Jwala Ji Temple ( ks, जवाला जी मन्दिर (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; , , Sanskrit pronunciation: ), also called Nagari (),Kathleen Kuiper (2010), The Culture of India, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, , page 83 is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental writing system), based on the a ...

)) or Jwalamukhi Temple ( ks, ज्वालामुखी मन्दिर (

)) is Hindu shrine in the town of Khrew in the

Pulwama district The Pulwama district is located to the south of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. Its district headquarters are situated in the city of Pulwama. It is located in the central part of the Kashmir Valley. Administration In 1979 Anantna ...

of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The temple is dedicated to the deity Jwala Ji, the Kul Devi of many

Kashmiri Hindu Kashmiri Hindus are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Hinduism and are native to the Kashmir Valley of India. With respect to their contributions to Indian philosophy, Kashmiri Hindus developed the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism. After their exodus ...

families. Every year in the month of

Ashadha Ashadha or Aashaadha or Aadi ( hi, आसाढ़ ''Āsāṛh'' or ''Āṣāḍh''; as, আহাৰ ''ahar''; or, ଆଷାଢ଼ ''Āṣāḍh''; bn, আষাঢ়; syl, ꠀꠀꠠ ''aáṛ''; ne, असार ''asār''; gu, અષા� ...

, the Jwalamukhi Fair is held at the mandir; it exemplifies communal harmony common to the tradition of

Kashmiriyat ''Kashmiriyat'' (also spelled as ''Kashmiriat'') is the centuries-old indigenous tradition of communal harmony and religious syncretism in the Kashmir Valley in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Emerging around ...

, with both Kashmiri Hindus and Kashmiri Muslim celebrating the festival.

History

The historian

Kalhana Kalhana ( sa, कल्हण, translit=kalhaṇa) was the author of ''Rajatarangini'' (''River of Kings''), an account of the history of Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. All information regarding his life has to be ...

refers to the village " Khrew" in the ''

Rajatarangini ''Rajatarangini'' ("The River of Kings") is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of India, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. Th ...

'' as "Khaduvi" and writes of three hundred and sixty freshwater springs being present there. According to Kalhana, at the hillside to the east of the village, a mystical diagram was drawn on a rock.

Holy Spring

At the base of the hill, the shrine has a

holy spring A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guar ...

locally called ''Bod Nag'', ''Aneek Nag'', ''Anu Nag'', or ''Nagabal''. It is customary for pilgrims to perform

ablution Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to: * Ablution as hygiene * Ablution as ritual purification ** Ablution in Islam: *** Wudu, daily wash *** Ghusl, bathing ablution *** Tayammum, waterless ablution ** Ablution in Christianity ** ...

s with the water of the holy spring before entering the temple.

References

{{Jammu and Kashmir topics Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir Pulwama district Shakti temples

History

Holy Spring

See also

References