Pindi

Pindi literally means the base of a sacred stone. It is a natural depression in the earth or on a hill or mountain which serves as the base for sacred stones and stone idols. Pindi is a common feature in several Shakti shrines of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Punjab. In the famous Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine near Katra, three stones – representing Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Kali - are standing on three pindies. Similarly, in Chintpurni Devi Temple in Una District of Himachal Pradesh, the idol of Goddess Chinnamaskita (an incarnation of Goddess Kali) is placed on a pindi.