Every 12 years, lightning shatters this shivling—Then a ritual brings it back

In other Shiva temples, too, there are miracles that devotees talk about. Many say that they had miracle healing after they visited a certain temple of Lord Shiva, others recall that just after they visited the temple they had a renewed sense of what they wished to do in life, and it felt like Lord Shiva himself was guiding them through.

India is a land of temples, miracles, and miracles in temples! From diyas and lamps that have been burning since the start of time, to idols that turn boiling hot water into cold when poured from the head, all of these little miracles come together to make India and its temples truly unique.
And these miracles are experiences that people wish to see. And so they travel barefoot, hike to the mountains, and come from all parts of the world, to take a little miracle with them.

In the Hindu trinity of Gods, we have Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. And among the three, Lord Shiva is believed to be the fiercest of them all, but also extremely calm and peaceful, always looking after his devotees. And so he is loved, feared, worshipped, treated as a brother and son, and also respected.
When praying to Lord Shiva, devotees ask for boons, blessings, strength, wisdom, and protection, and much more, and there are ‘n’ number of temples of Lord Shiva around India and the world.

There are two main ways in which Lord Shiva is worshipped. One is worshipping Lord Shiva as an image or in a murti, and the other is worshipping him in the form of a Shivling.
A Shivling is a smooth, cylindrical stone that represents Lord Shiva in his formless state, and is a symbol that captures the energy of Lord Shiva, one that creates, transforms, but can also destroy.
And people worship a Shivling with Abhishekams, where they pour milk, honey, water, curd, chandan, and more on the Shivling.

And in between the Shiva temples all around, there is one filled with miracles and stories that science has not been able to explain. And in Kullu valley, there is a Bijli Mahadev temple, surrounded by mountains, lush valleys, and scenic views, and it is a rather small and quaint temple made with wood and stone.

The word ‘Bijli’ comes from Hindi and means ‘lightning’ in English. And Bijli Mahadev is the temple where it is believed that lightning strikes once every 12 years, and shatters the Shivling into pieces.
According to legends, there was once a demon in Kullu valley who tormented the people, and the people turned to Mahadev for help. Lord Shiva and the demon then had a long battle, and lightning struck the demon, finishing him eventually.
It is believed that ever since, Lord Shiva visits this spot in the form of a bolt of lightning to bless the land and purify it of negative forces.

It is said that after lightning strikes, the Shivling shatters into pieces, and is then joined together by the priest of the temple with mantras, rituals, and some ingredients. The priest is said to collect the shattered pieces and apply fresh butter to each of the pieces, all the while chanting mantras. As the Shivling is brought together, sticking together with the butter, in a few months, it restores to its original shape.

Although it is being said that the lightning has not struck the temple for more than 12 years now, when it did before, the phenomenon was unexplainable. Some people say that Lord Shiva does not come onto the land anymore owing to the practices of Kaliyug, and thus, the lightning is delayed.
But when the Shivling shattered in the past, and the rituals done by the priests to repair it were successful, it became a true miracle of the Kullu valley. Each time, it shatters the stone, but never harms the priest or the people nearby. This controlled chaos—followed by a quiet restoration—is seen as a symbol of Shiva's role in the universe: he destroys, only to rebuild.