On a hilltop in Bilaspur district, overlooking the vast waters of the Govind Sagar, the temple of Naina Devi is among the most beloved Shakti Peethas of the Himalayas. In the tradition of the Peethas, told in the Devi Bhagavata and Kalika Puranas, the eyes (naina) of Sati fell here, and so the Goddess is worshipped as Naina Devi — the Mother whose gaze watches over her devotees. A tender local legend recalls a cowherd boy named Naina, to whom the Goddess revealed herself, giving the shrine its name.
Reached by a climb of steps, a ropeway, or a winding hill road, the temple draws vast crowds during the Shravan Ashtami and Navaratri fairs. It is one of the great Himalayan Devi shrines, visited together with Jwalamukhi, Chintpurni, and Vaishno Devi.
Naina Devi is invoked as the ever-watchful Mother, and her hilltop shrine offers both darshan and a sweeping view of the sacred landscape below.
