Ladukeswar

Ladukeswar, popularly Ladu Baba, is the Shiva of the Sarankul temple in Nayagarh district, about 14 kilometres from Nayagarh town and 100 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, on the Nayagarh to Aska road. The deity is worshipped as a joined form of Hari and Hara, Vishnu and Shiva. The shrine blends Kalinga and Dravidian styles and follows festival rituals similar to those of Lingaraj. Mahashivaratri, known locally as Jagara Yatra on Phalguna Shukla Chaturdashi, is the main festival and draws pilgrims from far afield.

According to tradition, the Sarankul deity is worshipped as a union of Hari and Hara, which reflects the long-standing Odia habit of joining Vishnu and Shiva worship, as at Lingaraj. The sources do not record a founding legend, and the existing community account of a cowherd who found a...