Sureswari Temple stands in Sonepur, the temple town of Subarnapur district, on the left bank of the Tel River just southwest of its meeting with the Mahanadi. Wikipedia calls it one of the oldest Shakti shrines of the region, and most people of western Odisha are said to be devotees of Maa Sureswari. The Orissa Review describes her as the presiding deity of the fort of the Chauhan king Achal Singh Deo, who is credited with building the temple.
quick facts
- district
Subarnapur
- dress code
Ethnic or traditional dress is customary.
know before you go
do
- Take time to see the Tel and Mahanadi confluence area nearby
- Ask the temple priests which form of the goddess is enshrined
- Respect the shrine as an active place of worship
avoid
- Do not enter the river at the confluence without local guidance
- Do not touch the sanctum image
- Do not litter in the temple town
how to reach
history and significance
why it matters
Sureswari is a Shakti shrine and a central goddess of Sonepur. The Orissa Review describes her as the presiding deity of Subarnapur district, and her main festival is held at Dasahara.
history
The exact founding date is not known, and the time of installation of the deity is hard to determine. The Orissa Review says Devi Sureswari was the presiding deity of the fort of the Chauhan king Achal Singh Deo, who built the temple. An ASI-linked heritage record dates the present temple to the 17th century without a precise date. Sources therefore differ on the date, and it should be treated as unsettled.
what to see
Accounts differ on the sanctum image. An ASI-linked record describes an eight-armed Mahishasuramardini Durga known locally as Suresvari, while the Orissa Review describes a six-armed standing image of Kali. No further structural detail was found in the sources consulted.
nearby
- Subarnameru Temple and Rameswar temple, other landmarks near the Tel and Mahanadi confluence
- The confluence of the Tel and the Mahanadi, northeast of the temple
questions visitors ask
Where is Sureswari Temple?
It is in Sonepur, the temple town of Subarnapur district, on the left bank of the Tel River, southwest of where the Tel meets the Mahanadi.
Who built the present temple?
A government source credits the Chauhan king Achal Singh Deo, in whose fort Sureswari was the presiding deity. The founding date of the shrine itself is not known.
What is the main festival?
The Orissa Review names Dasahara as the main festival of Devi Sureswari.