Loknath Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Biju Patnaik International Airport at Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport.

• By train

  Puri railway station is a terminal station that serves the town. The station serves Puri, the seashore temple city famous for Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha.

Why devotees come here

Loknath Temple stands in Puri, Odisha, and is one of the five famous Shiva temples of the town. Shiva is worshipped here as Lokanatha. The lingam is always under water.

Loknath Temple is locally called Shri Lokanatha Mandira. Legend says a villager from nearby Sabarapalli offered Shri Rama a lauki (bottle gourd) that resembled a Shiva lingam. The lingam is always under water, and legend links this to the Ganges, which is said to flow through the top of the lingam as a stream.

The exact date of construction is not known. The temple is believed to have been established in the medieval period by devout worshippers of Shiva. It rises 30 feet and has four parts: the Vimana, the Jagamohana, the Natamandapa and the Bhogamandapa. The structures are built of sandstone.

The utsava murti of Lokanatha is the guardian of the treasures and jewellery of Jagannath. The temple shares a close bond with the Jagannath Temple, and this link comes alive at the Saranti Somavar Fair. The Jagannath Temple is about 2 kilometres away, the beating heart of Puri's religious life.

Festivals

• Once a year, just before ShivaratriPankodhar Ekadasi

  As the water recedes, the lingam is fully revealed. The temple unveils its hidden treasure.

Tips for your visit

• Narendra Tank, an ancient water reservoir, lies within easy reach of the temple and offers a peaceful retreat.
• Visit during the Saranti Somavar Fair, when the temple's bond with Jagannath Temple comes alive with grand rituals and joyous festivities.

Questions people ask