Shri Lalita Devi Mandir

Lalita Devi Temple is a must-see when seeing the holy sites associated with Uttar Pradesh tourism. It is one of the Shakti Peethas and is dedicated to Lalita Devi, the presiding deity of Naimisharanya, making it a highly respected Hindu shrine in Uttar Pradesh. Devotees are quite impressed by the temple’s architecture. With a balanced cantilever, it is exquisitely constructed. Additionally, there are statues of elephants on either side of the entrance to this well-known pilgrimage destination in Naimisharanya.

There are several legends related to the Lalita Devi shrine. One of them claimed that after completing the Daksha Yajna, Goddess Sati sprang into the flames while standing in the Yogi Agni position.

As a response, Lord Shiva began performing the well-known Tandav dance, also known as the dance of destruction, while carrying Sati’s body on his shoulder. Lord Brahma split her corpse into 51 parts in order to stop Shiva. According to legend, this is where Goddess Sati’s heart is said to have fallen, leading to its status as a Shakti Peetha.

According to the second version, sages once enquired of Lord Brahma for assistance because Asuras (demons) were bothering them. In order to solve the issue, Lord Brahma used the sun’s beams to construct a chakra (a sacred wheel) and instructed the sages to follow it till it landed. The sages found a tranquil place to live when the wheel landed at Naimisharanya. The area where the Chakra touched down was turned into a sizable water supply.

However, the water flow there was excessive. When the sages returned to Lord Brahma after noticing this, he ordered them to go see Goddess Lalita Devi this time. She brought the chakra back into balance and managed the water flow. On Lord Brahma’s command, it is also claimed that Goddess Lalita made an appearance at Devasur Sangram to destroy the Asuras.