The temple of Brajeshwari is located in the town of the Nagarkot Kangara district of Himachal Pradesh. Originally built by Pandavas at the time of Mahabharata, the temple, as the mythology goes, was dedicated to an incarnation of Sati, wife of Lord Shiva who burnt herself as atonement for the humiliation meted out to her husband by her father.
Devastated by her death, Lord Shiva wandered throughout the universe carrying her dead body on his shoulders. To ease his pain, Lord Vishu cut Sati’s body into several pieces with his Sudarshan Chakra. These pieces of the goddess fell on various parts of the earth and wherever her body parts fell the place called Shaktipeeth.
One of the main parts of Sati’s body fell in the Kangra region where Brajeshwari Devi temple is situated. The temple is surrounded by several deities. This temple is slightly inclined towards the north. The temple has a silver dome and several silver chhatras are endowed by devotees to the temple.
The temple is supposed to have been founded after Ashwamedha Yagna which was held on the spot.
Legend has it that one day Pandavas dreamed of Goddess Durga pointing out to them that she is situated in the Nagarkot Village and that if they want them to be secure they should build a temple for her in that area, otherwise they will be destroyed.
The same night they built a magnificent temple in her memory in Nagarkot. The temple was looted several times in the past, as it used to contain tonnes of gold and many ghantas made of pure silver. It is said Mahmud Ghazni invaded the temple in 1009 AD. In 1360, the temple was plundered and desecrated by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in an invasion of Kangra.
The temple is said to have been visited by Emperor Akbar and his diwan, Todarmal. Akbar restored the temple to its pristine glory. According to another account, the temple was built during the reign of Shahi Mohammed, who has been identified as Mohammad Saiyyed who ruled from Delhi during 1433.
At the time of the foundation of this temple, Sansar Chand was the king of Kangra.
In 1905 the temple was destroyed by a powerful earthquake and was subsequently rebuilt by the government.
This temple is visited by thousands of people from across the world during Navratri festivities. It is said the goddess fulfils all the wishes of her devotees.