Dhabaleswar Temple, Cuttack – Overview
Dhabaleswar Temple is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. It is situated at a distance of 27 km from the city of Cuttack in the exotic island of Lord Dhabaleshwar. It is one of the famous weekend tours from Cuttack.
Dhabaleswar Temple, located in an island on the Mahanadi River, is decorated with stone carvings that date back to the 10th and early 11th centuries. The serene environment, in which the temple is situated, inspires a spiritual feeling among all.
History of this Temple
The name Dhabaleswar (Dhabala or White + Ishwar or God) is attributed to a miracle performed by Lord Shiva. Once a thief stole a black bull calf from a village and fled to a Shiva temple. He hid in the sanctum sanctorum with the calf while an angry mob waited outside the temple.
The call of the calf was clearly heard by the crowd. The thief prayed to Lord Shiva to save him from the mob. Taking pity on him, the Lord appeared in the form of a sanyasi in front of the crowd and asked him the reason for his agitation.
On being told that they suspected the thief of hiding in the sanctum sanctorum with the black calf, the sanyasis brought out the calf to clear their doubts. The calf turned white, seeing which the crowd let the thief go.
The hermit disappeared and the thief came to know who had come to help him. He confessed and apologized to the crowd. He resolved to spend the rest of his life in the service of the Lord. Lord Shiva is also known as Dhabaleshwar because of his act of turning the black calf white.
The present Dhabaleswar Temple structure was built by Veer Kishore, the ruler of Khurda. This was done in 1153 of the Saka era which would be 1232 AD. The current temple was renovated and repaired by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority.
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Dhabaleswar Temple Timings
| Days | Parts of the Day | Temple Darshan Timings/Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Mon to Sun | Morning Hours | 05:00 to 12:30 |
| Mon to Sun | Evening Hours | 13:00 to 21:00 |
| Mon to Sun | Morning Pooja Hours | 05:00 to 12:30 |
| Mon to Sun | Evening Pooja Hours | 13:00 to 21:00 |
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Place to visit near Dhabaleswar Temple
Jobra barrage
Jobra Barrage, also known as Mahanadi Barrage, is perhaps the most popular hangout for Cuttack residents. Built over the majestic river Mahanadi, Jobra Barrage has a 2 km long road bridge connecting Cuttack and Jagatpur.
The barrage is located near the longest river bridge in Odisha and the longest Mahanadi road bridge in India. Along the road bridge, there is a Jobra park, a deer park and a sunset point.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Museum
History buffs with an interest in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will definitely find the Netaji Museum in Cuttack’s Odia Bazaar interesting. Netaji was born in Cuttack on January 23, 1897 at Janakinath Bhavan, named after his father, Janakinath Bose.
This ancestral house has been converted into Netaji Museum by the Government of Odisha and memorabilia related to the great leader is being displayed through 15 galleries.
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How to reach This Temple
By Air- Nearest airport from Dhabaleswar Temple is Bhubaneswar airport which is at a distance of about 57 Kms from this temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by hire a vehicle/Auto.
By Road- Nearest Bus depot is at Cuttack which is at a distance of 37 kms or at Jajpur which is 60 Kms away from this temple. From here also you can easily reach this temple by hire a vehicle/Auto. And you can also reach here by using own vehicle as roads to this temple are well connected with the different cities.
By Train- Nearest local railway station is Kapilas road railway station which is at a distance of 26 Kms away from this temple and Mail stopping station is Cuttack railway station which is at a distance of 38 Kms & Jajpur Road railway station which is at a distance of 95 kms from this temple. From here you can easily reach this temple by hire a vehicle/Auto.
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