Markandeswar Temple

Getting there

• By road

  Take Markandeswar road from Markandeswar chowk toward the Puri-Brahmagiri road; the temple is on its right side. NH 203 links Puri with Bhubaneswar, about 60 km away.

• By train

  Puri Railway Station serves the city of Puri, where the temple is.

• By air

  Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport. Bhubaneswar is the state capital of Odisha.

Why devotees come here

Markandeswar Temple is a Shiva temple on Markandeswar street in Puri, Odisha, north of the Jagannath Temple. It stands beside the Markandeya tank, one of the five sacred bathing spots of Puri. The temple is also known for its Odishan spire, which rises above the shrine.

Legend says sage Markandeya meditated here on Shiva. The temple and the Markandeya tank beside it can be dated to the 12th century AD. The Odishan style shows a towering spire called the shikara, intricately carved pillars, and sculpted motifs of mythological themes and deities. The sanctum enshrines a sacred lingam.

The tank is an open structure, enclosed by a stone wall of dressed laterite blocks. It is used for rituals as well as for normal bathing, and it is one of the five sacred bathing spots of Puri. Pinda Dana and Mundan Kriya rituals are observed on its steps.

Maha Shivaratri is an annual festival here. Devotees observe it with fasting, prayers and hymns, and thousands of them throng to the temple. The temple stands on Markandeswar street, beside the Markandeswar tank, north of the Jagannath Temple.

Festivals

• Every yearMaha Shivaratri

  Fasting, prayers and hymns, with thousands of devotees at the temple.

Tips for your visit

• Bathing ghats for visitors are on the south side of the tank.
• Maha Shivaratri draws thousands of devotees, so plan for crowds that day.

Questions people ask