Kapilash Temple Odisha

Kapilash Temple, a popular pilgrimage site located in the northeastern part of Dhenkanal town of Odisha. Situated at a height 2239 ft above the sea level, one has to climb up 1352 stairs to get access to the temple. Moreover, the surreal setting in which temple lies is one thing that attracts oodles of tourists and makes it one of the prominent tourist attractions in the region. On the auspicious occasion of Shivaratri, this Lord Shiva’s temple comes alive as it clusters with thousands of pilgrims from different corners of the country making it one of the must-visit attraction in Odisha during that time. Apart from Shivratri, the temple also receives a much attention of devotees in the Hindu month of Shravana (July-August). For a whole month, the pilgrims perform a Bol Bam Yatra where they carry the water of Mahanadi on their shoulders in earthen containers and reach barefoot to this temple to offer the water to Shiva Linga. This whole festival continues for three days.

History and Architecture of the Temple

As per the Kapilash Temple Inscription, King Narsinghdeva I of Ganga dynasty was the main personality behind the construction of this temple. It was built in 1246 AD for Sri Chandrasekhara and is believed to be older than Chandrasekhar Temple. On the left side of the temple there is located Payamrta Kund and on the right is Marichi Kunda. Moreover, the temple premises also include various monasteries. Inside this magnificently carved shrine, there houses the idols of Jaganmohana, Gangadevi, Kartikeya, Ganesha, and more deities. The temple complex also includes the temple of Lord Vishwanath and Lord Narayana that are also the main attractions of this pilgrimage site. As far as the legend is concerned, the temple has many. One says that this holy shrine is the ashram of Kapila while other touted it as the second Kailash of Lord Shiva.

Timings

5:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Best Time to Visit

The best season to visit Kapilash Temple is the winter season (October-March). During this time, the temperature is most appropriate to visit the region.

Nearby Tourist Attractions

• Astasambhu Mandir
• Saptasajya
• Shri Raghunath Temple
• Joranda