Kangra Expands Digital Temple Services, Shri Baijnath And Shri Mahakaal Join Sri Mandir Initiative

Kangra: The Kangra District Administration has expanded its digitised temple services to two more historic shrines ahead of the auspicious Shravan and Navratri festivals, allowing devotees across India and overseas to participate in authorised pujas and make traditional offerings remotely.

The initiative, launched in partnership with the Sri Mandir app, now covers the historic Shri Baijnath Temple and Shri Mahakaal Temple. The move follows the successful rollout of digital services at Shri Bajreshwari Devi Temple and Shri Chamunda Devi Temple, which received encouraging participation from devotees across the country.

Shri Baijnath Temple is an 800-year-old shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and is known for its Nagara-style architecture. Shri Mahakaal Temple is a revered medieval-era Shiva temple believed to bless devotees with peace and spiritual liberation.

According to the district administration, the first two pilot temples enabled nearly 60,000 devotees to participate in authorised digital pujas and offer traditional chadhava through the Sri Mandir app. At Shri Bajreshwari Devi Temple, around 27% of participants came from Maharashtra, followed by Delhi-NCR at 23%, Uttar Pradesh at 19% and Karnataka at 10%, highlighting growing demand beyond Himachal Pradesh.

Officials said the initiative is particularly benefiting senior citizens, non-resident Indians (NRIs), persons with disabilities, young professionals and devotees who are unable to travel because of health, financial, professional or geographical reasons.

The administration said every digital service is conducted in close coordination with the respective temple authorities to ensure rituals are performed in accordance with established traditions and preserve the sanctity of the temples.

A district administration official said Kangra's temples represent an important part of India's spiritual heritage, and technology is being used responsibly to make them more accessible while promoting the district's cultural legacy to a wider audience.

Prashant Sachan, Founder and CEO of the Sri Mandir app, said the partnership aims to help devotees remain connected with their faith from anywhere in the world while ensuring the authenticity of temple rituals is maintained through coordination with temple authorities.

Published on: Thursday, July 23, 2026, 05:00 PM IST