Samaleswari Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Veer Surendra Sai Airport at Jharsuguda, about 62 km away.

• By train

  Sambalpur Junction (SBP) is a major station and the headquarters of the Sambalpur railway division.

• By road

  National Highway 55 links Sambalpur with Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, and State Highway 15 links it with Sonepur.

Why devotees come here

Samaleswari Temple stands on the banks of the Mahanadi River in Sambalpur, Odisha. She is the town's presiding deity. After Jagannath, she is the only deity in Odisha said to preside over such a vast region.

Samaleswari is the presiding deity of Sambalpur, also called Samalei Maa. Devotees have worshipped her since ancient times as Jagat Janani, Mother of the Universe, and as Durga, Mahalaxmi, Mahasaraswati and Adishakti. Her religious hold reaches across western Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

The temple is of the Sandhara order. Its square sanctum is enclosed by a gallery of pillars for walking the circuit, and the sanctum sits four steps below the covered walkway that 12 stone pillars hold up. Eleven side goddesses are set into the sanctum wall, so devotees can worship them on the circuit.

The idol is a large block of granite with a trunk-like projection at the bottom, and a traditional Sambalpuri gold nose ornament hangs from her face. The temple is described as a 16th-century shrine. An area of 39 acres around it was redeveloped, and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the redeveloped temple.

Festivals

• March and AprilChaitra Navaratri

  One of the two Navaratri pujas each year. On the first day of Navaratri she wears white attire, called Dhabalamukhi.

• September and OctoberAshwin Navaratri

  The second Navaratri, observed with great splendour and devotion. She is dressed differently each day to represent one of the Navadurgas.

Tips for your visit

• The redeveloped complex has a pilgrim boarding house, a park and a cafeteria.
• A museum was added in the redevelopment.

Questions people ask