Gandhi Temple, Bhatara

Gandhi Temple built in 1974 is situated at Bhatara in Sambalpur district of the state of Odisha on the eastern coast of India.[1] This temple is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.[2] This is the first temple of India, dedicated to Gandhiji.

Gandhi Temple, Bhatara
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
Location
LocationBhatara, Sambalpur
StateOdisha
CountryIndia

History

In the 1960 decade Untouchability was still prevailing in Sambalpur. To stop this heinous practice of untouchability the villagers of Bhatara decided to construct a Gandhi Temple in their village.[3] Abhimanyu Kumar, a former legislator of Rairakhol assembly constituency too the lead and was supported by all the villagers. The foundation stone of the temple was laid on 23 March 1971 and the temple was formally open by then Chief Minister of Odisha Nandini Satpathy on 11 April 1974.[4]

Deity and temple rituals

A bronze idol of Gandhiji of height 3.5 ft is installed in the temple. Ashoka Stambha, the State Emblem of India is placed at the entrance of the temple. Tiranga, the tri-colour national flag of India is waved on the shikhara of the temple. The deity inside the temple is being worshiped by a dalit priest everyday. Gandhiji's favourite scriptures Bhagavad Gita and Ram Dhun are read every morning and evening. Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti are celebrated as special occasions here.[5]

Location

The temple is located within a distance of 500m from the National Highway No 53. Jharsuguda Airport is 61 km and Kshetarajpur railway station is 10 km away from the temple. The temple is well connected to the district headquarter of Sambalpur via road.

References
  1. "7 new sites to get tourist spots recognition in S'pur". www.dailypioneer.com. The Pioneer. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  2. "Mahatma Gandhi, Chinese Kali, and a Sachin Tendulkar temple: 10 unusual temples in India for the unconventional Indian gods". www.news18.com. News18. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  3. "Dalits build Gandhi temple in Sambalpur". www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  4. Subrat Mohanty. "Ramdhun to recall Bapu". www.telegraphindia.com. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  5. "Mahatma Gandhi Temple in Bhatra, Sambalpur". www.mysambalpur.in. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
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