Jawala Ji Temple (The Deity of Flaming Mouth), Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India

Jawala Ji temple is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths of India and Jawala Ji Temple is one of the highly venerated Shakti Tepmples in India. It is situated in the lap of Shivalik range of Kangra valley called “Kalidhar”. This is believed to be the first ever temple built by the Pandavas. Jawala Ji is a Devi Temple Dedicated to the “GODDESS OF LIGHT”, located in Jawala Mukhi, district Kangra of Himachal Pradesh.

Jawala Ji is a famous temple of Goddess Jawalamukhi, the deity of flaming mouth, believed to be the manifestation of the Goddess Sati. The building is made with a gilt dome and pinnacles, and possesses a beautiful folding door of silver plates, presented by Sikh Raja Kharak Singh. This silver door so struck Lord Hardinge that he had a model made of it. Maharaja Ranjit Singh presented the gilt roof in 1815 AD. The interior of the temple consists of a square pit about 3 feet deep with a pathway all around. In the middle, the rock is hollowed out over a primary fissure of a flame considered to be the fiery mouth of Mahakali. The flames escape at several other points from the crevices of the wall of the pit. There are nine flames in total representing following different forms of Goddess

Jawalamukhi has since times immemorial turned out to be a great pilgrimage center. The Mughal Emperor Akbar once tried to extinguish the flames by covering them with an iron disk and even channelizing water to them. But the flames blasted all these efforts. Akbar then presented a golden parasol (chattar) at the shrine. However, his cynicism at the power of devi caused the gold to debase into another metal which is still unknown to the world. His belief in the deity was all the more strengthened after this incident. Thousands of pilgrims visit the shrine round the year to satisfy their spiritual urge.

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