Temple

At the foothills of the Himalayas, in the scenic Kangra valley, is the shrine of Brajeshwari Devi. The temple is considered one of the revered Shakthipeetha. Originally believed to be built by Pandavas, the shrine, though various eras of history has undergone attacks, destruction and renovation. Mahmud of Ghazni looted the temple in 1009. The shrine was restored but was ransacked again in 1360 by Firoz Tughlaq. Emperor Akbar then restored it to its former grandeur. The temple was destroyed by an earthquake in 1905, but a new one came was built by the Kangra Restoration Committee.

Legend

Mythology considers Brajeshwari devi temple as one of the Shaktipeethas. When Lord Shiva's wrath at the death of his wife Sati manifested as the Tandava which would destroy the Universe, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshan chakra cut her corpse into pieces which scattered around the subcontinent. Two beliefs are related to the Brajeshwari devi shrine. One is that the left breast of Sati devi fell here while others believe that it was the remaining bits of the body that fell here.

This temple is part of famous Nava Shakthipeeth Yatra.

Architecture

The temple is surrounded by a fort like stone wall. The entrance is similar to a fort entrance. Inside the sanctum, Goddess Vajreshvari is present in the form of Pindi. The temple also has a small temple of Bhairav. There are statues of  brass tigers in the front of the sanctum.

Darsan Info

Temple timings -                                        
Winter : 05:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM to 09:00 PM   
Summer : 05:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM to 10:00 PM
The temple is a part of the Nav Devi darshan yatra covering the nine abodes of Shakthi across Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu & Kashmir

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire.

Famous Festival

January - Makar Sankranthi
October - Navrathri

Culture

Kangra with its scenic beauty is a famous tourist destination. Tea is a major crop cultivated here and Kangra tea is famous all over the world for its rich aroma.

Temple Rituals

The priests perform daily rituals and puja to the deity. They perform puja with the offerings given by the devotees. Aarti is performed in the morning and evening

Special Rituals

It is believed that the Goddess applied makhan or butter to her wounds after defeating Mahishasura. The tradition is still followed and on Makara Sankrathi, the idol of the Goddess is covered with makhan.

Additional Info