Gupteswar Temple Koraput

Getting there

• By air

  Visakhapatnam International Airport (VTZ) is listed as the nearest airport for Koraput.

• By train

  Koraput Railway Station (KRPU) is listed as the nearest railway station for Koraput.

On the way

• The cave is about 55 km from Jeypore, a city in Koraput district.
• 200 steps lead up to the Shiva lingam shrine.

Why devotees come here

Gupteswar Cave in Koraput district, Odisha, is a cave shrine dedicated to Shiva. Its main attraction is a lingam about 2 metres high said to be growing in size. The cave lies about 55 km from Jeypore.

Gupteswar Cave is a cave shrine dedicated to Shiva, in Koraput district of Odisha. Its name is said to mean a deity in hiding, because the lingam stayed undiscovered for a long time. According to tradition, Shri Rama first found the lingam while roaming the Dandakaranya forest with Sita and Lakshman.

In the 17th century, a hunter found the lingam and told Maharajah Veer Vikram Dev. Since then, the tribes and locals of the Koraput region have worshipped it.

The main attraction is a limestone cave holding a lingam about 2 metres high, which is said to be growing in size. The cave entrance is about 3 metres wide and 2 metres high. It sits in sal forest beside the Kolab river, and 200 steps lead up to the shrine.

Festivals

• On ShivaratriShivaratri

  Over 200,000 devotees come from Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

• The holy month of ShravanShravan month

  Devotees walk barefoot to the shrine with decorated bamboo palanquins called Kanwadiya.

Tips for your visit

• Expect large crowds on Shivaratri, when over 200,000 devotees come.
• The shrine is inside a natural limestone cave, surrounded by sal forest.
• Duduma Waterfall, which straddles the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, is a dream spot for photographers.

Questions people ask