Chandaneshwar Temple In Digha – A Must See Place in Digha

Chandaneswar Temple is a famous Shiva temple situated in Baleswar, Odisha. It is said to be one of the oldest temples in and around Digha. This temple is quite close to New Digha. It attracts tourists from all places because of its wonderful and ancient architectural structure and design. It is at a distance of 8 kms from New Digha. Those who are staying in different hotels in Digha can easily visit this temple as regular transport facilities like auto and cycle rickshaws are easily available from the New Digha bus stand. The place remains overcrowded on some special occasions like Maha Vishuva Sankranti, Uda Parba, Nila Parba and Chadaka Yatra days.

Chandaneswar Temple – An old dedicated shrine of Lord Shiva!

This temple of Lord Shiva is famous for its accessible location and is the center of worship for devotees of the deity. A black statue of Nandi is also a prime attraction of this holy temple. One can always find throng of devotees around the shrine and the temple bell starts ringing from the daybreak as the priests starts chanting mantras. Men and women start pouring in to offer flower, fruits, sweet and milk to the Lord.

Festive season at Chandaneswar

Large number of pilgrims visits this temple during Pana Sankranti, the first day of the Oriya Calendar. A fair is organized in the premises on the month of chaitra that is the last month of Bengali calendar, when people gather from around the world to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva. The Temple is well illuminated and looks wonderful to see. The place is generally over crowded during this festive season and a lot of activities can be seen. Some sing song while some meditate in front of the Lord. They do fasting for several days to fulfill their wishes. After a number of rituals like fasting, prayer and removing Paitas the festival continues. The fair goes on for seven or eight days after the rituals. Many scholars visit the place for religious discourses and to grace the occasion.

Best time to visit

Though the place is remains crowded throughout the year, however the best time to visit the temple is during the charakmela. Pilgrims come from all over the country, especially from neighboring states like Bihar, West Bengal and others. It is a wonderful sight to witness as the people flock together in order to serve their praying to the Lord. There is always a commotion everywhere in the temple. After offering prayers, one can return to Digha and stay in any family hotel in Digha.

So, we can conclude by saying that the Chandaneswar Temple is a must-visit for those who are planning to visit Digha and staying for a day or two. A day off from the beach devoted to Lord would be worth the time. After all the temple is a holy and sacred place that would make one conscious of the presence of Lord.