The legend of the Jwalamukhi Temple relates to Sati, who was born when gods concentrated their individual energy on the ground. The Jwalamukhi temple is the place where the tongue of Sati fell. Here the goddess is manifested as tiny flames that burn through the fissures in the age old rock.
The temple of Jwalamukhi is not an architectural delight. Moreover, there is no idol to worship too. The building has a gilt dome and a silver plated folding doors. Inside, there is a 3 feet square pit with pathway all around. In the centre, there is a hollowed rock over a primary fissure of flame. This one is regarded as the mouth of the Mahakali.
History of Jwalamukhi Temple ( Kangra ) - Himachal Pradesh:-
Dating back to the origin of Adishakti or Sati, the temple basks in a glorious past. It was to get respite from the unending atrocities of the demons that the gods concentrated their individual energies at one point, thus giving birth to Sati. Brought up in the house of Prajapati Daksha, Sati got married to Lord Shiva later.
Once Prajapati Daksha organized a yajna and invited al the gods and goddesses to it barring Lord Shiva. Sati wanted to partake in this grand affair so she reached the place of the Yajna uninvited. All her sisters were welcomed by her father there except her. Daksha did not even dedicate the sacred portion of the Yajna Prasad to Lord Shiva. This made Sati feel immensely humiliated. Therefore, she immolated herself in the fire of the Yajna.
Sati's end disturbed the Lord Shiva immensely. He sliced Daksha's head. On his reparation, the Lord affixed the head of a male goat to him. Unable to restore his mental peace even then, He roamed in the entire universe carrying Sati's burnt body. Foreseeing a calamity approaching, the gods requested Lord Vishnu to diffuse the anger of Shiva. At this, Lord Vishnu cut apart Sati's body into several pieces with his Sudharshan Chakra. Wherever those pieces of sati's body fell on earth, a shaktipeetha or the power centre of the goddess came up.
The Jwalamukhi temple is the place where Sati's tongue fell. The goddess therefore is manifested as tiny flames here that burn through the fissures in an age old rock. There are nine flames at the temple that have been burning here without any oil or cotton since ages.
