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Naras Devi Temple (mandir)
Naras Devi temple is located on a hilltop at Baroha, 2 km from Naras village
that falls underneath the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. The temple
(mandir) is more than four hundred years outdated and is believed to have been
constructed by King Kalyan Chand, while establishing Sunhani because the capital
of his kingdom. He is also said to have appointed a priest to bring 'Charnamrit'
for the deity regularly. Naras Devi temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga, often
known as Naras Maa. There are a selection of legends connected to the temple and
its formation.
A popular legend claims that after there was a tree of Summan at the place, the
place the temple (mandir) now stands. In the future, a sudden flash of light was
seen there and the Pindi symbolizing the Goddess appeared. One of many ancestors
of a 'pujari' (priest) dreamt that the Deity was asking him to construct a
temple on the same place and set up the 'Pindi' there. A legend related to Raja
Kalyan Chand states that after the king ordered the priest to make the Goddess
materialize before him in human form or face the punishment.
The priest prayed all evening to the Goddess and Goddess did materialize earlier
than the King from the Pindi, however along with her again towards the egoistic
King, so as to not give him her 'Darshan'. Later, resulting from her wrath,
there was a conflict between the states of Kehloor and Saket and the Kehloor
King died in it. Even at the moment, Chandel Rajpoots avoid visiting Naras Mata
Mandir. There is a mention of Naresha Devi in Markanday Puran, who granted
'Darshan' to King Surath attributable to his great devotion in direction of her.
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