Gupteswar - the hidden cave temple of Lord Shiva in Odisha


Gupteshwar is one of the famous Shiva temples of Southern Odisha (Orissa) which is located inside a cave. The Shiva Linga is a 'swayambhu' (natural one) exists from old ages. This is just an attempt to explore the worth visiting places in the state Odisha.

Introduction


Odisha is rich in cultural heritage and noted for pilgrim centers throughout the state apart from its abundant forest resources. It is well known for its traditional cultures and places of mythological importance. When people hear the word 'Odisha', everyone would spontaneously recall the famous Sun temple at Konark and Lord Jagannath temple at Puri and the world famous Rath Yaatra. But many more temples of historical importance do exist in this state.

About the shrine


One of them is the important cave shrine of Lord Shiva situated on a lime stone hill, on the bank of the river Kolab. This temple is located in a very densely populated forest covered by natural scenery in Dandakaranya region. This is a naturally formed 'rock' in the form of a 'shiva linga' in the cave. For centuries, it went unnoticed and the local tribal king found this during his hunt and identified the 'hidden god'. As it literally meant that 'Gupta' means 'hidden' and the God identified as Eswar being in the form of Shiv Linga – this place has become famous as Gupteshwar. Some people do believe that the God has come in the dream of the king and he went in search of this "linga" and found in this place.

People from adjacent Chattishgarh call this 'Gupta Kedar' and worship the God with great devotion. This place figures in Ramayan and has its traditional association with the great epic and has become a Centre of Pilgrimage in the neighboring tracts of Orissa and Chattisgarh . The cave shrine is noticed at a height of 151 metres higher than the surrounding countryside.

Main shrine of Lord Shiva inside the cave


main shrine of Lord Shiva inside the cave
Image Source:http://scraps.oriyaonline.com/blog/tag/lord-gupteswar/

After Darshan of Lord Shiva there is a way by the side to visit further inside the cave which is formed of the geological formations 'the stalagmites' and 'the stalagnites'. As this area is inside deep forest and there is no facility to stay here. It is yet to be developed as a tourist spot though hundreds of people visit this place regularly. The Maoist activities may be a cause of concern for the lack of development of this place. Those who like trekking, can reach through a forest tract which starts from the east of the Ramagiri Hill up to a distance of 19 km.
As this place is considered as an alternate Jyotirlinga, the Gupteswar temple draws over two lakh devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh apart from the state, during Maha Shivaratri.

How to reach Gupteshwar


There is no direct public transport to Gupteshwar and one has to hire a taxi from Koraput or Jeypore and road connectivity to this place is very good. It is at a distant of 80 K.M from Koraput and 55 K.M from Jeypore. Nearest Airport - Bhubaneswar (700 kms.) and Nearest Railway Station - Koraput (P.H.)
Those who want to stay, it is better make arrangement of stay at Jeypore or Koraput and continue their sightseeing of nearby places of Koraput.

Conclusion


As it is surrounded by dense green forests, gurgling mountain streams and the serene river Kolab, Gupteswar should have found a spot on the tourism Map of the country. But, for the people of Jeypore and its surroundings , this famous shrine place has become a picnic spot.


Article by Jagdish Patro
Jagdish Patro is a freelance writer and a regular contributor to ISC and other websites. Fond of reading books, novels and spends his leisure time by listening to music. He did his B.Sc in Applied Chemistry and his M.Sc in Resource Development Technology. He edited and published an in-house monthly journal by name ‘Srujana’ during 2009-2011 which was totally a private circulation.

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Comments

Author: Jagdish Patro19 Mar 2014 Member Level: Gold   Points : 10

This is a ‘swayambhu linga' in a rock form and the shrine of Lord Shiva in the cave situated on the bank of the river Kolab. The location of the temple is in the thick forest of the Dandakaranya region. The natural formation of rock in the form of a 'shiva linga' in the cave went unnoticed for some centuries. A tribal king found this during his hunt. While chasing a wild animal, he entered this cave and identified the 'hidden god'. The God is known by the literal meaning that 'Gupta' means 'hidden' and ‘Eswar' being the god in the form of Shiv Linga. Thus, the combination of Gupta and Eswar has popularly known as Gupteshwar and became famous in Odisha. Another story is prevailing that the God has come in the dream of the king and he went in search of this "linga" and found the huge rock ‘linga' in the cave.

The neighboring people from Chhattisgarh have strong faith in this god and call this famous temple as 'Gupta Kedar'. Thousands of people from Chhattisgarh visit Gupteshwar during the month of ‘Kartik' and on ‘Maha Shivaratri' and worship the God with great devotion. This place has been referred in Ramayan. It is believed that Lord Sri Ram has visited this place during his stay in Dandakaranya during his exile. Thus it has its traditional association with the great epic and has become a pilgrim Centre for Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

While going through the forest towards the cave shrine, Maa Taruni, the local goddess of the tribes is worshipped as people believe that she protects them and the forest region before proceeding to Gupteswar temple which is located at a distance of just two kilometres.

Though the area is a place of scenic beauty and with a nature's flow of water through the river Kolab, this is a Maoist prone area.The densely populated forest gives us a thrill and enjoy the beauties and bounties of nature. Of late, the hectic activities of the Maoists and the the gun battle between the Cobra/CISF forces and Maoists resulted in isolation of this region. Pilgrims are advised to visit between 9 AM to 5 PM so that they return to the nearest spot of Jeypore.



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