Bhubaneswar, Nov. 6: Dhabaleswar, a well-known Shiva shrine on a beautiful island on the Mahanadi river near Cuttack, attracts more than 15 lakh devotees a year. However, during panchuka, or the auspicious first five days of the month of Kartika, and bada osha (another auspicious occasion for fasting) more than 10 lakh devotees visit the shrine.

There are many interesting stories about the origin of Dhabaleswar and the Lord’s love for his devotees. But, the most famous one perhaps is regarding a person from the neighbouring village, who was mistaken by fellow villagers as a thief and he took shelter at the Dhabaleswar temple.

He had a black calf, over which another villager laid claim. When the villagers chased the former, he came to the temple as he was having an osha. Surprisingly, the villagers found that the calf has turned white. They went back and asked the other villagers to check facts before blaming another person. From that day, people say that Lord Shiva of the temple was referred as Dhabaleswar as he turned black to white. White in Sanskrit and Oriya is referred to as dhabala.

Though the temple architecture seems to be of recent origin, the artefacts show the creations of the 10th century AD. Therefore, historians think that the temple is an ancient structure and could have been renovated later owing to periodic damage following natural calamities.

A tourist can either take the water route by ferrying across the Mahanadi river or the suspension bridge from the other side of the river (Athgarh-end). While the distance of Dhabaleswar from Cuttack via two ferry ghats is about 5km, from the Athgarh-end via the suspension bridge (jhula pola in Oriya) it’s around 37km.

Temple priest Dhaneswar Patri, whose family has been engaged in worshipping the temple lord for several generations, said: “History, apart from the love for Lord Shiva, is more important and therefore, people from all states of the eastern India and other regions visit the shrine. Though Shivratri and bada osha are two major festivals, Dhabaleswar mela, too, attracts huge crowd between January and February.”

Sub-divisional public relations officer Brahmanand Rout said: “Dhabaleswar has added glory to the development of tourism in the Cuttack region. It has also got a huge potential to be developed into a major watersports complex. After visiting the Shiva temple, the tourists can also visit the historic Barabati Fort in Cuttack and go to nearby Choudwar, Chhatia, Naraj and Chandikhol for sightseeing.”

The island, on which the temple is situated, is beautiful and the view of the bridge and the river from the island is also breathtaking. One can even go for a personal boat ride. However, during festivities, availability of country boats is not possible because of restrictions.

The Orissa Tourism Development Corporation has a Panthasala (tourist home) at Dhabaleswar, where a dormitory costs Rs 30 and a twin-sharing bed comes for Rs 100. It also has water scooters and two boats for the travellers. However, sources said the corporation was going to privatise the services and a Cuttack-based private tour operator might take charge. The charges will certainly go up manifold after the takeover.

On the other hand, to monitor the large crowd and ensure a systematic organisation of all the religious activities, the local endowment officials have decided to collect Rs 2 each from every devotee reaching the temple via the suspension bridge. There are four gates to check and streamline the movement of people on the bridge as people can only walk down on the structure. The administration hopes to spend a portion of the collected revenue for maintenance of the bridge, which is suspended from two poles on both the ends of the river. It has also fixed the prices for ferry ghats and other parking fees near the bridge.

At a coordination meeting, local sub-collector and the endowment authority Trilochan Pradhan has urged officials of the fire service department, Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force, Orissa Police and divers to be on alert as the congregation of large crowd could lead to a mishap. Closed-circuit television cameras will also be installed at various locations.

Other places of interest

Choudwar: A tourist can also visit places such as Barabati Fort in Cuttack and shop for filigree work as the Millennium City is famous for the art. Choudwar is a growing industrial hub and was once the capital of the Somakuli Keshari rulers.

Eight prominent Shiva shrines were established by the dynasty in and around Choudwar.

According to ancient literature, it was the capital of Virat, the brother-in-law of Kichaka of Mahabharat fame. The Pandava brothers with Draupadi perhaps took shelter in Choudwar during their exile. Choudwar is 10km via road and 5km by waterway from Cuttack.

Chhatia: Though locals call it Chhatiabata, it is the sacred place of pilgrimage as it is a shrine of Lord Jagannath. Historians have found archaeological remains of Amaravati Kataka, one of the five most favoured forts of Chodaganga Deva, an erstwhile ruler of Orissa. Chhatia is 30km by road from Cuttack.

Naraj: Though Naraj is known for its barrage over the Mahanadi river, historians link it to many prominent places of Buddhist culture and learning.

A tourist can have a beautiful view of the Mahanadi and the origin of the Kathjodi river from a distance. Naraj is 15km from Cuttack by road.

Chandikhol: A well-known picnic destination surrounded by green hills and perennial streams, the Mahavinayak temple and ashram of Baba Bhairavananda are two major crowd pullers.

From here, one can also take the expressway (Daitari to Paradip) to see the famous Buddist sites of Ratnagiri, Udayagiri, Lalitgiri, Langudi, Tarapur, Vajragiri, Kayama and Deuli. Chandikhol is 40km from Cuttack by road.