SIRMUR

At Naog, now in the Punjab territory lived Langasan Devi, the sister of another goddess named Kudin. Her present temple is at Karganun in tahsil Pachhad. A fair is held on the "Ekadashi" (eleventh day of dark half of the month) before the Diwali. It is said that she first appeared at the source of the river Giri, but others say she originated from that river at Karganun. Langasan Devi is believed to have fought in the guise of a man and to have fallen heroically in a battle either with Gurkhas or with Mughal armies or with local rebels of Sirmur.

The traditions are not quite clear about her adversaries. In one version, Langasan Devi is believed to be the sister of Kudin Devi, daughter of Rajah Suraj Parkash of Sirmur, the principal heroine of the battle. All the versions, however, tend to point to her participation and fall ir a battle. Her body was then brought to Neri village where a temple was constructed and her image housed in it. A similar temple was crected at Karganun for puja purposes but afterwards this village was depopulated and thus all the images were transferred to Neri.

However it was resolved at that time, to bring the images of Devi to Karganun once in a year during the Solan fair in the Bikrarni month of Asarh, and this practice continues.

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