Baladevjew Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Bhubaneswar Airport is about two and a half hours' drive from Kendrapara town.

• By train

  The nearest railway station to Kendrapara town is at Cuttack, 54 km away.

• By road

  Kendrapara town is reached by the Jagatpur-Salipur State Highway SH-9A or National Highways 16 and 53.

Why devotees come here

Baladevjew Temple stands in Ichhapur, also known as Tulasi Khetra, in Kendrapara district of Odisha. Baladevjew, or Balarama, is the main deity, and his siblings Jagannath and Subhadra are worshipped beside him.

Ichhapur is also called Tulasi Khetra. Baladevjew, or Balarama, is the main deity, and Jagannath and Subhadra are worshipped beside him in the Ratna Sinhasan, the gem throne, in the main temple. Legend says the original temple was demolished in 1661 under Khan-I-Duran, the Mughal subedar of Odisha in Aurangzeb's time, and a mosque was built on its site. Devotees are said to have carried the deity in disguise by boat along the Govari river and hidden him near the Baranga (Chhedara) Jungle.

The present temple was built in 1761, during Maratha rule in Odisha. The main temple, the Bada Deula or Sri Mandir, is 75 feet (23 m) high and built in seven steps of heavy baulamalia stone. It is the first of four main parts of the complex. Smaller shrines in the premises are dedicated to Lakshmi, Bhairabi, the Navagraha, several forms of Shiva, Rama and Ganesha.

Festivals

• Ashadha (June/July)Rath Yatra

  A chariot procession held every year. A new 64-foot wooden chariot is ready for it.

• Kartik PurnimaPadma Besha

  Held on Kartik Purnima, the full moon of Kartik.

• KartikTulsi Vivah

  A festival held during the month of Kartik.

• Shraavana Sukla Dashami to PurnimaGamhabhisheka Besha

  Balarama's holy star (srinakshatra) ceremony, from the tenth day of the bright half of Shraavana to the full moon.

Tips for your visit

• Kendrapara district also has Bhitarkanika National Park and Gahirmatha Beach.
• The Rath Yatra chariot has 14 wheels and replaced an older chariot that had wheel damage.

Questions people ask