AHIRABANDH JAGANNATHA TEMPLE COMPLEX
Location : Sector-3 Rourkela, Orissa
Temples : Shmambhu Vaidyanath Temple, Sri Jagannatha Hanumanji Temple, Parvati
Temple & Sitala Devi Temple
Presiding Deity : Lord Shiva

The Jagannatha Temple Complex that lies in Sector-3 of Rourkela is known as
Ahirabandh Jagannatha Temple.

Legend Of Ahirbandh
Once upon a time there was a village called "Ahirabandh". One of the villagers
use to worship a stone in the middle of the village. One 'Narasingha Rath' an
officer of the police department constructed the "Shambhu Vaidyanath Temple" on
this spot and began to worship the stone.

Later Dr. Srinivasan constructed "Nabagraha Temple", "Sri Jagannatha Hanumanji
Temple" in the vicinity of Vaidyanath temple. Then Sri S. Samal constructed the
"Parvati Temple".

A contractor set-up the "Dwadesha Sambhu Temple". Munda Majhi and Kapil Panda
carried the idles of Lord Jagannatha, Balbhadra and Subhadra from Tumkela and
placed them in a cottage of Ahirabandh. The car festival of Ahirabandh is being
celebrated regularly from that year.

The Steel Plant was established. Sectors were built-up but Ahirabandh remained
as neglected as before. However some righteous people constructed the
magnificent Jagannatha Temple there.

The Traditions
The local people in imitation of rules of the Puri temple observe thirteen
festivals, in twelve months. Recently, some South Indian Hindu devotees have
constructed a beautiful Aiyappa Temple in this complex. There is arrangement
for "Prasada Sevana" in the temple complex.

In addition to this a priest named Mr. Shasibaman Pani has installed one
"Sitala Devi temple" in 1972. Since then devotees have worshiped this Goddess.