Kapilash Temple
Encyclopedia
Kapilash Temple is situated in the north eastern part of Dhenkanal
town, Orissa
, India
at a distance of 26 km from the district head quarters.
in 1246 A.D as indicated in the Kapilash temple inscription. In the left side of the temple the 'Payamrta kunda'and in the right side the 'Marichi kunda' exist. The temple has a wooden Jagamohana. Sri Ganesh, Kartikeya, Gangadevi
, etc. are found in the temple. Patita pavana Jagannath
is installed in the temple as the 'Parsa deva'. Lord Vishwanath
temple is also situated in Kapilas. According to some scholars this temple is older than the Chandrasekhar
temple, hence it is known as 'Budha linga'. There are many legends about Kapilash pitha and its significance. Tradition describes it as the ashram of Kapila, to some scholars it is the second Kailash
of Lord Shiva
. Shridhar swami who wrote commentary on Bhagavata Purana
stayed there. There are some monasteries in the premises.
Dhenkanal, India
Dhenkanal is a city and a municipality in Dhenkanal district in the state of Orissa, India.-Geography:Dhenkanal is located at . It has an average elevation of 80 metres .-Demographics:...
town, Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
at a distance of 26 km from the district head quarters.
Location and architechture
The temples are situated at a height of about 2239 feet from sea level. The main tower of the temple is 60 feet tall. There are two approaches for the temple. One is by climbing 1352 steps and the other is 'Barabanki' or travelling by the twisting way.King Narasinghdeva I of Ganga Dynasty constructed the temple for Sri ChandrasekharChandrasekhar
Chandrasekhar or Chandra Shekhar is an Indian name and may refer to a number of individuals. Etymologically, the name comes from the Sanskrit words "चन्द्र ", meaning "moon", and "शेखर ", meaning "crest" or "crown" which is an epithet of Hindu god Shiva...
in 1246 A.D as indicated in the Kapilash temple inscription. In the left side of the temple the 'Payamrta kunda'and in the right side the 'Marichi kunda' exist. The temple has a wooden Jagamohana. Sri Ganesh, Kartikeya, Gangadevi
Gangadevi
Gangadevi, also known as Gangambika, was a poet in the Vijayanagara Empire during the 14th century and chronicled the story of the victory of her husband, Kumara Kampana, son of Bukka Raya I over the Muslims in Madhura in the form of a poem. The title of the eight chapter poem was Madhura...
, etc. are found in the temple. Patita pavana Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
is installed in the temple as the 'Parsa deva'. Lord Vishwanath
Vishwanath
Vishwanath is another name for the Hindu deity Shiva and literally means "Lord of the Universe".It may refer to:* Kashi Vishwanath Temple, important Hindu temple in Varanasi, India dedicated to Shiva...
temple is also situated in Kapilas. According to some scholars this temple is older than the Chandrasekhar
Chandrasekhar
Chandrasekhar or Chandra Shekhar is an Indian name and may refer to a number of individuals. Etymologically, the name comes from the Sanskrit words "चन्द्र ", meaning "moon", and "शेखर ", meaning "crest" or "crown" which is an epithet of Hindu god Shiva...
temple, hence it is known as 'Budha linga'. There are many legends about Kapilash pitha and its significance. Tradition describes it as the ashram of Kapila, to some scholars it is the second Kailash
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
of Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. Shridhar swami who wrote commentary on Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
stayed there. There are some monasteries in the premises.