Jwalamukhi Temple

s 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.

ple, 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.

om 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).

kh Dibbi Chaturbhuj temple and a host of other smaller shrines at Jawalamukhi town.