Sakshigopal Temple, also called Satyabadi Gopinatha Temple, stands in Sakhigopal village in Satyabadi, Puri district, on the Bhubaneswar-Puri highway. It is dedicated to Krishna as Sakshi Gopala, Gopala the witness, and also holds an image of Radha. Tradition tells that the deity walked from Vidyanagar to bear witness to a promise of marriage. The temple is in the Kalinga style, and it is known for the Anla Navami festival, when devotees come to see the feet of Radha.
quick facts
- district
Puri
- best time to visit
Anla Navami, the ninth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Kartika, draws very large crowds.
- 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 in Sakhigopal village on the Bhubaneswar-Puri highway, which is part of National Highway 316, and can be reached by road from both Puri and Bhubaneswar.
address: Sakhigopal, Satyabadi, Puri district, Odisha 752014
history and significance
why it matters
Sakshi Gopala is among the best known Krishna shrines of Odisha. The name rests on the story of the deity who bore witness, sakshi, to a promise. Many pilgrims to Puri add the temple to their journey.
A distinctive feature is that offerings of food are made with wheat rather than rice, a practice described as unusual among Vishnu temples.
history
Two accounts of the origin are told. In the Odia folk version, a poor young man loved the daughter of a village headman. During a pilgrimage to Vrindavan he nursed the sick headman, who promised him his daughter. Back home the headman denied the promise and asked for a witness. The god Gopala agreed to come as witness on the condition that the young man must not look back. Near a sand mound the young man stopped hearing footsteps and turned, and the deity became stone at that spot. The couple was married, and the young man became the first priest.
The Gaudiya Vaishnava version, found in accounts of Chaitanya's visit, tells of two Brahmins of Vidyanagar. The deity bore witness there, and later King Purushottama Deva of Odisha, after defeating the king of Vidyanagar, brought the deity and installed it near Puri. These are traditions and not documented history, and the sources consulted give no date for the present temple, which is described only as medieval.
what to see
The temple is built in the Kalinga style of Odisha. The sources consulted give no further details of the structure.
rituals and festivals
Anla Navami is the best known festival. Devotees touch the feet of Radha, and large crowds attend. According to the local story, the temple once had no Radha image, and the festival began when the feet of the installed image became visible beneath an Odia saree.
Food offerings are made with wheat instead of rice.
nearby
- Jagannatha Temple, Puri, on the same highway corridor
other temples nearby4
questions visitors ask
Why is the deity called Sakshi Gopala?
Sakshi means witness. According to tradition, Gopala agreed to witness a promise of marriage and became stone when the young man looked back.
What is Anla Navami?
It is an annual festival at the temple, held on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Kartika, when devotees touch the feet of Radha. Very large crowds attend.
What is unusual about the offerings?
Food offerings are made with wheat rather than rice, a practice described as exceptional among Vishnu temples.
