The 7 Most Mysterious Eternal Flames in the World

The eternal flame burns brightly at Jwalamukhi Temple in India. Have you ever heard of the red soil region in Vietnam's Central Highlands? It’s not just a geographical feature, but a place rich in legend: the story of a fierce dragon who wreaked havoc, only to be defeated by brave villagers. After many battles, the dragon’s blood formed a river and seeped into the earth, creating the red soil we see today. This myth might not be directly connected to the flames at Jwalamukhi Temple, but it reminds us that every place has its own legend, just like the fire at Jwalamukhi.

In fact, the myth of the red soil shares some similarities with the tale of Jwalamukhi’s fire, both involving remnants of a being, but one is more eerie. At Jwalamukhi, it's said to be a part of a human body.

According to Hindu legend, Daksha, one of the sons of the god Brahma, lived in the northwest. It’s told that Sati, Daksha’s youngest daughter (and one of his many children), was not accepted by her father due to her marriage to Lord Shiva, whom Daksha despised. During a grand feast, Daksha humiliated Sati, causing her to jump into the sacrificial fire in protest, ending her life. In revenge, Shiva beheaded Daksha and caused destruction across the land, wandering with his wife’s incomplete body.

Eventually, the god Vishnu intervened, dismembering Sati’s body and scattering the pieces across the land wherever Shiva traveled. One part, her tongue, fell in Jwalamukhi, and the temple later became a shrine to the Goddess of Light. It is believed that the flame in the temple is sacred, burning continuously as a symbol of divine power.

Located near the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, Baba Gurgur was once known as the world’s largest oil field until 1948. Discovered in 1927, this eternal flame burns in the heart of an oil field, fueled by natural gas leaking through hard rock. According to local legend, women hoping to conceive a son visit the flame. The story of Baba Gurgur may have even inspired the biblical tale of the Fiery Furnace, where King Nebuchadnezzar cast three Jewish followers into the flames for refusing to worship a golden idol.

Locals have also used the natural asphalt from Baba Gurgur for paving roads and other purposes. Today, the flame continues to attract many tourists. However, due to the toxic gases emitted by the fire, visitors are advised to observe it from a distance, either from the city or, if venturing closer, from upwind to avoid inhaling harmful smoke.

Mount Wingen, located near the town of Wingen in New South Wales, Australia, is a volcanic site fueled by underground coal fires, which may have been sparked by lightning or self-igniting coal. Locals claim the summit of this mountain has been burning continuously for over 6,000 years. Paleontologists believe it could be the longest-known coal fire in history. Each year, the fire spreads about 1 meter southward. Since its formation, the blaze has expanded at least 6 kilometers, and if it continues at this pace, it could reach the outskirts of Sydney in 255,000 years, approximately 280 kilometers away.

'Gate of Hell' (or 'Door to Hell') is the name locals from the village of Derweze give to this eternal flame. Located in the heart of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, a country known for its historical ties to Alexander the Great, the Gate of Hell is actually a natural gas field. It ranks among the largest reserves of natural gas in the world. Discovered by Soviet scientists in 1971, the site was originally thought to be a potential oil deposit. However, when they drilled, the ground beneath their rig collapsed, creating a massive crater about 70 meters in diameter. While no one was harmed, large amounts of methane gas began to leak, posing an environmental and health risk. To mitigate the danger, the Soviet geologists decided to set the gas on fire, expecting it to burn out in a few weeks. But as you can see, the flame still burns to this day. The Gate of Hell has become a fascinating phenomenon for the world, and its continued fire prevents the release of harmful methane into the atmosphere. Let’s just hope it keeps burning like this for the sake of our planet!

From a distance, you can easily spot the orange-yellow glow emanating from behind a curtain of water. There, a flame burns continuously, tucked away in a small cave hidden behind a waterfall that flows day and night. While the waterfall cascades endlessly, the fire burns mysteriously and persistently.

This natural wonder is located in the ShaleCreek Preserve, south of Chestnut Ridge Park in Pennsylvania, USA. Scientists discovered that the small cave behind the waterfall emits natural gases like ethane and propane, which are combustible. The fire can burn all year long, though sometimes it goes out and must be reignited.

What makes this flame truly magical is that, unlike other eternal fires that burn due to environmental factors, temperature, or the presence of specific gases, the temperature in this small cave is not high enough to sustain such a flame. Isn’t that strange?

Could there be a mysterious force at play here? That’s a question you’ll have to explore and answer for yourself!

Located in Jharia, Jharkhand, India, this fire has been burning for over a century in one of the world’s largest coalfields. India is home to some of the biggest coal mines globally, and Jharia is often referred to as the birthplace of one of the world’s largest coal reserves. Coal mining in India has been active since the early 18th century, contributing significantly to the nation's economy. However, mining accidents are frequent, especially due to the phenomenon of underground coal fires, which often occur when mining operations shift from underground to open-pit methods, making the coal more susceptible to ignition.

The Jharia coalfield fire was discovered in 1916, and it has been burning ever since. It consists of approximately 70 interconnected fires. Despite ongoing efforts by mining agencies and railways to extinguish the flames, they continue to burn, marking Jharia as one of the longest-lasting underground fires in the world.