This all I can say after visiting this one of the most incredible holy place situated in the beautiful Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. I heard about “Jwala-ji” through one of my friend, and it made me curious to see that divine flame which is continuously burning since hundreds of years, without any external input. It’s unbelievable but true.
On 16th day of March 2010, I decided to pay my homage to this incredible place of worship. I took Himachal Express from Old Delhi Railway Station to Una, and thereafter roadways bus to “Chitpurni Devi”.
It is believed that you must visit to “Chitpurni Mata” before “Jwala-ji” in-order to fulfill your wishes. It was around 3 hour journey from Una to “Chitpurni Devi”. If you plan to continue your journey immediately after temple visit, as it was in my case, then you can take a Dharamshala which is readily available at something 150 bucks.
Don’t forget to take a visitor slip, available at the starting point, which you need to deposit before entering into the temple. The Prasad is available across the length of the route which is something 500 odd meters from the temple. Devotees from all walks of life and from the length and breadth of the country wait patiently chanting the name of the goddess. Under tight security arrangement you can only take a glimpse of the statue but still it is worth it as those moments fulfill all your wishes which you ask with pure heart. There are plenty of statues of different gods and goddesses around the main shrine that one can visit.
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| Going to Jwala Ji |
By 12 I finished my prayer and took a bus for “Jwala-ji” which is another 35 odd km from there. It is on the lower hill side and took around two and a half hour for complete journey. “Jwala-ji” temple is a place where you can actually feel divine power in the surrounding. A continuously burning holy flames right through the cave walls is just unbelievable.
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| Jwala Ji entrance gate |
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| Akbar ka Chatra |
Pay your homage and ask for your wishes with true and pure heart and it will eventually get fulfill in due course of time that’s what I feel regarding my queries. Right in front of the temple there is a bus stand where you can take your seat for Places like Una, Chandigarh or for upper hills like nearest tourist place Mcleodganj.
This kind of journey is not necessarily sole searching type or essentially for religious purpose but sometimes it just restore our faiths in ourselves and in that divine power, when we feel someone is just needed to listen with extra care and extraordinary power.
Good post amit.
Thanks for reminding me my visit to Jawala ji.
One request I have here…pls press enter after every image upload, to make them saperate.
great pics. Cheers!
Vinay, I been to Ranthambhore on 30th April. and I saw two tigress, one was walking with our Jypsi for good 15 minutes. It was very exciting. Ill post it on Ghumakkar soon, in the mean time if you want you can check two of my links.
Thanks a lot for your time.
http://avidnomad.blogspot.com/
https://picasaweb.google.com/amit.k80
You are really lucky. I am also eager to see wild life.
I have opened your links and reading them.
Thanks for these stuffs.
There is nothing like wildlife. Once you’ll get taste of it you’ll addicted to it.
Thanks for your time.
Thanks Vinay. Actually this is Vibha’s decision to put images like this. When I post here I do post separately. May be I’ll ask her some time.
I have driven through this region many times on the way to Dharamshala/Mcleodganj but was never able to take a halt, for multiple reason. I have read about these places multiple times and though there is a urge to visit, somehow when I imagine large crowd of passionate folks at temples, I give up.
I didn’t know about the divine flame. Thanks for the info and the trigger to visit these places.
I have strong faith in my religion and may be because of this I feel that I always get my answers by visiting these places. Once you’ll see the flame you’ll get surprised. Out of nowhere three flames are burning like gas on full flame, in the middle of rock walls.
Amit,
Great post supported with nice pictures. I couldn’t find pictures of divine flame in the post, Is photography not allowed over there? If pics not available please describe in words about burning flames. Whether there is some kund in which fire burns or it is in open, please describe.
Thanks.
Photography inside the temple is prohibited. The flames are like gas stove burning in full flame. there are three flames and it looks like when you lit a gas lighter then a long blue color flame appears, it is something like that. The flames comes out from the walls which is few steps below from surface and looks like a hawan-kund. It is seriously unimaginable.
Hi Amit,
Nice information on Chintapurni/Jwala-ji temples. In fact we passed the place (on way to Dharamshala), a few months back. But could not make it to the temples.
Agree that a religious place (specially in hill setting) has its special charm –
Thanks
Hi Auro,
This is quite a special place with miraculous charm. Do visit sometime and you will definitely get answer to your prayer. May be I have some extra faith but atleast you’ll get some positive spirit.
Thnaks
I heard lot about jawalaji temple but never have been to this place. India is full of surprises.
Incredible India !!!!
No doubt about it.
Just One Word For your Post “Jai Mata Di” !!!
Jai Mata Di
The post started on a promising note but fizzled out in the end, unfortunately.
In the beginning it gives a feeling that some miracle has happened to you. However, the actual miracle gets only a passing mention. It wouldve been good had you tried to go behind the flames reason instead of sole searching.
Thanks for your opinion. Miracle actually happens but it was a kind of personal so I thought it would be not good to share it. As far as “soul searching exercise” is concerned it is up-to your faith. I am not sure about the reason of burning flame, kindly let me know if you have some idea.
The flames are found at the orifices on earths crust from which natural gas seeps by itself. There are other places too where this phenomenon is found to occur, one being in Nepal.
Thanks for sharing this information.
Jwala Ji temple has four cornered, with a small dome on the top and a square central pit of hollowed stone inside where the main flame burns endlessly. There are either seven (for the seven divine sisters) or nine (for the nine Durgas) flames. The physical manifestation of Jwala Ji is always a set of flames burning off natural gas. When Maa Sati’s body was divided into 51 parts, her tongue fell here, and this is represented by the flames. There are cracks in walls or grounds from which natural gas seeped by itself. An annual fair is held in the temple every July/August. Someone also told me that the temple had an associated library of ancient Hindu texts.
The Legend
A long time ago, a cowherd found that one of his cows was always without milk. He followed the cow to find out the cause. He saw a girl came out of the forest, drank the cows milk, and then disappeared in a flash of light. The cowherd went to the king and told him the story. The king was aware of the legend that Sati’s tongue had fallen in this area. The king tried, without success, to find that sacred spot. Again, some years later, the cowherd went to the king to report that he had seen a flame burning in the moutains. The king found the spot and had darshan (vision) of the holy flame. He built a temple there and arranged for priests to do regular worship. It is believed that the Pandavas came later and renovated the temple.
It was Dhyanu Bhagat who spread Devi Mata’s name. He lived at the time of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Dhyanu Bhagat was passing through Delhi with a group of pilgrams on their way to Jwalaji. Akbar summoned him to his court to inquire into the nature of their Goddess. Dhyanu Bhagat told him She is all powerful and answers the prayers of Her devotees. To test Her power Akbar cut off the head of Dhyanu’s horse ordering him to have the Goddess put it back. Dhyanu went to Jwalaji and prayed day and night to no avail. Out of desperation he cut of his own head and offered it to Devi Ma. She then appeared to him riding a lion. She reconnected both his head and that of the horse. Devi Ma also offered Dhyanu Bhagat a boon. He requested that it should not be so difficult for pigrams to show their devotion. Mata said that in the future if someone offered a coconut she would accept it as if they had offered their own head. To this day people continue to offer coconuts to the Goddess in Her temples all over the world.
Akbar also gifted a Chhatar of gold to Mother, but didn’t accepted it, turned that to ordinary metal.
MAA KI HAR BAAT NIRALI HAI.
Two other Jawala ji are:
1. Jwala Ji shrine in the village of Muktinath, Nepal
2. Baku Jwala Ji in Surakhani, a suburb of Baku in Azerbaijan.
Quite a discussion.
I thought that this post wont attract too much of conversation. Look forward to read more of your stuff Amit and this time I go that side, I would try my best to sneak a quick one, if not elaborate.
Nice post…and your photographs are so good..which camera do you use?
Thanks a lot Rajeshwari. I have a Kodak 10.3 mp digital camera. This month itself I am planning to buy A DSLR i.e. Nikkon D5100 or Nikkon D3100. These Digital cameras usually focus everything that it sees so one can’t expect any exclusivity. The solution to this is a DSLR.
Hey Amit,
On which date have you schedule you corbett story?
Vinay I am not sure it is up to Vibha. Actually I have submitted many stories of my past travel experiences at a time, so now they all are scheduled. But it’s there in my blog, also I have put around 4 minute video of tiger, that I shot there, which I was not able to put here. You can check my blog for that.
I can see a open slot for next Sunday so you can take that.
In the past, I have seen Authors who would convince Vibha to publish a hot story ahead of queue :-). Try your luck.
Sorry it was Ranthambor.
Thanks Vinay for detailed info about Jwalaji. I am very fond of religious places, specially which has some historic importance. I never tried to find out that whether any scientific reason is there behind these miracles. It could be, no body can deny it. But still, if I find my peace of mind and off-course some positive energy which usually reflect into my action then what’s the harm into it. Let the reason be aside, logic and faith can always go side by side, until it is doing good. What you think?
Bhakti or faith comes from heart, at these places we should keep our brain aside, Because its beyond that.
For me too, it doesn’t make any difference whether there is a gas making the flame or something else, I felt possitive vibrations there which was the proof of existence of supreme power there.
I also had a great time there.
How steep is the drive from una to these two temples. Is it steeper than Chandigarh-Shimla or less than that.
Hi Raj, When you start from Una initial several km fall in planes, although road was not in good condition at that time, then there is very less hill drive maximum I guess half an hour. From Una it is another 40-50 km drive to Jwalaji, Here a stretch will come where you have to climb for few km but then again its a descending drive. From Jwalaji I remember there is another root to Una and you need not to come to Chintpurni again.
Very nicely detailed visit. Going through the comments/conversations makes it more interesting.
Thank you very much sir.