Indralath Temple, one of the revered temples in Balangir district, is situated in Kantabanji block near Ranipur-Jharial in the Indian state of Orissa. Lord Shiva is the presiding deity of the temple. It is deemed that Shiva was first worshipped here by Lord Indra who also built a temple.
Architecture of Indralath Temple
The ancient Indralath Temple has been entirely made of brick. The usage of brick for construction purpose and its style of architecture depicts that the temple has been built in the 10th century. Excepting the temple structure, its jagamohana and other portions are in ruined state. The vimana of rekha deula order is in accurate state. A Shivalingam has been installed in the innermost sanctum of the temple. Other images of Lord Vishnu, Kartikeya and Uma-Maheshwara have also been established in the sanctum. The old Shivalingam made of sandstone had been installed outside the temple. Besides these, the images of Narasimha and Lord Ganesha illustrate that temple served as a centre of Harihara worship.
Every year the temple celebrates the Shivaratri festival with great enthusiasm attracting pilgrims from different corners. Apart from this several other festivals of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are also celebrated by the temple authorities. The daily worship of the deities is done by the appointed priests of the temple.
Presently the temple is maintained and preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India. Indralath Temple is well connected by different modes of transport. Tourists can avail the buses plying from different cities for the temple. The town is easily accessed by railway from Raipur and Balangir.
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