On the 5th day of our Odisha Bike Trip we travelled from Bhawanipatna (Headquarter of Kalahandi district) to Jeypore (Koraput District) and Gupteswar Cave Temple (at some 60 km distance from Jeypore town). Once a princely state, Bhawanipatna is famous for its royal palace carrying remains of its past glory. The day we reached Bhawanipatna was the last day of Durga Puja, a day of grand celebrations in “Maa Manikeswari Temple” inside Bhawanipatna palace premises, with the presence of the king himself. To avoid huge public gathering on this occasion, temporary lockdown has been declared in Bhawanipatna, which caused us much trouble.
In South Asia it is believed that the lands of Kalahandi district and Koraput district were the ancient places where people started cultivation of paddy. In ancient time it was known as Mahakantara (meaning great forest) and Karunda Mandal, which means treasure of precious stones.
After Bhawanipatna, we crossed the picturesque Ampani Hills through smooth serpentine roads and entered Nabarangpur district, which borders the Kalahandi and Koraput districts.
After reaching Jeypore, without wasting time we started for the famous Gupteswar Cave Temple (dedicated to Lord Shiva) at the border of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. It is a limestone cave, and its main attraction is the gigantic Shiva Linga which is said to be increasing in size. Popularly known as "Gupta Kedar" in the vicinity, this sacred place is associated with Shri Rama of the epic Ramayana. The nearby hill has been named "Ramagiri". According to mythology, the lingam was first discovered by Lord Rama when he was roaming in the then Dandakaranya forest with wife Sita and brother Laxman, and later worshipped it calling it "Gupteswar". The poet Kalidas too, described the scenic beauty of Ramgiri forest where the cave temple is referred to in his famous Meghadutam.
However, with the passing of time, the temple was abandoned. Later in the 17th century, the Shiva lingam was discovered by a hunter who then informed about it to Maharajah Veer Vikram Dev, the king of the region who recently moved his capital from Nandapur to the newly formed city of Jeypore. Consequently, the king started a tradition of making a foot journey to the cave of Lord Gupteswar during the holy month of Shraavana which goes to this day.
The beautiful Shabari river flowing beside the temple marks the border of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Unfortunately the main cave and temple was closed due to lockdown, but the strange limestone formations of two other caves in vicinity - Swargadwar Cave & Parabeda Cave - mesmerised us.
The road from Jeypore to Gupteswar is just picture perfect and will steal your heart for sure. The steep Dokri Ghati ascend through the hilly forest roads will test the capacity of your vehicle. The Jagannath Sagar reservoir within the city of Jeypore also adds to its beauty. Overall the days ride was a wonderful experience to remember.
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Негізгі бет Odisha Bike Trip 2020 | Day 5 | Bhawanipatna to Jeypore and Gupteswar Caves
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