Dhabaleshwar Temple, Cuttack - Timings, History, Darshan, Pooja Timings

At a distance of 18 km from Cuttack, Dhabaleswar Temple is a Hindu temple located on an island on River Mahanadi near Mancheshwar. It is one of the prominent places of pilgrimage in Orissa, and among the must-include places in Orissa tour packages.

Dhabaleswar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and date back to the early 10th and 11th century. The temple structure was constructed during the rule of Somavamshi dynasty by King Yayati Keshari while the present day temple was renovated and repaired by Bir Kishor, ruler of Khurda. Built in the Kalinga style of architecture, Dhabaleswar Temple is regarded as one of the oldest temples in Odisha.

According to the folklore, once a thief stole a black bull calf from a village and fled to this temple. He hid himself with the calf in the sanctum while the angry crowd waited outside the temple. So, the thief prayed to God to save him. Finally, Lord Shiva took on the form of a sanyasi and came outside. People told him that there was a thief with a black calf hiding in the sanctum of the temple. So the Sanyasi went in and came with a white calf. Seeing that, the thief realised that Lord Shiva himself came to save him and turned the black calf into a white one.The thief apologised to the people of the village and devoted his life to this temple. After this miracle, the temple is known as Dhabaleshwar Temple and Shiva is known as Dhabaleshwar that comes from the Sanskrit words 'Dhabala', which means White and 'Eswar' which means Lord.

Bada Osha is considered the most auspicious festival of the temple and is observed just a day before Kartika Purnima in November. It draws devotees in lakhs and is celebrated with religious fervor. Various festivals like Shivaratri, Pausha purnima, Dola purnima, and Kartika purnima are also celebrated here. Another attraction here is the longest suspension bridge in India which connects the island to the mainland.

Since the temple is situated on an island right at the middle of the River Mahanadi, boats are the only medium to reach there. However, there are foot bridges being built from the nearby villages end.

Timings: 7 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free