Vaishnavi Devi Temple in Jwala

Vaishnavi Devi Temple is situated in Jwala, Kangra District in Himachal Pradesh. The goddess is famously known as Jwala Devi and Jwalamukhi Ji.

Vaishnavi Devi Temple is regarded as a Shakti Peetha where Sati Devi's tongue had fallen in this place. Vaishnavi Devi Temple  is mentioned in the Mahabharata and other scriptures. There is a natural cave where eternal flames continue to burn. Some say there are nine flames for the nine Durgas. 

The temple style is typical of Jwala Ji shrines, four cornered, with a small dome on the top and a square central pit of hollowed stone inside where the main flame burns endlessly - the eternal flame of the Goddess.  The Mughal Emperor Akbar once tried to extinguish the flames by covering them with an iron disk and even channeling 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

Temple Legend:

This legend is associated with the destruction of Daksha's sacrifice and the origin of the Shakti Peethas of India.

Sati, the consort of Shiva was the daughter of Daksha Prajaapati a descendant of Bhrama.. Sati had married Shiva against the wishes of her father. The vain Daksha performed a great yagna (with the sole aim of insulting Shiva), to which he invited all of the gods and goddesses except his son in law Shiva. Against Shiva's wishes, Sati attended this sacrifice and was insulted by her father. Unable to bear this insult, Sati immolated herself.

Enraged at the insult and the injury, Shiva through Veerabhadra, destroyed Daksha's sacrifice, cut off Daksha's head and replaced it with that of a goat, as he restored him to life. Still crazed with grief, he picked up the remains of Sati's body, and danced the dance of destruction throughout the Universe. The other gods intervened to stop this dance, and the disk of Vishnu cut through the corpse of Sati, whose various parts of the body fell at several spots all through the Indian subcontinent and formed the sites of what are known as Shakti Peethas today.

The place where the tongue of Sati is said to have fallen here.

18 Shakti Peetha Stotram by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya:

लङ्कायां शाङ्करीदेवी कामाक्षी काञ्चिकापुरे ।
प्रद्युम्ने शृङ्खलादेवी चामुण्डी क्रौञ्चपट्टणे ॥ 1 ॥

Lankayam Shankari devi, Kamakshi Kanchika pure
Pradyumne Shrinkhala devi, Chamunda Krouncha pattane || 1 ||

अलम्पुरे जोगुलाम्बा श्रीशैले भ्रमराम्बिका ।
कोल्हापुरे महालक्ष्मी मुहुर्ये एकवीरा ॥ 2 ॥

Alampure Jogulamba, Sri shaile Bhramarambika
Kolha pure Maha lakshmi, Mahurye Ekaveerika || 2 ||

उज्जयिन्यां महाकाली पीठिकायां पुरुहूतिका ।
ओढ्यायां गिरिजादेवी माणिक्या दक्षवाटिके ॥ 3 ॥

Ujjainyam Maha kali, Peethikayam Puruhutika
Odhyane Girija devi, Manikya Daksha vatike || 3 ||

हरिक्षेत्रे कामरूपी प्रयागे माधवेश्वरी ।
ज्वालायां वैष्णवीदेवी गया माङ्गल्यगौरिका ॥ 4 ॥

Hari kshetre Kama rupi, Prayage Madhaveshwari
Jwalayam Vishnavi devi, Gaya Mangalya gourika || 4 ||

वारणाश्यां विशालाक्षी काश्मीरेतु सरस्वती ।
अष्टादश सुपीठानि योगिनामपि दुर्लभम् ॥ 5 ॥

Varanasyam Vishalakshi, Kashmire tu Saraswati
Ashtadasha Shakti peethani, Yoginamapi durlabham || 5 ||

सायङ्काले पठेन्नित्यं सर्वशत्रुविनाशनम् ।
सर्वरोगहरं दिव्यं सर्वसम्पत्करं शुभम् ॥ 6 ॥

Sayamkale pathennityam, Sarva shatri vinashanam
Sarva roga haram divyam, Sarva sampatkaram shubham || 6 ||