Naina Devi -- meaning the goddess of the eyes -- is one of the most popular temples in Himachal, known as the state of the gods.
"It is said that when Lord Shiva was carrying the mortal remains of Sati, her eyes fell off here. The place where her brains are is supposed to be Chaitrali, another pilgrim centre that is considered to be as auspicious as this one," said a temple official.
Though these temples are huge income-generators, very little of that is used for the development of the area around the temple. Last year, the temple had earned revenue of Rs 9 crore, a temple official admitted. How much of it was pumped back into the temple was not immediately known.
"It is not right to say that none of the amount has been used for the development of the temple. If you had seen this place five years ago, you would know how much it has developed," Verma said.
But locals maintain that there is nothing being done to make Naina Devi a better place.
"Did they tell you Rs 9 crore? Wonder what has happened to the rest of the money. You must see the kind of gold and silver that is offered here during peak season. Whatever figure it is, nothing comes back. It has been close to 20 years since the state took over the affairs of the temple. From that time, nothing has happened here," Chand, a resident of Naina Devi all his life, said.
Image: After climbing 500 steep steps, the pilgrims are streamlined through winding narrow counters leading to the sanctorum.
The police claim the place is well-guarded from terrorists and miscreants by policemen in uniform as well as in plain clothes. The police said the plainclothesmen, while keeping an eye out for pickpockets and mischief mongers, also aid in nudging the queue forward.
Also read: Amarnath Yatra: Pilgrims' Progress
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