Naina Devi Temple is one of the most important places of worship located on the northern shore of Naini Lake, in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Naina Devi. The city of ‘Nainital’ got its name from the Naina Devi temple. Naina Devi Temple is also known as one of the 51 Shakti Peeths in the country. This most prominent place of worship in Nainital is frequented by a huge number of devotees every year.
Naina Devi Temple Legends
As per the legends Nainital was created from the left eye of Devi Sati. Sati, the consort of Shiva was the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, a descendant of Brahma Sati had married Shiva against the wishes of her father. Once Daksha Prajapati organized a grand havan and invited all the deities except his son-in-law Lord Shiva. Against Shiva's wishes, Sati attended this sacrifice and was insulted by her father. She was completely neglected and was treated worst than a stranger. Sati was unable to bear her father's insults toward her husband and immolated herself by jumping into the havan. When Lord Shiva heard of his wife's death he was furious. Holding Sati's body he began to pace the three worlds and danced the dance of destruction throughout the Universe. Due to this the balance of the universe was in trouble. Then Lord Vishnu – preserver of the universe with his Sudarshan Chakra cut the charred body of Sati into pieces and relieved Lord Shiva from pain and agony and saved the earth from Shiva’s anger. The parts of Sati body fell at many places and later was known as Shakti Peeth. The left-eye of Sati fell at Nainital thus picturesque lake was created.
Naina Devi Temple History
The origin of the temple is not very clear and varies according to the beliefs of different people. Some say it was originally constructed in the 15th Century during the Kushan reign but another version states that it was built by Moti Ram Shah, an avid devotee of Mata Naina. The original Naina Devi temple was destroyed in a landslide in 1880 and then rebuilt in 1883.
The temple situated amidst the 1567 yards long, 167 yards wide and 93 feet deep lake attracts thousands of tourists. The central presiding deity being Mata Naina Devi is represented by two large almond shaped eyes. The sculpted figures of Mata Kali and Lord Ganesha can also be viewed in the temple. Inside the temple complex, there is a huge Peepal tree. On the right side of the temple there are idols of Lord Hanuman and lord Ganesh. The main shrine of Maa Naina Devi is bordered by two lion statues.
Naina Devi temple serves as a major tourist spot of Nainital. The temple welcomes pilgrims throughout the year attracts but the number of pilgrims visiting this place increases during the auspicious occasion of 3 festivals namely Navratris, Shravani and Chaitra. There are many shops in close proximity to the Naina Devi Temple from where one can buy the Prasad. Near the temple there is a Tibetan market which sells many interesting items.
How to reach Naina Devi temple, Nainital
Kathgodam Railway Station is the closest railhead to Nainital, which is located at a distance of 35 km. This railway station is well connected to Lucknow, Agra and Bareilly by direct trains. The nearest airport to Nainital is that of Pantnagar which is 72 kms from Nainital. The Delhi International airport which is around 280 km from Nainital is the nearest air base. Nainital is well connected to other cities by state public transport buses. Semi-deluxe and deluxe buses are also available from Almora, Ranikhet, and Badrinath to Nainital.