Naini Devi

Although all Gods and Goddesses represent the same divine force, a single God or Goddess may be known by many different names. They appear in many different forms to devotees. The special name of the Goddess whose temple stood from ancient times on the banks of the Naini Lake in the Himalayas is Naini Devi. Her temple stands on the lakeside in Nainital even today. However, the image of the Goddess as well as the temple is not the original one. The earlier temple was destroyed in a landslide in the late nineteenth century. The present temple is a reconstruction. Another temple of the Goddess stands on a hillside that can be reached by a ropeway.
Different devotees recognize the goddess in different ways i.e. as Nanda Devi, Goddess Durga, Naina Devi, Kassar Devi, Goddess Nana, Cybele etc. All of these names and descriptions are valid, since they are the different forms of the same Goddess. However, as Naini Devi the Goddess becomes the unique and special Goddess of Nainital because she is probably not known by that name anywhere else in the Himalayas or the world. It is said that the Goddess destroys evil and promotes goodness. She destroys visitors or residents of Nainital devoted to lies, hatred, corrupt income and evil who are unable to change their ways, but those who aspire for love and truth are ever protected by her, whatever be their race or religion, and she fills their life with peace, happiness and prosperity.
Naini Devi is also known as Naini Mata or the Mother Goddess. All life emerges from a combination of matter and spirit. Our physical fathers and mothers are the source of our physical bodies. They change from lifetime to lifetime as we acquire different bodies. However our soul or spirit remains the same through our reincarnations. God is the eternal source of our spirit. The eternal God is formless and neither male nor female. This is difficult for the embodied soul to fully understand. Therefore, we may visualize our eternal source as a father or mother or both. Hindu’s view the eternal father as the Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu or the Lord Siva and the divine mother as the Goddess Parvati, Durga etc. Naini Devi is the form and name of the eternal Mother Goddess in Nainital. In mythology she is the consort of Lord Siva as the mountain Goddess Parvati. The Goddess Naini is the mother goddess that reigns supreme in Nainital. She is the mother Goddess of all persons who have resided in the district, especially during their childhood. She is also the mother Goddess of any human who approaches her with love and devotion.