In the Sitapur region of Uttar Pradesh lies Naimisharanya (Nimsar), one of the most sacred forest-tirthas in all of Hindu tradition — the place where, the Puranas themselves record, the sage Suta narrated the Puranas and the Mahabharata to a gathering of eighty-eight thousand rishis. At its heart is the Chakra Tirtha, a sacred round pool where, tradition holds, the wheel (chakra) of Brahma came to rest, marking the spot as supremely holy.
The forest also enshrines Lalita Devi, revered as a Shakti Peetha. Naimisharanya is honoured as a place where the great scriptures were first spoken to the world, and draws pilgrims to one of the most venerable of all sacred grounds.
