Centuries of stunning landscape like Kangra in Himachal Pradesh — nestled at the foothills of the grand Dhauladhar Range — also make the place known for its spiritual history. The area will have temples, monasteries and sacred sites built after hundreds of years for worship and history. So, take us on a ride through some of the most treasured religious landmarks of Kangra and explore the spiritual quilt in which it is beautifully composed.
Brijeshwari Temple:
One of the most respected Shakti Peeths in India is the Brijeshwari Temple, located in Nagarkot, only 11 km from the Kangra railway station and in the vicinity of the historic Kangra Fort. According to legend, it was where the left breast of Goddess Sati was on the prone position when it fell when Lord Vishnu divided her body to soothe the hurting Lord Shiva. According to our understanding, the Pandavas built the first one here after an actual divine dream by goddess Durga. The temple suffered a cataclysmic earthquake in 1905 as it was destroyed but was restored by the government later to reassert its ancient-familiar sacred significance.
Jwalamukhi Temple:
Lying 30 km off the edge of Kangra, the Jwalamukhi Temple has a naturally created eternal flame that blew from a rock fissure. Devotees worship the flame as the incarnation of Goddess Jwala. The temple has some colorful Navratra fairs – one in March–April and the other in September–October. Located in the lower Himalayas, the temple is linked to a wide variety of natural flame shrines, symbols that can symbolize either the seven sister deities or the nine components in Goddess Durga making it one of the most distinctive pilgrimages in India.
Chamunda Devi Temple:
The Chamunda Devi Temple, situated on the banks of the Baner River, is another Shakti Peeth, where the deity Goddess Chamundeshwari, the presiding deity is worshiped at 10 km from Palampur. Its tradition goes back to the 16th century and include one of the most fascinating legends of its history where the goddess, in a dream of someone’s priest, has revealed her idol location and move the temple. Bordered by a beautiful hillside, the temple attracts thousands of devotees who come to seek blessings in its tranquil habitat.
Baijnath Temple:
Built in the 12th century, the Baijnath Temple is among the most impressive architectural and religion in the Kangra Valley. Honored to Lord Shiva in the form of his healer, Vaidyanath, it bears much of the heritage of the legendary devotion of Ravana, who here reportedly offered his heads in penance. Unlike elsewhere in India, Dussehra at Baijnath is not attended by burning of Ravana’s effigies but a celebration of him as a great devotee of Shiva. Extensively sculpted sculptures and stone carvings testify to the grandeur of art as well as spirituality fused in the region.
Masroor Temple:
Known by the name “Ellora of Himachal,” the Masroor temple group are a series of monolithic stone-cut temples from the 7th through 8th centuries. Believed to be connected with the Pandavas and credited to the Katoch Dynasty, the temples have splendid carvings of various deities like Shiva, Indra, Surya and Kartikeya. Though believed to originally be Shiva temples, they hold idols of Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana found during excavation. The hilltop behind the site makes stunning eye-opening visual sights of the temples set against a Dhauladhar landscape is no easy task. The shrines at Kangra are more than religious destinations, but they are spiritual meanderings of old beliefs, mythology and nature at its most magnificent.
“Yes, every temple is a place of solace — a sanctuary where you can go closer to the gods, and experience all that’s culturally-rooted in this region.”