Sri Swapneswar Shiva Temple- Odisha

Address

Sri Swapneswar Shiva Temple- Odisha Niladri Prasad village, Khordha, Odisha 752055

Diety

Swapneswar

Introduction

“Swapneswar Shiva Temple,” is located about 20 kms away from Banapur city of Khurda district, in a small village called Niladri Prasad. Bankadagada gets mentioned in the texts of famous Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who is believed to have visited the Kingdom in the 7th century. The present day temple is a panchayatana temple, having four smaller subsidiary temples around the main temple, where a huge Shiva Linga is worshiped, as the presiding deity. Although, in ruins, it still reflects its architectural magnificence. Most of the figures carved in the temple walls are unidentified sculptures, from earlier period of temple building. There is a big stone slab found at the entrance to the temple that contains ancient Pali inscriptions along with a huge Sahasra Linga which is worshiped inside the subsidiary temple located in the north eastern corner of the temple. An Ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, constructed in 6th-7th Century CE during the tenure of Shailodbhavas dynasty rulers from Kalinga Kingdom.