Gupteswar
Cave Temple, Ramagiri
– Legends
Gupteswar Linga:
As per
legend, the Gupteswar Linga was discovered by Lord Rama in Dandakaranya forest during
his exile with his wife Sita and Lakshman in the region. The adjacent hill
opposite to the
cave is called as Ramagiri Hills. The poet Kalidas described the scenic
beauty of the forest around the Ramagiri Hills.
The
cave temple finds mention in his famous work Meghadutam. Over the time, the
shrine was abandoned, and the location of the Shiva Linga was lost. Later,
in the 19th century, a tribal hunter of the Durua caste rediscovered
the Lingam and informed the then King of Jeypore Maharaja Vikram Dev. The king built
the
current shrine and arranged for worship.
Lord Shiva appeared as Hunter to
the King of Jeypore:
As per
legend, Once, Maharaja Vikram Dev of Jeypore went for a hunting expedition in
the Ramagiri forest. He was chasing a deer and disappeared from his sight. He
found a
cave guarded by a hunter in the middle of the forest. The King went to the
hunter and enquired about the deer. The hunter informed the king that he did
not saw the deer entering into the
cave.
The
king went to a small waterfall near the
cave to quench his thirst. After drinking the water, the king decided to
take rest in the
cave. The king realized the presence of Lord Shiva in the
cave during his sleep. The king searched for the hunter and was not able to
find him. The king realized that the hunter is none other than Lord Shiva. He
decided to build a
temple for Lord Shiva and arranged regular worship.
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