Jwalamukhi (Jwala Ji)

ज्वालामुखी

Jwalamukhi · Jwala Ji

Natural flames issuing from rock fissures in the sanctum; there is no idol

Jawalamukhi, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh · Shakta tradition

It is the fifteenth seat in the Ashtadasa Shakti Peetha Stotram, which names the goddess here Vaishnavi.

The story begins: “In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Daksha gives his daughter Sati to Shiva, then turns against him and reviles him.”

Read the story
Directions

At the gate

Darshan hours
  • 6:00 am – 11:30 am · Darshan, summer (morning)
  • 12:30 pm – 10:00 pm · Darshan, summer (afternoon and evening)
  • 7:00 am – 11:00 am · Darshan, winter (morning)
  • 12:30 pm – 9:30 pm · Darshan, winter (afternoon and evening)
Next aarti or puja (India time)
See the schedule below
Walking and access
The district administration notes that the temple stands on a hill, so expect a short climb or steps. We have no confirmed step count or details of wheelchair access.
Getting there
Train: Jawalaji Road (Ranital), narrow gaugeAir: Gaggal Airport (Kangra–Dharamshala)

Not yet confirmed: dress code, phone rules, entry for visitors of other faiths. Ask at the temple office or enquiry counter — and if you know, tell us. hello@aalayakatha.com

Full visiting details

Sthala purana

The story of this place

2 accounts are recorded. Each is told separately, in the words of its own tradition — they are never merged.

Family note: this story includes violence or death.
Told in: The Devi Bhagavata Purana, Book 7 (the Sati frame), the Pithanirnaya list, and the temple trust's account of Raja Bhumi Chand

The tongue that fell, and the king who found the flames

The frame is shared by every Shakti Peetha. In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Daksha gives his daughter Sati to Shiva, then turns against him and reviles him. Sati burns herself in a fire of yoga. Shiva destroys Daksha's sacrifice, lifts her body onto his neck and wanders from country to country. To end it, Vishnu cuts the body into pieces with his arrows, and the places where the pieces fall become seats of the goddess.

At Jwalamukhi the piece is the tongue. The Pithanirnaya list of the peethas gives the tongue (jihvā) for this place, names the goddess Siddhida and her Bhairava Unmatta. The Ashtadasa stotram, a different list, calls her Vaishnavi. The district administration's account also places the tongue here.

The tongue explains what a visitor finds in the sanctum. There is no image. The goddess is the flame itself, burning without break from fissures in the rock. The temple trust counts the flames as nine and gives each the name of a goddess: Mahakali, Annapurna, Chandi, Hinglaj, Vindhyavasini, Mahalakshmi, Saraswati, Ambika and Anjana Devi. A hollowed rock over the main flame, in a square pit, is regarded as the mouth of Mahakali.

The trust's account then moves from the Purana to a king. A cowherd and his milk-giving cow are tied to the discovery of the spot. Raja Bhumi Chand, a devotee of Durga, saw the place in a dream and sent people to find it. When they did, he built the first temple over the flames.

Bhumi Chand gave the right of worship to two families of Bhojak Brahmins. In the trust's account their descendants still perform the worship, and only married priests who have received initiation may do so. The Pandavas are also traditionally credited with work on the shrine, though the trust gives no detail of it.

The story accounts for the shape of the place: a temple with no idol, a sanctum built around a pit of flames rather than a pedestal, and a hereditary priesthood that traces its office to the king who first built here.

Where this account comes from

  • Purana: Devi Bhagavata Purana, Book 7, ch. 30 ('On the birth of Gauri, the seats of the Deity, and the distraction of Shiva'), tr. Swami Vijnanananda sacred-texts.com
  • Agama: Pīṭhanirṇaya (Shakti Peetha list), v.8 — Jwalamukhi: the tongue (jihvā); Devi Siddhidā, Bhairava Unmatta. English rendering as published by Green Message. greenmesg.org · seen 2026-10-09
  • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Government: District Administration Kangra, 'Shri Jawalamukhi Mata Temple' tourist-place page hpkangra.nic.in · seen 2026-10-09
Told in: The temple trust's account (Kangra Temples portal)

Dhyanu Bhagat, Akbar, and the coconut

Dhyanu Bhagat of Nadaun was on his way to Jwalamukhi when the emperor Akbar tested his faith by having his horse beheaded. Dhyanu offered his own head to the goddess, and she restored both him and the horse. She granted that devotees who offer a coconut in place of a head would have their wishes fulfilled. Akbar then tried to put out the flames with water channels and iron pans, failed, and offered a golden umbrella, which the goddess turned into a metal of unknown composition. The trust says the umbrella is still at the temple.

Read this account

Dhyanu Bhagat came from Nadaun and was a devotee of the goddess at Jwalamukhi. In the temple trust's account his devotion brought him to the attention of the emperor Akbar, who decided to test it.

Akbar had Dhyanu's horse beheaded and challenged the goddess to restore it. Dhyanu answered by offering his own head to her. The goddess restored both: the devotee and the horse.

She then granted Dhyanu a boon that shaped worship at the temple from then on. A devotee who offers a coconut in place of a head, she said, would have their wish fulfilled. The coconut offering at Jwalamukhi is explained by this episode.

The trust's account does not end with the horse. Akbar next tried to put out the flames themselves. He had water channelled onto them and iron pans placed over them. The flames kept burning.

Akbar then made an offering of his own: an umbrella, or chhatra, of gold. In the trust's account the goddess changed it into a metal whose composition no one could name, which is read as her declining the gift. The umbrella, the trust says, is preserved at the temple.

The district administration's page records the same two elements in brief: that Akbar tried and failed to extinguish the flames, and that he then acknowledged the goddess and made offerings.

The episode explains two things a visitor meets at the shrine: the coconuts offered at the flames, and the metal umbrella kept as Akbar's offering. It also explains why the flames, rather than any image, are treated as the goddess herself — they are the thing the story says could not be put out.

Where this account comes from

  • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Government: District Administration Kangra, 'Shri Jawalamukhi Mata Temple' tourist-place page hpkangra.nic.in · seen 2026-10-09

In one minute

Why Jwalamukhi (Jwala Ji) matters

Each line says who it comes from and how settled it is. What the labels mean

  1. There is no idol: the goddess is worshipped as flames that burn continuously from fissures in the rock of the sanctum.

    2 sources for: There is no idol: the goddess is worshipped as flames that burn continuously fro
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09
    • Government: District Administration Kangra, 'Shri Jawalamukhi Mata Temple' tourist-place page hpkangra.nic.in · seen 2026-10-09

  2. The Pithanirnaya list of Shakti Peethas names Jwalamukhi as the place where Sati's tongue fell.

    Source for: The Pithanirnaya list of Shakti Peethas names Jwalamukhi as the place where Sati
    • Agama: Pīṭhanirṇaya (Shakti Peetha list), v.8 — Jwalamukhi: the tongue (jihvā); Devi Siddhidā, Bhairava Unmatta. English rendering as published by Green Message. greenmesg.org · seen 2026-10-09

  3. It is the fifteenth seat in the Ashtadasa Shakti Peetha Stotram, which names the goddess here Vaishnavi.

    Source for: It is the fifteenth seat in the Ashtadasa Shakti Peetha Stotram, which names the
    • Hymn: Aṣṭādaśa Śakti Pīṭha Stotram, line beginning 'Jvālāyāṃ Vaiṣṇavī devī'. Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankara; that attribution is unverified. hindupedia.com · seen 2026-10-09

  4. The temple administration preserves an umbrella that, in its account, the Mughal emperor Akbar offered in gold and the goddess turned to another metal.

    Source for: The temple administration preserves an umbrella that, in its account, the Mughal
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09

Shilpa

When you visit, look for…

Mixed

The temple administration describes the building as a blend of Hindu, Sikh and Mughal styles. No published architectural study of the building has been found yet, so this rests on the administration's description alone.

  • Sanctum

    The flames in the sanctum

    A square pit in the rock with flames burning from points around it, and a hollowed rock over the main flame that is regarded as the mouth of Mahakali. The trust counts nine flames and names each for a goddess.

  • Spire

    The gilded dome

    The gold-covered dome, which the temple trust credits to Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

    Sikh period, per the trust

  • Detail

    The silver main door

    The silver-plated main door, which the trust records as a later gift from Ranjit Singh's son.

    Sikh period, per the trust

  • Detail

    Akbar's umbrella

    The metal umbrella (chhatra) that the trust identifies as Akbar's offering — gold in the story, changed by the goddess into another metal.

Yatra

Plan your visit

Darshan times

Darshan, summer (morning)6:00 am – 11:30 am
Darshan, summer (afternoon and evening)12:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Darshan, winter (morning)7:00 am – 11:00 am
Darshan, winter (afternoon and evening)12:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Aarti, summer (before sunrise)6:00 am
Aarti, summer (after sunset)8:00 pm
Aarti, winter (before sunrise)7:00 am
Aarti, winter (after sunset)The administration's timings page says darshan is suspended during the aarti. Its main temple page gives different opening hours (about 05:00–21:00 in winter and 04:30–22:00 in summer), so confirm at the temple.7:00 pm

Confirm on the day. Times change on festival days and without notice. These times are not from the temple’s own notice.

Before you go

  • No dress code or entry rules have been confirmed for this temple yet. Traditional, modest clothing is always the safe choice; ask at the entrance.

Walking, steps and access

The district administration notes that the temple stands on a hill, so expect a short climb or steps. We have no confirmed step count or details of wheelchair access.

Crowds: Navratri is the peak period, with large crowds and special pujas.

Getting there

  • By air: Gaggal Airport (Kangra–Dharamshala)The temple administration gives about 50 km.
  • By train: Jawalaji Road (Ranital), narrow gaugeAbout 20 km per the temple administration. The nearest broad-gauge railhead is Pathankot, about 120 km.
  • By road: Kangra townThe district administration gives about 30 km from Kangra and about 56 km from Dharamshala; buses and taxis run to the town.

PIN 176031 (not yet checked with India Post)

Sevas

  • LangarFree community meal run by the temple trust, with extra arrangements during Navratri.

Prices as published by the temple when we checked. They change; the temple’s booking site is final.

The order of darshan

No published source gives the order in which to visit the shrines here, so we have not invented one. Follow the queue and the temple staff.

Festivals

  • Chaitra and Sharad Navratri

    Mar–Apr and Sep–Oct · Chaitra and Ashvina, Shukla paksha · 9 days

    The two Navratris are the temple's main festivals and its busiest period.

  • Gupt Navratri

    Magha and Ashadha

    The trust lists the two 'hidden' Navratris of Magha and Ashadha among the temple's observances.

  • Mata Jwala Ji's birth anniversary

    Phalguna

    The trust lists the goddess's birth anniversary in Phalguna as a temple festival. The trust does not give the tithi.

  • New Year puja

    Chaitra, Shukla paksha, Pratipada

    A puja marking the new year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, listed by the trust.

Customs you will see here

Itihasa

Through time

Two registers, kept apart on purpose: what the Puranas tell, and what the historical record shows. They answer different questions and we do not force them to agree.

In the Puranas and tradition

  1. Sati's tongue falls at Jwalamukhi

    The Devi Bhagavata Purana gives the frame — Vishnu cutting Sati's body as Shiva carries it — and the Pithanirnaya list names the tongue for this place. Neither says in which yuga this happened.

    2 sources for: Sati's tongue falls at Jwalamukhi
    • Purana: Devi Bhagavata Purana, Book 7, ch. 30, tr. Swami Vijnanananda sacred-texts.com
    • Agama: Pīṭhanirṇaya (Shakti Peetha list), v.8, English rendering as published by Green Message greenmesg.org · seen 2026-10-09

In the historical record

  1. 1809

    Ranjit Singh and Sansar Chand sign an agreement at the temple

    The temple trust records that the 1809 agreement between Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Raja Sansar Chand of Kangra was signed at the temple.

    Source for: Ranjit Singh and Sansar Chand sign an agreement at the temple
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09

  2. Raja Bhumi Chand builds the first temple

    In the temple trust's account Bhumi Chand, after seeing the site in a dream, built the first temple and gave the right of worship to two Bhojak Brahmin families. No date is given.

    Source for: Raja Bhumi Chand builds the first temple
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09

  3. Akbar's offering of an umbrella

    The trust records that Akbar, after failing to extinguish the flames, offered a gold umbrella, which it says is preserved at the temple. No year is given.

    Source for: Akbar's offering of an umbrella
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09

  4. The dome is gilded

    The trust credits Maharaja Ranjit Singh with sending gold for the temple's dome. We give no year: the date the trust attaches to the gold has not yet been confirmed by a dated source.

    Source for: The dome is gilded
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09

  5. A silver main door is given

    The trust records the silver main door as a later gift from Ranjit Singh's son. No year is given.

    Source for: A silver main door is given
    • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09

Around here

Worth the detour

  • Temple

    Gorakh Dibbi

    A kund in the temple complex whose water is said to boil while staying cold, tied to a legend of Gorakhnath's penance. Listed by the temple trust.

  • Temple

    Ashtadashbhuja Devi

    A shrine near the main temple with a pond the trust says is visited for skin ailments.

  • Temple

    Shri Bajreshwari Devi, Kangra

    Another goddess temple managed through the same Kangra temples portal, in Kangra town.

Sources

Where this page comes from

  • Temple administration: Temple Trust Jawalamukhi, Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Shri Jawalamukhi temple page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Temple administration: Kangra Temples portal (Government of Himachal Pradesh), Jawala Ji timings and how-to-reach page kangratemples.hp.gov.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Government: District Administration Kangra, 'Shri Jawalamukhi Mata Temple' tourist-place page hpkangra.nic.in · seen 2026-10-09
  • Purana: Devi Bhagavata Purana, Book 7, ch. 30, tr. Swami Vijnanananda sacred-texts.com
  • Purana: Devi Bhagavata Purana, Book 7, ch. 38 ('The vows and the sacred places of the Devi') — names Jvalamukhi among the great places of the Devi, tr. Swami Vijnanananda sacred-texts.com
  • Agama: Pīṭhanirṇaya (Shakti Peetha list), v.8, English rendering as published by Green Message greenmesg.org · seen 2026-10-09
  • Hymn: Aṣṭādaśa Śakti Pīṭha Stotram. Traditionally attributed to Adi Shankara; attribution unverified. hindupedia.com · seen 2026-10-09
Corrections made to this page (1)
  • 2026-10-09: changed “traditional” to “canonical”. A dated modern event reported by a dated documentary source; "traditional" presented it as folklore. No source disputes it.

Cite this page

Aalaya Katha Foundation, “Jwalamukhi (Jwala Ji)”, Aalaya Katha, version last reviewed 2026-10-09. https://www.aalayakatha.com/temple/jwalamukhi-kangra (accessed ).

Last reviewed 2026-10-09. How we label sources and confidence