Naina Devi Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Pantnagar, near Rudrapur, is the nearest airport, about 71 km from Nainital.

• By train

  Kathgodam, on the outskirts of Haldwani, is the closest major railway station. It is connected with almost all major cities in the country.

• By road

  From Haldwani, 40 km away, take National Highway 109 to Nainital, or State Highway 13 from Bajpur, 60 km away. Regular buses run daily from Delhi, Agra, Dehradun, Haridwar, Lucknow, Kanpur and Bareilly.

Why devotees come here

Naina Devi Temple stands on the north shore, at the upper end of Naini Lake in Nainital, Uttarakhand. Shakti is worshipped here as Naina Devi, and locals also call it Naini Mata Temple. Legend says the lake's name comes from a sacred eye.

Naini Lake is believed to be one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, the sacred sites linked to the death of Sati. Legend says Vishnu cut Sati's body into 52 pieces with his Sudarshana Chakra, and the pieces fell on earth to become sacred places. The lake takes its name from Sati's right eye, which legend says fell at this spot. The place came to be called Nain-tal, the lake of the eye.

The earlier temple and the Assembly Rooms were destroyed in a disaster. Later, a recreation area called The Flats was built on the site, and a new temple was erected there. Idols of Hanuman and Ganesha stand to the right of the entrance.

The temple complex is also the venue for the Nanda Devi Mela, a yearly fair held on Nandashtami in September.

Festivals

• Every year on Nandashtami, during SeptemberNanda Devi Mela

  A yearly fair held in the temple complex.

Tips for your visit

• Nearby are Naini Lake and Mall Road, where you can shop and stroll.
• A cable car goes to Snow View Point, which has Himalayan views.

Questions people ask