• Jan 25 2016
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Lokanatha Temple

Loknath Temple (locally called Shri Lokanatha Mandira) lies only about 2 km from the sacred Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri. It is one of the holiest shrines in Odisha that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Odisha since time immemorial has been a place, where Shaivism has always flourished.

An interesting aspect of this shrine is that its innermost sanctum houses a Shivalinga, which is visible only once in a year. The reason being is that the entire sanctum including the Shivalinga gets filled with water by a natural fountain, all through the year. It is only on the night of Pankoddhar Ekadashi - three days prior to the Shivaratri festival - all the water from the sanctum is bailed out, and the Shivalinga becomes visible. Thousands of devotees throng to the temple during the festival to worship the Shivalinga.

Even though the Shivalinga is visible only once during the year, devotees offer flowers, beetle and bilva leaves, honey, sandal paste, flowers, milk, coconut water and curd to it throughout the year. The mixture of these and the water from the natural fountain decompose, and as per local belief, this decomposed mixture has a special essence and has great medicinal value and anyone who drinks this water is cured of incurable diseases.