Dhabaleswar Temple Cut off as Road Gets Washed Away by Heavy Mahanadi Inflow

Cuttack: The temporary road connecting Dhabaleswar temple in Athagarh, Cuttack district, Odisha has been washed away due to heavy water inflow into the Mahanadi river. As a result, the temple, situated on an island, is currently inaccessible to devotees. Previously, devotees could reach the temple by boat or the suspension bridge, but the bridge has been closed for repair work since November last year due to cracks detected by experts.

In light of the recent bridge collapse in Gujarat, where over 130 people lost their lives, the Cuttack administration decided to temporarily shut down the bridge that connects the city to the shrine. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in the vicinity. Virtual darshan was arranged for devotees during the two months of closure, and later, in January this year, the administration constructed a temporary road to allow visitors to reach the shrine.

To facilitate public ‘darshan’ of Lord Dhabaleswar, plans are underway to construct a fair weather bridge specifically for pedestrian use over the shallow water area near the river bank.