Devi Talab is the main Hindu temple of Jalandhar and one of the city's oldest sites — the tank around which it is built is said to be where the city got its name (jal-andhar, the water-walled place). The current complex includes a central temple to the goddess Tripuramalini, a replica of the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Jammu, and a series of smaller shrines around the tank. A long flight of steps lead down to the water, which is considered sacred.
The site is busiest during Navratri (March-April and September-October) when thousands of pilgrims fill the temple and the surrounding streets. Outside festival times it is calm and easy to visit; the marble courtyards are cool even in summer, and the local sweet shops around the entrance sell some of Jalandhar's best laddoos. Photography is not permitted inside the central shrine.