The Jwala Devi Temple, located in Himachal Pradesh, is an anomaly compared to other Hindu temples. It does not contain any idol or statue. Rather, prayers are made to the fire that burns naturally through in the rocks. The fire burns continuously irrespective of seasons. While the devotees consider this fire to be the embodiment of the divine powers of the goddess Jwala Devi, geologists claim that it is natural gas.

Jwala Devi Temple: Legends, science and the mystery of the eternal flames

As per Hindu mythology, this temple has a connection with Goddess Sati. It is believed that after the dismemberment of Sati's body into 51 parts, her tongue fell at Jawalamukhi. It is said that the flames are a symbol of her yogic power. It is also a famous belief that the Sati's clothes caught fire as they fell here, and these flames never ceased to exist from then on.

Devotees can observe these flames flickering inside a cave. According to many devotees, the flames stand for either the seven heavenly sisters or the nine forms of Goddess Durga. Every year, thousands of pilgrims come here to get blessed.

The temple also has an interesting link with a legendary story that revolves around Mughal emperor Akbar. As per the story, Akbar made attempts to put out the fire with the help of water and a metal disc but failed. Later, he offered a golden umbrella to the deity. Legend has it that the golden umbrella got converted into metal.

Here's what the scientists are saying:

Scientists, however, offer a different explanation for the phenomenon at the Jwala Devi Temple. They say the flames are fuelled by natural gas that escapes through cracks in the Earth's crust. The temple lies in the Shivalik Hills, a region known to contain natural gas deposits. Studies have found that the gas consists mainly of methane, along with small amounts of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen.

The geologists said the gas is present in the pores of sedimentary rocks such as sandstones and shales of the Subathu Formation. The tectonic movements produce tiny cracks in the earth, through which the gas is able to escape, and when it reacts with oxygen, it catches fire.

Modern scientists have discarded the theories of volcanic activities. There is no proof of the existence of magma under the Jwala Devi Temple. No matter if seen as a divine miracle or a great geological wonder, the eternal flames remain fascinating to people around the globe.

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