Baladevjew Temple, Ichhapur – Legends

Baladevjew Temple, Ichhapur – Legends

Tulasi Kshetra:

As per legend, the demon king Kandarasura was ruling over the area around Lalitagiri and Alatigiri mountain ranges. Lord Balabhadra defeated him in a pitched battle. After suffering defeat at the hands of Balabhadra, the demon king left the place and went to Kapilash mountain as he was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He lived in disguise in the nearest mountain range.

Lord Balabhadra thoroughly searched the demon everywhere in the hill and could not able to locate him. Finally, he ploughed the hill with his plough as a result of which one perennial spring emerged from the hill. The spring came to be called as Langal Siar Jharana (spring of the plough). Finally, he engaged the demon and killed the demon in a fight and threw his body all over nearby places by cutting it into pieces.

It is generally believed that the scattered body pieces fell at Asureswar named after the head (Aswa Sira), Balagandi named after the trunk (Gandi of Aswa), Kamar Khandi named after the waist (Kamar Khanda) and Navi Khanda named after the naval (Navi Khanda). It is also believed that the Shiva temples of Swapneswar at Kantia, Lankeswara of Gualisingh, Bileswar of Kagal were founded by Baladeva over the face, neck and waist of the demon respectively.

Balagandi, the place where the trunk of Kandarasura had fallen came to be called as Kandara Padi. Later it got corrupted to Kandharapara / Kendrapara. It is said that Lord Balabhadra first killed Madhudaitya, the chief military general of Kandarasura at Lalitagiri before killing the demon Kandarasura through his war weapon plough. The blood gushing out from the body of the general formed a river named Madhusagar (now called as Gobari river).

It flow towards east by the side of Kandarasura Menhir and finally reaches the sea. Lord Balabhadra married Tulasi, the only daughter of Kandarasura on the 12^th day of the bright fortnight in the month of Magha. This event is celebrated every year as Tulasi bibaha day (marriage day of Tulasi) in this temple. The place where this marriage was performed came to be called as Tulasi Kshetra. The deity of Tulasi Devi is worshipped in a temple nearby village Gochha on the northern side of the road from Kendrapara to Ichhapur.

Siddha Baladev Jiu:

As per legend, Lord Balabhadra established himself as a deity to be worshipped here before his departure to his abode. The deity was worshipped by devas at the door of Patalpuri (Lalitagiri) in Dwapar Yuga. When Buddhism started to spread in this area during Kali Yuga, the deity was hidden under the water of Madhusagar (Gobari River). Gopal Siddha Das, a cowherd discovered this idol near Siddha Sarobar. Since then, this deity is worshipped at Kendrapara. The deity came to be called as Siddha Baladev Jiu after the name of Gopal Siddha Das.

Other Names:

The place was called as Tulasi Kshetra, Gupta Kshetra, Brahma Kshetra, Kandarapadi, Gupta Brindaban Baladeba Kshetra and Manibigraha Kshetra.