Mythical Temples of Himachal Pradesh :

Mythical temples of Himachal Pradesh are innumerable and are involved with some interesting myths. Mythical temples of Himachal Pradesh are immensely popular among Indian devotees and the natural surroundings of hills make these religious shrines much more serene. Several mythological episodes are connected to these numerable temples in this Indian state. Thousands of tourists and ardent devotees pay visit to the holy temples located here. Over 2,000 temples are present in Himachal Pradesh, of which a large number of temples are mythical. Temples like Naina Devi, Jwalamukhi, Baijnath, Chamunda Devi temple, Bajreswari and several others are noted mythical temples situated here. 

Naina Devi Temple : Hindus believe that Sati's eye fell down at the place of construction of Naina Devi temple. Therefore this temple is one of the 51 'shakti peethas' in the country. Devotees celebrate a famous fair in the temple premises every year during the 'shravan ashtami'. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Naina Devi and located over the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas. The Navratra festival is celebrated with great pomp to commemorate the presiding deity of the temple.

Jwalamukhi Temple : Meaning 'the opening of flames', the Jwalamukhi Temple was established to worship Goddess Jwalamukhi and it is a common  belief that Sati's tongue dropped in this very sacred place. There are nine permanent flames in this temple dedicated to nine forms of the goddess. A vast number of devotees visit this temple, particularly to witness the famous 'Aarti' session, which is practiced as many as five times in a day. Jwalamukhi Temple is located at a distance of about 34 km from Kangra. 

Baijnath Temple : The Baijnath Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is said that the Shiva Linga present here is actually one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, as per the records of some legends. Festivals like 'Makar Sankranti', 'Mahashivratri', 'Vaisakha Sankranti', 'Shravana Mondays', etc are celebrated with great enthusiasm near the temple, every year. 

Chamunda Mata Temple : Situated at an approximate distance of about 20 km from the local town of Kangra, Chamunda Devi temple is dedicated to Lord Chamunda, who is said to be the combination of Chanda and Munda. The temple is constructed at a height of 1000m above sea level. 

Bajreswari Temple : Bajreswari temple, situated in Kangra is one of the famous 51 Shakti Peethas of India, which was discovered by Goddess Bajreswari Herself, during the horse sacrifice named 'Ashvamedha' according to a mythological belief. This temple had to bear the brunt of brutal destruction in the hands of several foreign invaders. Therefore the presiding deity of this temple is Mata Shri Bajreswari Devi, who is referred to as 'kul-devi' by the local people. 

Chintpurni Temple : Chintpurni Temple is entirely dedicated to Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi and Mata Chintpurni Devi. Chintpurni Temple lies in the Una district. It is situated in the Una village. Mata Chintpurni is believed to take all the worries and troubles away with her. This temple is entirely dedicated to Mata Shri Chhinnamastika Devi and Mata Chintpurni Devi. The general belief goes on that if a true prayer is made to the Matas, then it is surely fulfilled. 

A fair is held for ten days at Chintpurni Temple between the months of July and August. It is a major fair and is called the Sawan Ashtami Fair and begins on the first Sawan Navaratra. 

Lakshmi Narayan Temple : The Lakshmi Narayan Temple located at Chamba in the state of Himachal Pradesh is regarded as the oldest and largest one. There are six temples in the Lakshmi Narayan Temple complex. They are arranged from North to South and are dedicated to either Shiva or Vishnu. 

 These temples were built in the 10th century but they were decorated by the Rajas who occupied the throne of Chamba afterwards. Raja Balabhadra Verma added the metallic image of Garuda on a high pillar at the main gate of the temple. Raja Chhatra Singh, on the other hand, contributed the gilded pinnacles on the temple tops. It was done as a protest against the orders of Aurangazeb to destroy the temple. 

Chaurasi Temple, Bharmaur : Chaurasi Temple Complex, built approximately in 9th century, is located in Bharmaur (a brilliant hill station, the ancient capital of Chamba) in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. The complex is assumed to contain 84 Shivalingams (the phallus, symbolic representation of Lord Shiva). The chief Chaurasi temples are dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Ganesha, Manimahesh, and Narasimha (one of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu). 

Bijli Mahadev Temple, Kullu : Bijli Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is located in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. Situated on a Himalayan hilltop, the temple site offers a panoramic view of the Kullu and Parvati valleys below. The temple is renowned for its 60 feet high flagpole that sparkles like a silver needle while basking in the glory of sunlight. The flagpole is visible even from Kullu. This high structure draws divine blessings in the form of lightening and it is said that with every flash of lightening, the Shiva linga is shattered to pieces. Each time this phenomenon occurs, the Shiva linga is replaced by the priest by covering it with sattoo (a paste of roasted gram and wheat powder) and butter. It is due to this legend that the temple has been name Bijli (lightening) Mahadev (another name for Lord Shiva). 

Hidimba Temple, Manali : Hadimba Temple is located in Dhungiri forest of Manali. The temple is an ancient cave dedicated to Hadimba Devi, sister of Hadimb, who was a character in the Mahabharata. 
Built in 1553, this wooden temple is worshipped by local villagers who consider Hadimba to be a goddess that fulfills their wishes. Dating back to 1553, the temple is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground, which was worshipped as an image of the deity. As the temple is situated in Dungiri, it is known by the name "Dungiri Temple". The original building was built between the periods of 500 and 700 BC and was rebuilt a number of times. The temple is located at the foot of the Himalayas and is surrounded by a cedar forest. 

Hadimba was the sister of a demon called Hadimb who resided in the Himalayas. During the exile period, the Pandavas reached a place that was ruled by Hidimb. Bhim after killing the demon married Hadimba. After a year, she gave birth to a boy named Ghaotkach. Bhima left to join his family while Hadimba continued ruling her villagers. After a couple of years, as her son took over form her, she went to reclusion in an area called Dhungiri. Hadimba Temple was built by Bahadur Singh in the 16th century at the place of meditation by the princess. 

                               The state of Himachal Pradesh comprises several mythological temples which demonstrate rare, architectural beauty and are some of the greatest pilgrimage spots which are respected throughout the country.