Markandeswar Temple stands beside the Markandeswar tank in the old quarter of Puri, north of the Jagannatha Temple. It is dedicated to Shiva and is one of the five Shiva shrines of Puri known as the Pancha Pandava. The place is linked to the sage Markandeya, who is said to have meditated here on Shiva. The tank is counted among the Pancha Tirtha, the five sacred waters of Puri, and its steps are used for rituals such as pinda dana for ancestors.
quick facts
- district
Puri
- dress code
Ethnic or traditional dress is customary.
know before you go
do
- Remove footwear before entering the temple compound
- Keep your voice low inside the shrine
- Follow the guidance of the temple servitors
- Make room for devotees who are praying
avoid
- Do not climb on the structures or touch the carvings
- Do not litter the compound or the tank
- Do not block the doorways while others wait to worship
how to reach
The temple is on Markandeswar street beside the tank, north of the Jagannatha Temple within Puri town. It is reached from Markandeswar chowk by the road that runs to the Puri-Brahmagiri road. Puri railway station is the nearest station.
address: Markandeswar Sahi, beside Markandeswar tank, Puri, Odisha
history and significance
why it matters
The temple is one of the Pancha Pandava Shiva shrines of Puri, along with Lokanatha, Yameswar, Kapalamochana and Nilakantheswar. Its tank is one of the Pancha Tirtha of Puri, the five sacred waters visited by pilgrims.
The association with the sage Markandeya, a devotee of Shiva who is spoken of in the Puranas as having overcome death, gives the place a particular meaning for ancestral rites.
history
According to tradition, the sage Markandeya meditated on Shiva here. He is said to have seen a small child floating on a banyan leaf on the sea, and Vishnu later resolved his doubt about this vision. This is a legend told about the site and is not documented history.
One account assigns the temple and its tank to the 12th century, when Puri was growing into a major pilgrimage centre, but this rests on a single source. The temple is also named in the list of five Shiva shrines said to commemorate the stay of the five Pandavas in Puri, a tradition recorded by M. M. Tripathy and cited in the Orissa Review. The exact date of the present structure is not established in the sources consulted.
what to see
The sources consulted give no details of the shrine itself. The adjoining tank is an open structure enclosed by a stone wall of dressed laterite blocks, with bathing ghats on its southern side.
rituals and festivals
Rituals such as pinda dana and mundan kriya are performed on the steps of the tank.
nearby
- Jagannatha Temple, to the south
- Markandeswar tank, one of the Pancha Tirtha of Puri, beside the temple
other temples nearby6
questions visitors ask
Who was Markandeya?
Markandeya is a sage and devotee of Shiva. According to tradition he meditated at this spot and saw a child on a banyan leaf floating on the sea.
What is the Markandeswar tank used for?
It is one of the Pancha Tirtha of Puri. Rituals such as pinda dana and mundan kriya are performed on its steps.
Which are the five Shiva temples of Puri known as the Pancha Pandava?
They are Lokanatha, Yameswar, Kapalamochana, Markandeswar and Nilakantheswar, according to M. M. Tripathy as cited in the Orissa Review.