Naina Devi Temple is an important Hindu shrine in Nainital, Uttarakhand. It is located just adjacent to the north side of Naini lake in Mallital. Its scenic location just side of the lake makes it a perfect place to worship and hangout as well.
The temple holds a great religious and historical importance in Kumaon region. A good amount of devotees not only from Uttarakhand but outside of Uttarakhand, come here to seek blessings of Maa Naina Devi.
History of Naina Devi temple:
Naina Devi temple is one of the Shakti Peethas of Hindu religion having a massive religious importance. It also finds its mention in the 15th Century (AD) in the Kushan period.
It is not a proven fact but people believe that Moti Ram Shah was a devotee of Maa Naina Devi. He installed the first idol of Naina Devi in 1842. But unfortunately, in 1880 it got destroyed because of the huge landslides in Nainital.
In 1883, devotees rebuilt the temple giving an extraordinary example of Hindu architecture.
Naina Devi Temple Nainital Opening and Closing Timings:
| Day | Timings |
|---|---|
| Monday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Tuesday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Wedesday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Thursday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Friday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Saturday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
| Sunday | 6:00 am – 10:00 pm |
Naina Devi Temple Nainital Aarti Timings:
The temple committee organizes two aartis everyday, one in the morning and one in the evening.
Timings of Aarti are: 7:00 am in the Morning and 7:00 pm in the Evening.
Nanda Ashtami Festival:
In the auspicious occasion of Nanda Ashtami, the temple committee organizes a grand fair, which runs for 8 days. The festival attracts thousands of devotees of Nanda Devi from all over the country. Since the year of 1819, a statue immersion ceremony is organized in the premises of the temple near the lake every year. Other festivals include Navaratri, which attracts a great number of devotees.
Mythologies of Naina Devi Temple, Nainital:
As per mythology, after Goddess Sati died when Lord Shiva was carrying her dead body, this is the place where the eyes of Goddess Sati fell off.
Another mythological story states that before declaring a war against Mughals, Sikh leader Guru Gobind Singh performed a Yagna in this place.
The third story goes as there was a Gurjar boy who used to take his cattle to this place every morning for grazing. One day a white cow came to his notice who was pouring her milk on a stone.
It is believed that on that night Goddess appeared in his dream to inform that the stone is sacred. Ne t morning the boy went to visit the king Raja Bir Chand and told about the incident. After that, the king decided to build a Goddess temple here.
Tips:
- One can visit the temple at any given time of the day but its better to visit it in the evening to see the special lightings, which create a divine experience near the lake.
- Naina Devi temple is neat and clean and we request you to keep it that way. Do not throw flowers and other pooja items in the lake.
How to reach Naina Devi Temple:
Naina devi temple is located on the north corner of Naini lake in Nainital, Uttarakhand. After reaching Nainital, just head to Mallital either by taking a rickshaw on mall road or on foot via Thandi Sadak or Mall road. Also, one can easily walk to the temple from Nainital bus station.
There is also Nainital cricket ground and Jama Masjid near Naina Devi Temple in Mallital. The busy Bhotiya market or Tibetan market is also located nearby the temple.
Nainital is 43 km away from Haldwani, which takes about an hour and a half to complete. It is 282 km away from Dehradun and 287 km away from Delhi. It usually takes 7 to 8 hours to reach Nainital from Delhi depending on the traffic.
Nearest railway station: Kathgodam, 36 km away.
Nearest airport: Pantnagar Airport, 70 km away or Delhi IGI airport.