Kedaragauri Temple

Kedaragauri Temple located behind the iconic Mukteswara Temple in the historic Old Town area of Bhubaneswar, Khurda District, Odisha, the ancient Kedaragauri Temple complex stands as one of the city's most revered Astasambhu (eight sacred Shiva) shrines. This unique 10th-to-12th-century heritage site houses two primary sanctuaries: the east-facing Gauri Temple, built in the rare Khakhara deula architectural style dedicated to Goddess Parvati (Gauri), and the south-facing Kedar Temple, a Kalinga-style shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva (Kedareshwar). Rich in folklore, local legends credit King Lalatendu Keshari with building the complex to honour the tragic, eternal love story of a village couple named Kedar and Gauri, while separate spiritual texts suggest the divine couple migrated here from Varanasi for absolute serenity. The temple compound is globally renowned for its perennial, healing holy water tanks—Khira Kund and Marichi Kund—and peaks in spiritual vibrant energy during Sital Sasthi, an annual mid-summer festival celebrating the grand, ritualistic wedding procession of Shiva and Parvati from the nearby Lingaraj Temple.