India is a country with a vibrant culture andtraditions. With this culture and traditions followed across the country, India is famous destination for unique pilgrim places with total Shaktipeeth counted as 51. However, some legends claim that there are 108 pieces. But why pieces? It connects to the Hindu goddess Shakti. She was born as Sati and was married to Lord Shiva. It all started when King Daksha Prajapati (the father of sati) performed yajna and did not invite Lord Shiva. Mata Sati insisted Lord Shiva join Yajna, but he refused. But Mata Sati went anyway. When she asked her father why he did not call Shiva, he used derogatory words. This insult hurt Mata Sati, and she jumped into the fire and sacrificed her life. When Lord Shiva came to know about it, he opened his third eye with anger. When mourning, Lord Shiva tenderly grabs Mata Sati’s body and begins Tandav. To save the universe, Lord Vishnu cut the lifeless body of Sati into 51 pieces with Sudharshan Chakra. And the pieces fell on different parts of the earth. They
came to be known as Shaktipeethas.
Shaktipeeths are in different parts of India andneighbouring countries. List of shaktipeeth in India is very long, out of which, find 5 famous Shaktipeeth in Himachal Pradesh tour. Located innorthern India, it is said to be home to the most profound Shaktipeeths. These are Chamunda Temple, Brajeshwari Temple, Jwalamukhi Temple, Chintpurni Temple, and Naina Devi Temple.
1. Naina Devi Shaktipeeth
It is located on a hilltop in Bilaspur district. This is where MataSati’s eye had fallen. Here she is worshipped as Pindi with gold eyes. It is said that there is a story about the temple of a Gujjar boy. His name was Naina. Once, he saw his cow providing milk to a piece of stone. After this, he
had a dream about it and realized the stone was Pindi. He informed about this to Raja Bir Chand. When Raja saw it himself, he built a temple on that spot. There is a huge crowd all year round at this temple, especially during Navratris.
Best way to teach Naina Devi Temple is to take aflight to reach Chandigarh Airport as Chandigarh to Naina Devi Temple Distance is 108 Km. You can also take a train to Anandpur Sahib to reach Naina Devi Temple. Anandpur Sahib to Naina Devi Temple distance is 22 Km only. You can catch Vande Bharat Train from Delhi to reach Anandpur Sahib just in 4 hours. Take a car on rent with driver from Railway station and reach NainaDevi Shaktipeeth in 1 hour.
Naina Devi Temple Darshan Timings:
In normal days: 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM
In Navratra: 2:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Time required ins Naina Devi Shaktipeeth is approx 2-3hours which can get increased in month of Navratra.
2. Chintpurni Temple
Chintpurni Temple lies in Bharwai, in the UnaDistrict. This is where Mata Sati’s feet fell. As one of the many manifestations of Maa Durga, Maa Chinnamastika Devi is worshiped here. The temple is 53 km from Una via Chandigarh- Chintpurni-Dharamshala road. The temple is built near Devi’s Pindi. It is said that devotees come here to pray and leave their worries behind. The temple was known after the goddess revealed herself to Maya Dass, who was a passionate devotee.
It depicts her image as headless. Moreover, it is saidthat she cut it to calm the blood thirst of her companions. That is why it is also named Chinnamastika Devi, meaning a goddess without a head.
This holy place attracts devotees from Delhi, Haryana,Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. Also, there is the Chintpurni Mela, which is celebrated from March to October. It is celebrated three times a year. The experience of high altitudes soothes the devotees from stress (chinta) and helps them get rid of troubles.
How to Reach Chintpurni Temple in Himachal
You can take Delhi to Una train. Delhi to Una Vande Bharat runs every day from NDLS Railway Station except Tuesday. There are other trains too from Delhi to Una.
Delhi to Una distance is 388 Km approx and it takes7-8 hours to reach by road. You can book Delhi to Una Bus for a beautiful journey through bestviews.
You can also book Kangra Valley tour by booking Delhito Chintpurni Himachal tour package at best price.
3. Brajeshwari Temple
This Shaktipeeth is in the Nagarkot, Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. It is also known as Vajreshwari Mata Mandir or Kangra Devi Mandir. It is located 7 km from Kangra Airport, 5 km from Kangra Railway Station, and 18 km from Dharamshala. The temple is at the end of Jansali Bazar. The scenic view of Kangra Valley, covered with snow and greenery, makes it heaven for tourists.
This is the place where Mata Sati’s left breast fell,thus making it a Shaktipeeth. This temple has a Pindi of Mata with a silver umbrella over it, thus ornamented with jewelry and flowers. According to mythology, Pandavas built the original temple. It was after Maa Durga came into their dream to build a temple. Even after facing devastating Earthquakes and spoils by Muslim invaders the temple still stands strong.
4. Chamunda Devi Temple
Also known as Chamunda Nandikeshwar Dham. This templeis also located in Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Ban Ganga River which is 10 km west from Palampur. It is said that whatever vow is prayed here comes true. Chamunda Devi Temple is famous Shaktipeeth in Dharamshala and a part of Nau Devi Darshan tour package.
The story of this temple is of a king and a priest whoprayed to Goddess Chamunda. Thus asking for consent to shift the idol to another accessible location. But they were unable to move it. The priest prayed again and the goddess instructed him to take a bath before dawn and to wear new clothes. And also asked to pray more sincerely.
Another story about this temple is that it isconsidered an abode of Shakti and Shiva. Chamunda Devi is also known as the Goddess of war. She killed two demons named Chanda and Munda. Chamunda is a tribal goddess, a fierce form of Maa Durga. Accompanied by the idols of Lord Bhairav and Lord Hanuman as guards, she is worshipped as an idol with red clothes around her. You must visit Brajeshwari Temple and Chamunda Devi Shaktipeeth if planning Dharamshala tour package.
5. Jwalamukhi Temple
The temple is again located in the Kangra district ofHimachal Pradesh. It is also known as Jwalaji. The temple is easily accessible because of well-connected roads, flights, and railways. The Gaggal airport is 46 km from Jwalaji and 20km from Jwalaji Railway station. Jwala Devi Temple is one of the most important places to cover in Himachal Pradesh tour package from Delhi.
This is the place where the tongue of Mata Sati hadfallen. The temple has no idol. The goddess appears in blue flames and it is said that there is a natural flame that burns without any fuel. This is why it is known as Jwalaji. Raja Bhumi Chand Katoch had a dream in which the Goddess
revealed herself to the King of Kangra. After this, the king set out to find the temple. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in 1815, then gold plated the dome of the temple. The rich history, the beauty of the mountains, and the everlasting flame make this place more mesmerizing.
