Baladevjew Temple
About Baladevjew Temple
The Baladevjew Temple, also known as Tulasi Kshetra, stands as one of Odisha's most important pilgrimage destinations, ranking second only to the Jagannath Temple in Puri. The original temple was destroyed during the Mughal era in 1661, but devotees secretly transported the sacred idol via the Gowari River and preserved it until the current structure was constructed in 1761 CE during Maratha rule by King Gopal Sandha and Srinivas Narendra Mahapatra with assistance from saints Gopi Das and Sairatak Giri. Built in traditional Kalinga architectural style, the main temple stands approximately 75 feet tall and houses sacred stone idols (Mani Vigraha) rather than wooden ones, meaning the Nabakalebara ritual is not performed here. The temple complex includes shrines dedicated to Lakshmi, Shiva, Ganesha, Navagraha, Bhairavi, and Tulsi Devi. Daily worship follows the Shodash Upachar tradition similar to Jagannath Temple, and the temple is renowned for its Rasabali prasad, a traditional Odia sweet offering.
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