. Realizing the power of Jwala Devi, Akbar came with his army to this temple. He brought a Gold umbrella (Chatra) for the Goddess, but on offering, the umbrella turned into an unknown metal suggesting that the Goddess did not accept his offering.[5]

Maharaja Ranjit Singh paid a visit to the temple in 1815 and the dome of the temple was gold-plated by him. Just a few feet above the Jwalamukhi temple there is a six-feet deep pit with a circumference of about three-feet. At the bottom of this pit there is another small pit about one and a half feet deep with hot water bubbling all the time.

The temple is identified as one among the 52 Shakti Peethas . It is also one of the most renowned temples of Goddess Durga .[6]

References