Day 210 of Indian places giving smiles – Miracle of Goddess at flames of Jwalaji
After one of my biggest workshops for almost 100 people in a remote hilly town called Gagal, I was thrilled to get an excellent feedback and my supportive colleague wanted to relax in the glory of a job well done. However at 6 pm I had other plans to make full use of my visit to this Himachal region. I had spoken to the same cab driver who had brought me there the previous evening and he agreed to take me for a big fee to a very famous holy destination in the area called Jwalaji.
Of the people that I enquired with, no one had a clear estimate of how many hours drive by road this place Jwalaji was from Gagal. Some said 2 hours, some said 3 hours, so I would either reach at 8pm or 9pm. No one was sure of the timings of the temple in winter, the doors would close at either 8pm or 9 pm. My colleague said that it was risky to drive alone in the mountains in a taxi at night to see a probable closed door and dissuaded me from going. The Company officials assured me that the driver was reliable. I had a choice to give in to all the negative talk…or to believe that my Goddess wanted me to meet her at Jwalaji because I had no idea when I would come again to this corner of India.
In spite of the pessimistic attitude of the others, I decided to take a chance and actually go to Jawalaji. Even if I spent around 2 hours in the taxi, I knew that the Goddess would recognize my devotion and let me have a good darshan of her! I informed on phone to my very supportive husband of my plans for the night and set out on the winding dark roads of the hills praying all the time. Inwardly I was wondering what this hitherto unheard place that I was due to visit had in store for me. I had heard very little about Jwalaji for the first time just before leaving Mumbai, from a friend who said that some unexplainable flames keep coming out through the rocks giving it the name of Jwalaji!
We reached the place just before 8.30 pm. I purchased some pooja items and the shopkeeper told me to hurriedly climb up the many steps as the doors would close after the last aarathi at 9.pm. The small but beautifully decorated temple had 4 pinnacles on the 4 corners. The central dome was gold plated under the orders of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. I went straight to the temple and waited in line along with other devotees to enjoy the last aarthi of the day.
But what I saw after I entered the inner door was really surprising. There were many small flames leaping out like tongues from many places in the walls. This is one of the important Shakti Peeths, or sacred shrines of Goddess Devi revered by the Hindus. The tongue of Mother Goddess Sati is said to have fallen at this holy place! These tongue shaped blue coloured flames are said to have been continuously burning since many centuries! Emperor Akbar had ordered his men to douse the flames, yet they miraculously kept on burning. In repentance, the Emperor then offered a golden umbrella to the Goddess which surprisingly soon turned into copper! This temple has no idol, we prayed to the Goddess in the flames.
Do you know why we offer coconuts when we go to a temple of a Goddess? The answer lies in one of the legends associated with this shrine. It is said that a staunch devotee Dhyanu Bhagat was taunted by his king Emperor Akbar whether the powerful Goddess could reattach the severed head of a horse. When his prayers to revive the dead horse were not answered, in desperation he cut off his own head to offer to the Goddess. She then appeared in person, saved both his life and that of the horse. He asked for a boon that pilgrims have an easier way to express their devotion to her. She agreed that in future she would accept a coconut instead of an actual head from the pilgrims and that is how the practice of offering coconuts to Goddesses happened all over the world!
After the Aarathi, my driver and me walked across the sprawling courtyards and noticed that people were all rushing towards another beautiful central enclosure. This was supposed to be the sleeping quarters of the Goddess. There is another ritual that I was blessed to observe.
Amidst a lot of devotional chanting of prayers the priest prepares the sleeping bed of the Goddess by laying down many coloured shawl like sheets one above the other. He then arranges all the jewellery that a woman wears from head to toe on this ‘bed’. It was a treat to see him take out beautiful antique jewellery ranging from crown, maang tika, ear rings, necklaces, long chains, arm band, bangles, rings, waist bands, anklets, toe rings etc. He then lovingly arranges all these items on the bed which symbolize the Goddess actually sleeping in the bed with all her fine jewels. He then covers all this with beautiful big sized fancy shawls again. We all go around this bed and pray that we also sleep in peace just like the Goddess. The doors are completely locked after this nightly ritual.
I was then told of the miraculous part of this ritual. It seems that every morning when the priests take out the many layers of the shawl like sheets …all the jewellery that was neatly arranged in the previous night gets strewn across the bed in an absolutely different haphazard manner…in spite of no human entering the locked doors in the middle of the night! This second miracle that happens in this temple adds to the faith of people in this powerful Goddess!
In spite of such a hectic start when I was up since 4 .30 am and working throughout the day, I felt highly energized by this wonderful temple. At 10.30 pm I may have said goodbye to Jwalaji temple from my taxi, but I took back the Goddess within my heart, feeling as powerful as her to be able to achieve anything in life! My dear colleague was up and awake wondering about my safe return, I just had this to say to her – Why fear when Goddess is here..within our hearts!!!
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