Bhubaneswar Panchu Pandav Caves Temple, Odisha

Address

Bhubaneswar Panchu Pandav Caves Temple, Badagada Brit Colony, Pandav Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751018, India

Diety

Shiva

Introduction

Bhubaneswar Panchu Pandav Caves Temple is Located in the east of Bhubaneswar city, Panchu Pandav Caves for rock-cut Hindu and Buddhist caves. Recently renovated to some degree by the ASI, the site consists of three sets of rock-cut excavations in a row, all with a modern brick-built porch and painted a deep red. They are thought to have been created sometime in 5th or 6th century A.D. Two of the caves are completely empty and locked, seemingly used for storage purposes. The final cave has been converted into a temple dedicated to Shiva. Legend has it that the five Pandav brothers (Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva and Yudhisthira) stayed in these caves during their Mahabharata era exile. An almost identical legend is associated with the Panchu Pandava Temple in Ganeswarpur, 50km north-west of here. The caves adopted their name from this legend, as has the local area in Bhubaneswar which is known as Pandav Nagar.