Shakti fest at Jwalamukhi

Palampur, April 15

Shakti Mahotsav, a series of ‘Temple Traditions of India’, is presenting programmes at different Shaktipeeths of the country in April. The Shakti Festival is an initiative of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy of performing arts and an autonomous body of the Union Ministry of Culture.

Since its inception, the akademi has been working towards the preservation, research, promotion and rejuvenation of performing art forms of the country — expressed in the form of music, dance, drama, folk and tribal art forms and other allied art forms.

The akademi has choose the Jwalamukhi temple from Himachal Pradesh, where the festival has already begun. The akademi team is presenting performance here these days. The Jwalamukhi temple is regarded as one of the 51 Shaktipeeths.

It is believed that Raja Bhumi Chand Katoch of Kangra, who was a great devotee of goddess Durga, dreamt of the sacred place and sent some people to look for it. The site was traced to where the temple is now. The raja built a temple there, which is known as the Jwalamukhi temple now.

The Shakti Festival began on April 9 at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati and will conclude on April 17 at the Harsiddhi Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.