Naina Devi Temple, Himanchal Pradesh

The Temple of Shri Naina Devi Ji is located on a peak, with samadhi of bhagat Jeona Morh who died in the 12th century in the Bilaspur District, Himachal Pradesh India. This sanctuary is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths where the limbs of Sati fell on Earth.

The sanctuary is associated with National Highway No. 21. The temple at the highest point of the slope can be reached via road and afterward by concrete steps (at last, at the top). Likewise, there is a cable car facility that moves travelers from the base of the slope right to the top. The slopes of Naina Devi overlook the Gobind Sagar lake. The lake was made by the Bhakra-Nangal Dam.

HISTORY

A few mythological stories are related to the establishment of the sanctuary.

As indicated by a legend, Goddess Sati burnt herself alive in Yagna, which upset Lord Shiva. He picked the body of Sati on her shoulder and began his Tandava dance. This alarmed all divinities as this could prompt holocaust. Everyone asked Lord Vishnu to release his Chakra that cut Sati’s body into 51 pieces. Shri Naina Devi Temple is where the eyes of Sati tumbled down.

One more story identified with the mandir is of a Gujjar Boy named Naina. He was grazing his cows and saw that a white cow was showering milk from her udders on a stone. He saw exactly the same thing for the next few days. One evening while at the same time dozing, he saw Goddess in her fantasies who let him know that the stone is her Pindi. Naina told about the whole circumstance and his dream to Raja Bir Chand. When Raja saw it occurring in reality, he established a mandir on that spot and named the sanctuary after Naina’s name.

Shri Naina Devi Temple is otherwise called Mahishapeeth because of the defeat of evil presence Mahishasur by the Goddess. As per the legends, Mahishasur was a powerful devil who was blessed with a boon of immortality by Lord Brahma, yet the condition was that he could be defeated by an unmarried lady. Because of this boon, Mahishasur began spreading fear on Earth and Gods. To adapt to the evil spirit, all Gods joined their forces and made a Devi overcome him. The Devi was gifted various sorts of weapons by all Gods. When Mahishasur got hypnotized by the immense beauty of Devi and proposed to her to wed him. Devi told him that she would wed him on the off chance that he would overpower her. During the fight, Devi defeated the evil spirit and took out both his eyes. This encouraged Gods to cheerfully praise “Jai Naina” and consequently the name.

Another story is related with Sikh Guru Gobind Singh Ji. When he left for his tactical mission against Mughals in 1756, he went to Shri Naina Devi and performed a Sacrificial Yagna to look for blessings of the Goddess. After seeking the blessings, he was able to defeat the Mughals.

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY

Puja Archana of Shri Naina Devi Ji is completed 5-times each day. A distinctive kind of “Bhog” is presented to Shri Mata Ji in each puja joined by 5 unique aarties. These incorporate Mangal Aarti.

This holy spot observes the vast number of devotees and tourists around the year, particularly during Shravan Ashtami and in the Navratras of Chaitra and Ashwin.

Special fairs are held during Chaitra, Shravan, and Ashwin Navrati, which draws in many people from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and different corners of the country.