There will be no exaggeration if Uttarakhand is called festivals, festivals and unique social, cultural and religious heritage. Nowadays, Nanda Devi Festival has been celebrated in various areas of Kumaon and Garhwal. This festival is not only a symbol of a few days of fairs or fun, but the social, economic, cultural and spiritual influence of this festival is also seen on the public here.
Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand is everywhere revered, which binds the entire state into one thread. Nowadays the entire Uttarakhand is nandamay. In the Puranas, the daughter of the Himalayas is described as Nanda, who is married to Shiva. The Himalayas are also known as Hemavat since Vedic period. Hemwati means that many episodes of Nanda, daughter of the Himalayas, are in the Puranas, hence the goddess has a name Hemwati. Devi Bhagwat, Nanda, is described as one of the Navadurga as Shailputri, while in the Bhavishya Purana, Nanda is directly described as a Durga.
On the one hand, Nanda Devi is known as Annapurna in Kumaon, on the other hand, being Himalayanwasini, he is also worshiped as the goddess of war. It is difficult to mention when the worship of Nanda Devi has started in Uttarakhand, but the worship of Nanda in Kumaon took place during the era of Chand rulers. He considered Nanda as his Kuldevi. In 1670 AD, Chand Raja Bahadur Chand brought the gold statue of Nanda Devi to Almora from the fort of Badhangarh and revered it in his Malla Mahal complex. Later in 1815, the British installed the statue of Nanda Devi from Malla Mahal in the present Nanda Devi campus.
In Almora today, where there is Nanda Devi temple, in 1690, the then king Ughot Chand built two Shiva temples Ughot Chandeshwar and Parvatishwar. In 1699, King Gyanchand also brought a gold statue to Almora from Badhankot. In 1760 AD, King Deepchand renovated the Parvatishwar temple and this temple was called Deep Chandreshwar, but today both these temples are known as their old Ughot Chandeshwar and Parvatishwar.
A incident related to these temples is quite popular during English rule. In 1815, the then Kumaon Commissioner Trail removed the idol of Nanda Devi installed in Malla Mahal and placed it in the Ughot Chandeshwar temple. A few days when the Commissioner Trail went on the top of Nanda Devi and a journey in the Himalayas, suddenly her eyesight decreased and she stopped seeing. Many doctors were shown but there was no benefit. On the advice of some people, he returned to Almora and apologized to mother Nanda and built a temple of mother Nanda. After that his eyes Jyoti returned.
Prior to the Chandan rulers, the Katyuri ruler also considered Nanda Devi as his adorable goddess. Most of the articles of Katyuri rulers are praised by Maa Nanda Devi. In Almora, Nanda Devi is worshiped by tantric method. Chand Raja was considered to be proficient in Tantra Vidya. Raja Anand Singh used to have special knowledge in Tantra Vidya. After his death, some excerpts from the book ‘Cheenchar’ are worshiped and worshiped. Nanda Devi is worshiped as Tara Shakti and is worshiped by nerve method, which is called ‘Agamokta’ method.
There is also a temple of Nanda Devi on the lake in Mallital, Nainital. Earlier this temple was at the place where the vote house club is today, but the entire temple was merged into the lake due to the disastrous landslide in 1880. Later, Motiram Sah built a new temple and Nanda Devi Festival started here in 1903 with his efforts. After his death, his son Uday Sah carried forward this task. Till 1925, the family of Motiram Sah continued to organize the fair. From 1926, Ramsevak Sabha took over the reins of the fair.
Preparation for the festival starts from Panchami
Preparations for Nanda Devi Festival in Nainital starts from Panchami of Bhadrapada. On the day of Shashthi, a procession and chanting of drums with a procession and chanting are brought to Kadali (banana) trees. These trees are kept in the courtyard of the temple after the circumambulation of the city. The work of idol construction starts on Saptami. On the day of Ashtami, the idol equipped with beautiful clothes and jewelery is installed in the temple in Brahma Muhurta. Kanyakumari is offered on the day of Navami. On the tenth, Devi’s Dola is taken out to visit the city. After sunset, the idol of the goddess is immersed in the Naini lake near the Stone Devi temple. This festival drenchs us with unwavering faith, faith and devotion to mother Nanda.
