Panchalingeswar Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar is about 190 km away.

• By train

  Baleshwar railway station is about 30 km away.

• By road

  Regular buses run from Bhubaneswar to Nilagiri and Balasore, and the temple is easily reached by road via Nilagiri.

On the way

• Lie flat on the rock parallel to the stream to reach the lingas, which sit inside a natural reservoir of water.
• A scenic trek through the hills leads visitors to the shrine.

Why devotees come here

Panchalingeswar is a revered hill shrine dedicated to Shiva, in the Nilagiri Hills of Balasore district. The temple takes its name from the five Shivalingas enshrined inside, and the deity is hidden behind a waterfall.

Panchalingeswar is a revered hill shrine dedicated to Shiva, set in the Nilagiri Hills of Balasore district. The temple takes its name from the five Shivalingas enshrined inside. The presiding deity cannot be seen, because the statue sits behind a waterfall. Visitors touch and feel it instead. The Shivalingas sit inside a natural reservoir of water in the stream. The forests, rolling hills and cascading streams around the shrine make the journey as memorable as the destination.

Legend says Sita, the wife of Rama, enshrined the Shivalingas during their exile. Another story holds that King Banasura worshipped the self-manifested lingas here because of the beauty of the place. The shrine is reached on foot, along a scenic trek through the hills. The temple lies about 27.7 km south west of Balasore, and Nilagiri is the nearest notified town.

Tips for your visit

• Visitors can offer prayers at the shrine, which is dedicated to Shiva.
• Visitors can walk along the forest trails around the shrine.

Questions people ask