Akhandalamani Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and had located in the village of Aradi in Orissa, India. It is 37 km from Bhadrak. Akhandalamani Temple timings are from 05:00 am to 08:00 pm.
Overview of Akhandalamani Temple
Contents
- 1 Overview of Akhandalamani Temple
- 1.1 Which river is near Akhandalamani Temple?
- 1.2 How far is Bhadrak from Aradi Akhandalamani?
- 1.3 Who built Akhandalamani Temple?
- 1.4 What food is Bhadrak famous for?
Earlier, the temple was 50 feet high with cement and concrete, but the present-day temple had made of wood, and this change in temple structure probably took place from 1830 to 1840 AD. Located on the banks of river Baitarani, this temple is the home of Lord Shiva. Srinarasimhapratap Kumar built the temple’s central shrine, while the temple’s boundary walls had made by a saint named Sridarshan Shekhara Das.
The latest addition to the temple was named Bhogamandapam, and the temple administrative office in the complex had built by the government. Orissa Government Department of Tourism has constructed Panthanivas in the temple complex of Aradi. The government of Orissa has taken many initiatives for the maintenance of the temple and also sanctioned a fantastic amount for the maintenance of the temple.
Many festivals had celebrated in the Baba Akhandalamani temple complex. The main festival celebrated here is Mahashivratri. Devotees from all over the state visit and worship the deity in Akhandalamani during Aradi.
During the month of Savanna, devotees gather in large numbers at the temple, offer their prayers to the deity and worship by pouring holy water on the lingam. Devotees bring the sacred water used for worship with a bamboo stick from India’s holy rivers like Ganga, Baitarani, Mahanadi, Salandi etc. The place is very close to the Bay of Bengal, so the possibility of humidity is very high in this region almost every time.
History of Akhandalamani Temple
The history of the temple dates back 350 years. During the reign of Raja Sri Niladri Samara Singh Mahapatra, he asked one of his farmers to cultivate the paddy fields on the banks of the river Baitarani.
During the cultivation, the farmer’s cultivator was startled to see a black glassy granite stone drenched in blood towards the Baitarani river when he went to investigate what the material was complex and curious.
He got scared and ran to the king, and King Neeladrisamar Singh came to the scene in a moment to find out what his farmer had found, but to his surprise, he saw that the blood replaces with milk and a giant black cobra.
He sat lifting its hood. The same night the king had a dream where the god Akhandalamani came to the place. The next day everyone in Niladri Samara Simhamohapatra king’s clan, including the king, worshipped the god with complete faith, and they decided to build a temple out of wood.
All the people living in the surrounding villages worshipped this deity. The worship of Akhandalamani is up of five Brahmins who the king called to look after all the temple’s upkeep.
The present-day temple at Aradi believes built by the Konika king and queen Srihariharabhanjand and Satyabhamapatha, respectively. The temple is 150 feet high. The materials used to construct the temple were from the Lalithagiri Hills near Chandikhol.
Festivals at Akhandalamani Temple
Baba Akhandalamani Temple has many festivals, the most important of which is Mahashibaratri or Jagara. On this day, pilgrims and devotees from all over the state flock to Aradi to worship Akhandalamani.
Devotees of Bolbam, also known as Kaudia, gather in large numbers during the Shravani festival in the month of Shravan to worship the deity and pour holy water on the Shiva Lingam.
Other festivals celebrated at Akhandalamani Temple include
- Pana Sankranti
- Chandan Jatra
- Shiba Vivah
- Jhulana Yatra
- Ganesh Puja
- Durga Jayanti
- Puja
- Kalipuja
- Diwali
- Kartika Purnima
- Geetha
- Dola Jatra and others.
Pradhan Prasad of Baba Akhandalamani: This prasadam has many different ingredients that we usually use to make pana on Pana Sankranti, but this prasadam is offered to Baba as Akhandalam every day.
Timings
Akhandalamani Temple timings are from Morning 05:00 am to Evening 08:00 pm.
| Days | Morning Timings |
| Monday | 5 am to 8 pm |
| Tuesday | 5 am to 8 pm |
| Wednesday | 5 am to 8 pm |
| Thursday | 5 am to 8 pm |
| Friday | 5 am to 8 pm |
| Saturday | 5 am to 8 pm |
| Sunday | 5 am to 8 pm |
Nearby places to visit
Maa Badrakali:
One of the famous temples of Goddess Bhadrakali had located on the outskirts of the revenue village of Ahopada.
Ma Dhamrai:
Dhamrai Goddess Temple is a small coastal town-ship at Dhamra, where the river Dhamra had located.
Shri Beeranchinarayana:
Sri Biranchinarayana Temple had located at Palia village, 15 km south of Bhadrak, the way from Bhadrak.
Eram (Raktathirtha):
This famous sacrificial place had located 16 km from Basudebpur in the Bhadrak district.
The entry point to Bhitarakanika:
Bhitara Kanika was under the erstwhile Kanika estate.
Sri Radha Madanmohan Temple:
This temple is very popular among tourists. It is a widely visited temple in the district. The unique feature of this temple is that there are more than five hundred old garments of Sri Chaitanya.
Where to stay near Akhandalamani Temple?
- Partha Sarathi Lodge
- Aranya Nivas (OTDC)
- Atadi Nana Hotel
- Bhitarkanika Eco Resorts
Address
At/Po, Distbhadrak, State Orissa, Odisha, Aradi, Bhadrak – 756138.
How to reach?
By train:
There is no central railway station near Aradi and no rail line closing the Cuttack railway line, which is 98 km from Aradi. Tourists can hire a cab from the railway station to reach Aradi.
By air:
The nearest airport is Bhubaneswar, which is 130 km away.
By road:
The city is well connected to other major cities of Orissa state.
Local transport:
The temple can reach by boat from Chandabali crossing the Baitarani River. Chandrabali also has a ferry ghat.
FAQs
Which river is near Akhandalamani Temple?
This famous temple, the abode of “Lord Shiva”, is located on the banks of the Baitarani river at Aradi, 37 kilometres (23 mi) east of Bhadrak district headquarters via Asurali, Kothara and Dhusuri.
How far is Bhadrak from Aradi Akhandalamani?
It is 40 km from Bhadrak and 136 km from Bhubaneswar.
Who built Akhandalamani Temple?
History of this temple About 370 hundred years ago, during the reign of King Sri Niladri Samara Simha Mahapatra, a small temple named Baba Akhandalamani had built.
What food is Bhadrak famous for?
Paluva Ladu – A sweet item, This dish had believed to have arisen from the Bhadrak district. The traditional recipe for this dish includes refined flour, Paula (arrowroot powder), semolina (semolina), water, oil, sugar and a pinch of baking soda.