Mindhal Mata temple near Pangi is located around 170 kms from Chamba town in Himachal Pradesh. This pentroof style temple, decorated with a profusion of bells, has a black stone murti of Chamunda Devi. The Goddess is popularly known as Mindhal Mata after the village in which the temple is located. The temple is made of wood and stone, and a grant dated to 1641 CE records that Mindhal village was donated to its upkeep.
Mindhal Mata Temple Story
A legend tells that the temple was originally a home, in which an old mother lived with her sons. One day when her boys were out and she was cooking, she noticed a black stone in the fireplace. Though she pushed it down, it reappeared, until after a point it refused to budge. In a flurry, the old woman called to her sons and the villagers, saying the Devi had come. They laughed at her, angering the Devi who turned them to stone.
The Devi then offered the old woman a boon; but the mother wanted nothing more than to share the fate of her sons. So she too was petrified, with the stipulation that all devotees would first worship the mother and then the Devi.
Many stones that still stand around the temple give credence to the story.