An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kangra, Tourist places

 An Overview of Himachal Pradesh district Kangra [Tourist places ] Part - VII

Up Steps to Jawalamukhi temple, district Kangra Himachal Pradesh.

District Kangra which comprises  of Pir-Panjal  mountain ranges , Dhauladhar mountain ranges , Kangra Shivalik hills , Kangra Valley  and Beas river basin  is having diversity in its geographical landscapes .

 View of Snow cladded Dhauladhar mountain ranges.

The district is having varying altitude ranging from 427 metres above mean sea level to 6401 metres  above mean sea level .Due to this varying altitude and located in escarpment of Himalayas the district has diverse climate .

The landscapes of the district extend from low foot hills to high wet temperature zone through mid hill humid zone .

Pir - Panjal ranges receive huge snowfall in winter , forming high wet temperature hilly  zone . The month July to September receive more than 70 percent of rain fall 

Due to this climate diversity summer are hot in lower valleys but the climate is very charming in hilly areas . This climate diversity  creates a mesmerizing effect in the nature thus great attractions to nature lovers and tourists .

View of Dhauladhar mountain ranges.

Jawalamukhi Mata temple :-

View of Jawala ji temple district Kangra 

As Himachal Pradesh is Dev Bhoomi , it is abode of God and different goddesses . Temples here are centres of faith from ancient times . People from the various parts of the country and abroad always come to seek blessings in  these holy temples .

Here in Kangra there are  numbers of temples which give peace and prosperity to the devotees . Also Kangra is known for its nature and it's tourist places .

In this article we are taking a very very famous temple which is one of 51 Shakti Peeths , the name is Mata Jawala  temple .  

This is the only temple where no idol of Mata Jawala ji is present.

Here Mata  ( Goddess ) is present in the form of Flame  called Jawala . The nine flames  continuously burning from ancient times . 

Maa  is present in Flame Form

The 9 flames burning from mountain continuously from centuries 

It is worshiped in the flame form .  Nine flames are representing nine forms of Goddess Durga .

Shehnshah Akbar came to know about this , he tried to put off these flames by putting a iron sheet [Tawa ] over it but the flames came out by tearing the iron sheet  , then Shahenshah ordered to divert a water canal over the flames . When the water canal is made to flow over the flames then the flames continued burning over the water .

Chhatr offered by Shahenshah Akbar 

When Shahenshah Akbar faild in  putting off these flames then he understood that this is not an ordinary flames it is some power . He came barefooted to offer golden  Chhatr to Maa Jawala ji weighing 1.25 Mn  ( about 19 kg weight ) but Maa Jawala ji did not accepted it and it turned to another unknown metal . This Chhatr is still kept there in the temple . Finally Shahenshah Akbar bowed his head before  Maa Jawala ji and returned to Delhi .

Presently the temple is under government trust .Lacs of pilgrims used to visit and seek blessings of Maa Jawala ji every year and specially in Navratra a huge crowds is experienced  in the temple . It is  believed that tongue of Mata Satti  had fallen on this spot . It is a famous temple situated in North India in Himachal Pradesh .

The Jawalamukhi Mata temple is situated in Jawalamukhi  town in district Kangra Himachal Pradesh at an elevation of about 610 metres above mean sea level. The Jawalamukhi Mata temple is about 201 Km from Chandigarh airport and  40Km from Gagal airport which is also known as Kangra airport or Dharamshala airport .

It is about 12Km from Nadaun 

and about 55 km from Dharamshala on Hamirpur Kangra Dharamshala road . From Pathankot Jawalamukhi Temple is about 110 km and from Chandigarh it is about 192 Km . The temple has good all weather road connectivity and luxury buses , private taxi services , Himachal Pradesh Road Transport [ HRTC ] and buses from Punjab Roadways and Haryana Roadways are regularly plying to Jawalamukhi .  The Dehra Gopipur the Sub divisional headquarters is about 11Km from Jawalamukhi Mata temple on Jawalamukhi Dehra Chintpurni Una road .

For staying  there are  private hotels  , Himachal Pradesh tourism  has also good hotel in the town . Temple trust has already has Yatri Nivas for staying of pilgrims .

All around the temple you can enjoy the beauty of  nature  

Jawalamukhi Mata temple 

This temple was initially built  by Raja Bhumi Chand . It is  said that Pandvas had also built this temple  .Later on Maharaja Sansar Chand and in 1835 Maharaja Ranjit Singh had also done some work of Jawala ji temple .  Nepal Naresh has offered a Ghanti which is also kept there in the temple . From centuries Rajas , Maharajas used to get blessings of Maa Jawala ji. 

  In the history the Bhagat Dhayanu was a great devotee of Mata Jawala ji and Mata Brajeshwari Kangra  who offered his head to Mata when Adi Shakti didn't appeared to give life to his horse cut by Shehnshah Akbar at Delhi to test the power of Adi Shakti Mata Durga. On offering his life by Bhagat Dhayanu Adi Shakti appeared and gave life to both Dhayanu Bhagat and his horse  . This was the miracle of Adi Shakti .

Presently trust is managing the temple and providing facilities to the devotees .