Naina Devi and Chintpurni Shaktipeeths: A pilgrimage to Himachal’s Devi temples

The state of Himachal Pradesh is a blessed land that is home to five powerful Shaktipeeths, among the 52 across India and a few neighbouring countries. The Himachal Shaktipeeths are: Naina Devi, Maa Chintpurni, Jwala Devi, Brajeshwari Devi, and Chamunda Devi. And of course, Maa Baglamukhi Temple, an important Tantrik Siddhapeeth that draws devotees from across the country.

The Yatra of Himachal Shaktipeeths is a true calling to the devotees of the Devi, the all-powerful Universal Mother, who wants her children to come and connect with her energy at her sacred abodes in the Himalayas.

This blog post is the first in the series on Shakti temples in Himachal.

Naina Devi Shaktipeeth

We started our journey early in the morning from Chandigarh, which is at a distance of about 105 km from Naina Devi Temple. It took us about 2.5 hours to reach Bilaspur district, where the temple is located on a hilltop. En route, we passed the famous Anandpur Sahib Gurudwara, one of the most sacred sites of Sikhism.

There are three ways to reach Naina Devi Temple – trekking up the hill (which most pilgrims do), taking the ropeway or driving. Beautiful views of Gobind Sagar Lake and the surrounding countryside prepare the pilgrims for an uplifted spiritual experience at the temple.

Whether one takes the ropeway or goes by car, everyone has to walk the last 70-80 steps. Dolis are available for the elderly, but one has to negotiate the price well. For my mother’s doli, we paid about Rs 1200.

We found the darshan queues to be well organised in the temple. As I was travelling with my octogenarian mother, we were made to comfortably sit in a separate hall and join a shorter queue.

This is the place where Maa Sati’s eyes had fallen, and when we had darshan of the divine mother, the most powerful feature was her eyes, which seared through and touched my heart. It was as if something very deep and primordial had connected with the core of my being.

Just behind the main sanctum sanctorum walls was a small shrine of Maa Kali, in all her dark majesty, with the same beautiful eyes. Behind the temple is also the Chausath Yogini Kund.

There is, of course, a Shiva temple here with a Shivlinga and a statue of Ganesha. The grilled door was shut, so I could not enter this temple.

Occupying a prominent place in the temple complex was a huge Yagna Kund where priests were performing the necessary rituals and blessing the pilgrims. It is believed that this Akhand Hawan Kund was established by the tenth Guru of Sikhs, Shri Govind Singh Ji.

The sacred atmosphere of the temple combined with the Yagna, chanting and the astonishingly scenic views created a vibrant, powerful energy that I am sure all pilgrims take home with them as the Great Mother’s blessings.

Maa Chintpurni Shaktipeeth
Another 2.5-hour drive and we reached Maa Chintpurni’s temple in the Una district by late afternoon. Dedicated to Mata Chhinnamastika, one of the ten Mahavidyas, this temple is where people come to seek blessings from the goddess and give up their worries (chinta) and sorrows. Some people say Maa Sati’s feet fell here, while others believe that it is her forehead.

Mata Chhinnamastika, who symbolises the ultimate self-sacrifice and cosmic balance through her fierce form, is a compassionate mother who shares her life-blood with those who can look beyond the illusions and surrender to her. She also symbolises the awakening of the Kundalini energy.

For those, primarily elderly people, who are unable to climb the steps, the authorities here have arranged for a lift. For a charge of Rs 50, one can reach the precincts within a couple of minutes.

Maa Chintpurni was so beautifully decked with flowers, and I felt amazed seeing her unusual form.

There was a festive atmosphere at the temple, with devotees chanting bhajans to the goddess, having ice cream as prasad, and there was a lot of joyous elevated energy. It truly seemed that here people surrender their worries to the all-powerful goddess, who showers her compassion on all souls who come seeking her blessings.

Important info:
How to reach: Naina Devi Shaktipeeth is about 105 km from Chandigarh by road. Maa Chintpurni Shaktipeeth is approximately 113 km from Naina Devi Temple.

Accommodation: For Naina Devi Temple, there are many budget stay options near Anandpur Sahib. Similarly, budget hotels are available near Maa Chintpurni Shaktipeeth for those who want to spend a night near the temple.

(Sudipta is an energy healer and mystical storyteller. Her collection of short stories ‘Invoking Our Inner Goddess’, Mystical Tales Of Sacred Earth’, ‘The Blue God’s Love’ and ‘Enchanted Waters: The Magical Flow Of Life’ are available worldwide on Amazon Kindle.)