Karmandir 
जय माँ नैना
About
Naina Devi is the Divine Mother worshipped at the Shri Naina Devi temple, on a hilltop of the Shivalik range in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, above the Gobind Sagar lake. Devotees believe this is the Shakti Peeth where the eyes (naina) of Devi Sati fell, so the Mother here is worshipped as a pindi with two eyes. She is also hailed as Naina Mahishamardini, the Devi who defeated Mahishasur. It is one of the best-known Devi temples of North India and a stop on the 'nau devi' yatra; it is very crowded in the Navratris and at the Sawan Ashtami fair. Nainital in Uttarakhand also has a much-loved Naina Devi temple.
The story
The Shakti Peeth story tells that Devi Sati, hurt by the insult to Shiv ji at her father King Daksha's yagya, gave up her body by the power of yoga. Shiv ji, lost in grief, wandered the worlds carrying her body. To end his sorrow and save creation, Vishnu ji's Sudarshan chakra divided the body, and wherever a part fell, a Shakti Peeth arose. Devotees believe Sati's eyes fell on this hill.
Temple tradition also says the Devi defeated Mahishasur in this region, and the gods and sages watching from the sky cheered, 'Jai Maa Naina!' So she is also called Naina Mahishamardini.
A local story tells how the shrine was found again. A young cowherd named Naina used to graze cattle on this hill. Day after day he saw a white cow stand over a stone and let her milk flow onto it. In a dream the Devi told him that the stone was her pindi. Naina told Raja Bir Chand, who saw the sight for himself, built a temple on the spot and named it after the boy. Today devotees come from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and far beyond, climbing the hill and calling out the Mother's jaykaras.
How they are shown
In the sanctum, Maa Naina Devi is worshipped as a self-formed pindi (a sacred stone) on which two eyes are shown, recalling the eyes of Sati. On one side of the pindi is Ganesh ji, and on the other a larger murti of the Mother which local people say the Pandavs installed; Maa Mahakali also has a shrine in the temple. Two lions, the Mother's vahan, sit at the entrance. The eyes remind devotees that the Mother watches over her children with love.
How to worship
A red chunri, coconut, flowers (devotees also offer lotus flowers) and a sweet prasad; at the temple the Mother is also offered chhappan bhog (56 dishes)
Light a ghee diya before a picture of Maa Naina Devi and offer a red chunri, flowers and a sweet. Thinking of the Mother's gentle face and loving eyes, recite the shloka 'Etatte vadanam saumyam' 11 times and call out 'Jai Maa Naina'. Then sing the aarti 'Jai Ambe Gauri'. In the Navratris many families honour nine young girls as forms of the Mother (kanya pujan). If you visit the temple, you can also join the Sawan Ashtami or Navratri fairs.
Their festivals
- Shravan Ashtami mela (Sawan Navratri) Shravan Shukla Ashtami
- Chaitra Navratri mela Chaitra Shukla Pratipada to Navami
- Ashwin (Sharad) Navratri mela Ashwin Shukla Pratipada to Navami
