Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
Huma is a small hamlet, which is located on the left embankment of the River Mahanadi. This hamlet is positioned nearly 23 kms southern part of the Sambhalpur at the beautiful state of Odisha, India. Inside this hamlet, there is an eminent temple which is devoted to deity Shiva. This temple of deity Shiva was built in 1670 AD. This leaning temple was constructed by the ruler known as Baliar Singh who was the 5th ruler of the kingdom of Chauhan of Sambalpur, Odisha, India. This ancient temple is well recognized as Huma’s Leaning Temple, as this temple is not standing straight and is little skewed to the one direction. In fact, more or less the whole thing contained by the temple compound is tilted.
Other than this beautiful leaning temple, there is a special type of red colored fish that can be witnessed here, which is popularly known as the Kudo fish. These Kudo fish are consider to be very docile because they eat sweets and many other kinds of foods from people’s hand who come here to take bath near to this leaning temple. These Kudo fishes are one of the many attractions, which draw maximum attention of visitors to come to visit this leaning temple. No one here tries to grab hold of these Kudo fish as these fish are considered to be one of the gifts of the almighty. The visitors can feed these Kudo fish as well, which have turned out to be extremely nice pets for many years. To feed these Kudo fish is an act that is believed to be very holy by the devotees.
During special occasions these fish have been called by the names that are given to them and the God’s offering is given to them. This is considered as one of the important activities of this leaning temple. In addition, the travelers can also take pleasure in the boat ride inside the Mahanadi River to a number of small islands.
History of Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
There is a fascinating history connected with the establishment of this Huma temple. In accordance with the local people, a milkman was there, he used to roam across the river Mahanadi for worshiping deity Shiva. That milkman used to give milk to deity each day. One day, he got surprised by seeing that, the idol which was made up of rock, consumed that milk which was offered by milkman. This unbelievable incident cemented way for construction of this present leaning temple.
The Structure of Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
This temple is situated on rocky cradle presently on the embankment of the Mahanadi River. The source of the leaning can’t be understood to be technical defects at the period of the building of this temple. It is not simply acceptable as well that the weak groundwork might be the reason for the leaning condition of this temple in Huma. In fact, building of temple is pretty favorite of the rulers of the Chauhan as known from countless temples that were constructed during the reigns of Chauhan Kings.
There may have been some interior dislocation of rocky bed at which this temple is standing, either because of flood current inside the Mahanadi River or earthquake, therefore, by affecting straight position of this original temple. In different word, the base of this temple has moved away to some extent from the original arrangement of this temple and because of which, the structure of this temple has skewed. No denying of the fact is there that it has captivated the interest of the sculptures, history lovers and many other researchers.
A most amazing thing is that, the chief temple is skewed to one side and the other little temples are also skewed to various other directions. Inside the temple compound, each thing is witnessed to be like in a tilted state which includes the borders and also the direction of the inclination has not altered from the time of last 40 to 50 years in accordance with the local people of that village and the priests of this leaning temple. The cause of this lean might be because of some geological cause, may possibly because the earth’s outer layer is not level in this structure of this temple. The position of the inclination is until now to be calculated.
Festivals Celebrated in Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
During the month of March, the annual festival of the leaning temple is celebrated with great enthusiasm. This festival is popularly called as Shivratri. This festival is celebrated in order to show respect to the deity Shiva who is the main deity of this leaning temple. Shivratri is believed to be the chief festival of this temple. During the celebration of Shivratri, a grand fair is also organized in this leaning temple of Huma. Other festivals which are also celebrated in the leaning temple of Huma are, Sombati Amavasya, Navratri etc.
Best Time To Visit Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
The
finest time to come to this leaning temple is from October to March. As
during this time the weather condition of Huma remain pleasant and also
many fairs and festivals are organized in the temple during this period
of time like the Shivratri which is among the significant festival for
the main deity of this temple which is the deity Shiva.
How To Reach Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
By Road – Huma is about 23 kms towards the southern direction of Sambalpur, Orissa. Huma is well linked with Sambalpur and other cities and towns of Orissa by Road. After reaching Huma one can easily get to the leaning temple which is inside the village of Huma.
By Rail – The closest railway station from Huma is Sambalpur railway station. Outside the railway station taxis and cabs are there by which one can easily get to the leaning temple in Huma which is only 23 kms away.
By Air – The closest airport to Huma is Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar is approximately 290 ms away from Huma. Outside the airport one can easily get taxis and cabs which will take them to their desired destination that is the famed leaning temple in Huma
Other than this beautiful leaning temple, there is a special type of red colored fish that can be witnessed here, which is popularly known as the Kudo fish. These Kudo fish are consider to be very docile because they eat sweets and many other kinds of foods from people’s hand who come here to take bath near to this leaning temple. These Kudo fishes are one of the many attractions, which draw maximum attention of visitors to come to visit this leaning temple. No one here tries to grab hold of these Kudo fish as these fish are considered to be one of the gifts of the almighty. The visitors can feed these Kudo fish as well, which have turned out to be extremely nice pets for many years. To feed these Kudo fish is an act that is believed to be very holy by the devotees.
During special occasions these fish have been called by the names that are given to them and the God’s offering is given to them. This is considered as one of the important activities of this leaning temple. In addition, the travelers can also take pleasure in the boat ride inside the Mahanadi River to a number of small islands.
History of Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
There is a fascinating history connected with the establishment of this Huma temple. In accordance with the local people, a milkman was there, he used to roam across the river Mahanadi for worshiping deity Shiva. That milkman used to give milk to deity each day. One day, he got surprised by seeing that, the idol which was made up of rock, consumed that milk which was offered by milkman. This unbelievable incident cemented way for construction of this present leaning temple.The Structure of Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
This temple is situated on rocky cradle presently on the embankment of the Mahanadi River. The source of the leaning can’t be understood to be technical defects at the period of the building of this temple. It is not simply acceptable as well that the weak groundwork might be the reason for the leaning condition of this temple in Huma. In fact, building of temple is pretty favorite of the rulers of the Chauhan as known from countless temples that were constructed during the reigns of Chauhan Kings. There may have been some interior dislocation of rocky bed at which this temple is standing, either because of flood current inside the Mahanadi River or earthquake, therefore, by affecting straight position of this original temple. In different word, the base of this temple has moved away to some extent from the original arrangement of this temple and because of which, the structure of this temple has skewed. No denying of the fact is there that it has captivated the interest of the sculptures, history lovers and many other researchers.
A most amazing thing is that, the chief temple is skewed to one side and the other little temples are also skewed to various other directions. Inside the temple compound, each thing is witnessed to be like in a tilted state which includes the borders and also the direction of the inclination has not altered from the time of last 40 to 50 years in accordance with the local people of that village and the priests of this leaning temple. The cause of this lean might be because of some geological cause, may possibly because the earth’s outer layer is not level in this structure of this temple. The position of the inclination is until now to be calculated.
Festivals Celebrated in Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
During the month of March, the annual festival of the leaning temple is celebrated with great enthusiasm. This festival is popularly called as Shivratri. This festival is celebrated in order to show respect to the deity Shiva who is the main deity of this leaning temple. Shivratri is believed to be the chief festival of this temple. During the celebration of Shivratri, a grand fair is also organized in this leaning temple of Huma. Other festivals which are also celebrated in the leaning temple of Huma are, Sombati Amavasya, Navratri etc.Best Time To Visit Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
The
finest time to come to this leaning temple is from October to March. As
during this time the weather condition of Huma remain pleasant and also
many fairs and festivals are organized in the temple during this period
of time like the Shivratri which is among the significant festival for
the main deity of this temple which is the deity Shiva.How To Reach Leaning Temple of Lord Shiva at Huma
By Road – Huma is about 23 kms towards the southern direction of Sambalpur, Orissa. Huma is well linked with Sambalpur and other cities and towns of Orissa by Road. After reaching Huma one can easily get to the leaning temple which is inside the village of Huma.By Rail – The closest railway station from Huma is Sambalpur railway station. Outside the railway station taxis and cabs are there by which one can easily get to the leaning temple in Huma which is only 23 kms away.
By Air – The closest airport to Huma is Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar is approximately 290 ms away from Huma. Outside the airport one can easily get taxis and cabs which will take them to their desired destination that is the famed leaning temple in Huma
Where To Stay
As Huma is a small hamlet, so, the closest options for the accommodation of the tourists and the devotees are in Sambalpur city, which is only 23 kms away from Huma. A huge number of hotels and guests houses are there in Sambalpur. These hotels range from luxury hotels to budget hotels. Some of these are given below:- Hotel Sheela Towers – This
is a renowned hotel in Sambalpur. This hotel is located at a vital
location and is very near to the railway station and the closest bus
stand. This hotel is offering secured and peaceful accommodation to all
its guests. This hotel is having all the modern in room amenities. This
hotel is offering world class facilities at reasonable prices.
For more information contact them at – 0663-2403111-14, 0663-3203111
- Panthanivas –
This is a budget hotel and is positioned at the central location of
Sambalpur. The staffs of this hotel are very friendly and offer peaceful
accommodation to all its valued guests. This hotel is designed keeping
in mind both the leisure travelers as well as pilgrims. This hotel is
having all the latest facilities such as parking, laundry, television
and many more.
For more information, please contact at – 0663-2411282, 0663-2411296
- Hotel Saket –
This hotel is one of the well liked hotels of Sambalpur. This hotel is
located at a vital location in Sambalpur and is very close to the
nearest bus stand. This hotel is an ideal choice for the pilgrims going
to visit the leaning Huma temple as this hotel is offering secured
accommodation at reasonable prices. This hotel is offering huge range of
commendable services to its esteemed guest.
For more information, please contact at – 0663-2402346
Some Fundamental Instructions
- If devotees visit this temple during summers then light cotton clothes are advisable for them as the temperature goes to a maximum of 46 degrees during summer.
- It is better to use Sun tan lotion during day time to protect the skin from Sun burn.
- It is better to use sun glasses during day time to protect the eyes from the heat of the Sun.
- It is better to use caps to protect the head from the sun rays because the sun rays are very cruel at day time during the summer season in Huma, Orissa.
- The visitors can also keep an umbrella with them which is a better option to keep them away from the atrocious rays of the sun.
- The visitors should wear simple and traditional dresses before entering to the temple and should avoid western dresses.
- They should not take their pets along with them to the temple as pets are not allowed within the compound of the temple.
- If the devotees are planning to visit this temple in winters than they should keep woolen clothes with them because in winter the temperature in Huma all of a sudden falls to a minimum of 8 degrees
- In winters one should keep moisturizers with them to protect the skin from dryness as the climate of Huma remains very dry during winters.