NAINA DEVI TEMPLE,BILASPUR,HIMACHAL PRADESH
Previous
Next
Naina Devi Temple is one of the most famous temples of 9 divine powers in Himachal Pradesh. Naina Devi Temple is a holy shrine that is dedicated to Shri Naina Devi, one of the forms of Goddess Shakti. Located on the top of a hill in Bilaspurdistrict of Himachal Pradesh, Naina Devi Mandir is one amongst the fifty two Shakti Peeths.
Naina Devi Temple is a sacred place especially for the Hindus. Pilgrims come to visit this temple to pay their homage to the Goddess. According to the legends, the different body parts of Sati fell on the earth during the time of self-sacrifice. It is believed that Satiâs eyes fell at this point and subsequently, a temple was built here to commemorate the goddess. The term âNainaâ suggests âeyesâ, so the goddess came to be known as Naina Devi.
In the Naina Devi Temple complex, there is huge Peepal tree that is acclaimed to be present from past many centuries. On the right side of the entrance to the main shrine, idols of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesha are placed. After crossing the main gate of the shrine, two striking statues of Lions are visible. The main shrine reveals the images of three deities. Goddess Kali can be traced on the extreme left. In the centre, image of Naina Devi is visible, while Lord Ganesha is on the right side.
The Naina Devi Temple is perched over a small yet scenic hill. From the suburbs of the temple, one can spot the picturesque Govind Sagar Lake. Close to the main shrine, there is a small cave, which is known as Shri Naina Devi Cave. In the earlier days, people used to trek the steep path of 1.25 kms to reach the temple at the hill-top. Now, the facility of cable car has been launched to make to journey easy and enjoyable.
It is about 1219 Mt. height from sea level. The temple of Naina Devi is situated on the top of a triangular hill commanding and unparalleled view of the Holy Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara on one side and Gobindsagar on other. The Govind Sagar Lake and Bharka Dam is situated near this temple. The popular hill resort located in Himachal Pradesh known by the name of Nainital has been named after the famous Naina Devi Temple.
Temple History
This ancient temple is understood to have been built in the 15th century A.D., which might have destroyed in a landslide. Later, 1842 Moti Ram Shah, while settling in Nainital had installed the idol of Naina Devi along with other idols of Gods and Goddesses, which is said to have been re-established in 1883 after the landslides in 1880. Amidst the 1567 yards long, 167 yards wide and 93 feet deep lake, the temple attracts a number of tourists. Every year a statue immersion ceremony is celebrated here since 1918-19, similar to that in Maharashtra and West Bengal on the Bhadrapad Shukla Ashtami.
Several mythological stories are associated with the establishment of the temple. According to a legend, Goddess Sati burnt herself alive in Yagna, which distressed Lord Shiva. He picked the corpse of Sati on his shoulder and started his Tandava dance. This horrified all deities in the heaven as this could lead to holocaust. This urged Lord Vishnu to unleash his Chakra that cut the Satiâs body into 51 pieces. Shri Naina Devi Temple is the place where eyes of Sati fell down.
Another story related to the temple is of a Gujjar Boy named Naina. Once he was grazing his cattle and observed that a white cow is showering milk from her udders on a stone. He saw the same thing for next several days. One night while sleeping, he saw Goddess in her dreams who told him that the stone is her Pindi. Naina told about the entire situation and his dream to Raja Bir Chand. When Raja saw it happening in reality, he built a temple on that spot and named the temple after Nainaâs name.
