Kapilesvara Siva Temple, Bhubaneswar: History, Timings & Visitor Guide

Kapilesvara Siva Temple is open every day, usually from early morning to late evening with a break in the afternoon. Darshan and aarti timings change with the season and on festival days.

• MorningOpens early morning (around 5 to 6 AM)
• AfternoonShort break around midday at many temples
• EveningEvening aarti around sunset, closes by about 8 to 9 PM

Ask the temple office on arrival for the day's aarti schedule.

Dress Code & Temple Rules

• DressModest, traditional clothes covering shoulders and knees
• FootwearRemove before entering; use the shoe stand
• PhotographyNot allowed inside the sanctum
• Not AllowedLeather items, tobacco, alcohol, non-veg food
• QueueFollow queue lines and staff instructions on festival days

The dominant feature of the temple is the 60-foot (18 m) high temple and its adjacent pond, surrounded by stone steps. The temple is a satellite of the main temple in Bhubaneswar, the Lingaraj temple. Both temples, like other temples in India are centres of social, political, and educational activities. Until the middle of the 20th century, the temple dominated the economic, political and ritual life of the place. The temple was built during 14th Century CE during Gajapati rule of Kapilendra Deva. Inscription of Kapilendra deva and other architectural sculptural fragments suggest the original temple could be earlier than 11th century CE.

Adi kapilesvara Siva Temple is located in the Kapileswara temple precinct and it is a living temple and facing west. The enshrined deity is a Siva lingam within a circular yonipitha (basement) made of black chlorite. The temple is surrounded by the precinct compound wall in east, Ghanteswar temple in west and Baidyanath temple in south. The temple has a vimana (shrine) depicting pancha ratha (five chariots) and a frontal porch. The gandi of the temple has set in three receding tiers. The mastaka consists of beki, ghanta, amlaka, khapuri, kalasa and ayudha.

The Baidyanatha Siva temple (Lat- 200 13’ 74" N., Long- 850 49’ 65" E., Elev- 45 ft (14 m)) is located in Kapilesvara temple precinct and the enshrined deity is a Siva lingam over a circular "yonipitha" (basement), made in sandstone. The temple is under the care and maintenance of Kapilesvara Temple Trust Board. According to local legend Lord Baidyanath is the god for curing ailments and diseases. So ailing people offer special prayer and surrender before the Lord when suffering from diseases. It was built around 18th century. The temple is facing towards west. There is an inscription on the lintel in the western wall written in Odia script. The inscription has seven lines paleographically. It can be ascribed to the 18th century.

Legend & Significance

According to the local legend this is the birthplace of Lord Shiva, who is considered as father of the Universe. He is also seen as the brain child of Brahma, an incarnation of Vishnu and Lord Shiva himself. Hence, it is a sacred place where the shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

On the first Saturday after the Sivaratri lord Lingaraja visits lord Sanisvara, whose temple is beside the Mandapa. After paying homage to lord Sanisvara, Lord Lingarajaa sits for a while in the Hazara Mandap. There he proceeds to meet lord Kapila, which is popularly known as Kasia-Kapila Bheta.

Architecture of Kapilesvara Siva Temple

The entire temple was renovated at a later date with the building materials of the original one. The temple has a vimana (shrine), jagamohana, nata-mandira and bhoga-Mandapa. The vimana is in rekha order, jagamohana is pidha and nata-mandira and bhoga mandapa (hall) are flat roofed and of later constructions. The vimana (shrine) measuring 11.40 metres (37.4 ft) in height has usual bada, gandi and mastaka. The lower potala has five tiers and the upper poatala has four tiers in pyramidal elevation.

The parsvadevata (other deities) niches located on the raha paga of the tala jangha on the three sides of north, west and south and enshrine Parvati, Kartikeya and Ganesha respectively. The Talagarvika below the niche is decorated with a series of Khakhara mundis flanked by naga nagi pilasters. The niche is flanked by two pilasters that are carved with Kirtimukha at the center of the pilaster and the niche is crowned by Urdhagarvika. The western raha niche houses four armed Kartikeya standing in tribhanga over a lotus pedestal with his upper left hand is holding a cattle drum, the upper right hand is holding a trident and while the major left hand is holding a cock and right hand is in varadamudra. The image is crowned by jatamukuta and at the corners there are flying Vidyadharas and diminutive male worshipers at the base of the pedestal. The northern raha niche houses a four-armed Parvati standing over a lotus pedestal. The image is partly damaged. She is holding lotus in her major left hand and naga pasa in the uplifted left hand, major right hand is in varada mudra and the uplifted right hand is broken. Flanked by two diminutive female attendants holding sakti, the image has jatamukuta. The southern raha niche enshrines a four-armed Ganesha standing in tribhanga over a pedestal. His right hand is holding an akhyamala (rosary), left hand a Parasu while the uplifted left hand is holding a Modaka patra the uplifted right hand holds a tusk. The image has a Jatamukuta.