Kapilash Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Dhenkanal Railway Station and Kataka Railway Station are the nearest stations.

• By road

  The temple is 26 km from Dhenkanal by a motorable hill road.

On the way

• Climb the 1,352 sacred steps to the temple.
• Or take the winding hill road, which is motorable from Dhenkanal.
• There is also a road approach through Barabanki.

Why devotees come here

Kapilash Temple stands on the Kapilash Hills in the north eastern part of Dhenkanal town, Odisha, about 2,239 feet above sea level. Also called Mahadev Chandrashekhar Temple, it is one of Odisha's most sacred abodes of Shiva, popularly known as the Second Kailash.

The hill is called the Kapilash Hills, and tradition describes the site as the ashram of Kapila. Some scholars call it the second Kailash of Shiva. The temple is also known as Mahadev Chandrashekhar Temple. Shridhar Swami, who wrote a commentary on the Bhagavata Purana, is said to have stayed here.

King Narasinghdeva I of the Ganga dynasty built the temple for Sri Chandrasekhar in 1246 CE, according to the temple inscription. It is built in the traditional Kalinga style. The main tower is 60 feet tall, and the temple has a wooden Jagamohana.

Ganesh, Kartikeya and Gangadevi are also found in the temple. The shrine is surrounded by dense forests and smaller shrines. Thousands of pilgrims come, especially on Mahashivaratri and in the holy month of Shravan.

Festivals

• Mahashivaratri day and the month of ShravanMahashivaratri

  Thousands of pilgrims come to the temple, especially during this festival and in the holy month of Shravan.

Tips for your visit

• The hill road from Dhenkanal is winding.
• Vishwanath temple is also in Kapilash.

Questions people ask