Atop the picturesque hills, overlooking the Gobind Sagar Lake is the shrine dedicated to Goddess Shakthi, the Naina devi temple. It is the site, where the eyes of Sati Devi fell and is considered a Shakthipeetha. Raja Bir Chand constructed the temple in the 8th century. Pandavas are believed to have worshipped the Goddess here. Guru Gobind Singh is believed to have sought the blessings of the Goddess on his way to fight the Mughals.

Location Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur, Shimla

Legend

Mythology considers Naina devi temple as one of the Shaktipeethas. When Lord Shiva's wrath at the death of his wife Sati manifested as the Tandava which would destroy the Universe, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshan chakra cut her corpse into pieces which scattered around the subcontinent. It is here, at Naina devi shrine that eyes of Sati devi fell.

This temple is part of famous Nava Shakthipeeth Yatra.

Architecture

The temple is situated atop the hill. Rows of grills for queues lead to the temple entrance. The white coloured shrine has golden domes on the top.  Two striking lions can be seen in the front. The Goddess Naina Devi is worshipped as a self manifested pindi. There is another pindi of Ganesha and a third established by the Pandavas when they visited the shrine. The idol has eyes made of gold and is adorned with flowers. There is a peepal tree in the middle of the compound.

Culture

Anandpur Sahib is known as the city of bliss and is a major Sikh pilgrimage centre. The place is dotted with many Gurudwaras.

Darsan Info

Naina devi Mandir timings 5.00 AM to 9.00 PM. The temple is a part of the Nav Shakthipeeth yatra covering the nine abodes of Shakthi across Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Jammu & Kashmir

Darsan Dresscode

Devotees are advised to wear clean and conservative attire

Famous Festival

October - Navrathri

Temple Rituals

The priests perform regular puja and rituals to the deity. Devotees are allowed to do puja at the Hawan Kund. The priests tie a red thread on the wrist of the devotees after the puja.

Special Rituals

People tie a red thread on the tree to get their wishes fulfilled. They come back and untie it once the wishes are fulfilled.

Additional Info

 

Small eateries are available near the temple.

More restaurants are available at Anandpur Sahib

     

Supermarket : Available