The Jageshwar temples were built during the Katyuri dynasty (7th-11th centuries CE) and later expanded under the Chand dynasty (11th-18th centuries). The Katyuri kings, who ruled the Kumaon region from their capital at Kartikeyapur (modern Baijnath), were great patrons of Shaivism and constructed the earliest temples at Jageshwar. The Chand rulers added more shrines and renovated existing ones. The complex was an important center of the Lakula Shaiva sect, an ancient ascetic tradition of Shiva worship.
The temples suffered damage during the Gorkha invasions of the late 18th century and subsequent neglect during British rule. The Archaeological Survey of India has protected the site since the early 20th century. The temple complex remains an active pilgrimage site and is part of the 'Sapta Badri' and 'Panch Kedar' spiritual geography of Uttarakhand.
