Saptasajya in Dhenkanal

Apart from Kapilas Temple in Dhenkanal, another temple is quite famous ---Saptasajya meaning Bhagwan Bishnu's "sej" or bed. After 3 hours drive from Bhubaneswar we reached at this place crossing places like Naraj and Athagarh. Once we reached the Saptasajya Hill, though road is there upto a certain height, we preferred trekking up on the metalled road. On the foot of the hill we came across a small stream flowing down. After trekking up for 20 minutes you come across the temple. Since, we all were hungry ,surprise came when we saw a sole Shop near the Temple selling "Alu Chop ( Batata Wada)". To add on to the surprise there was "Dalma" which the shop owner had prepared for himself. Great. Then we came to know that there is another small Shiv Ling around 400 ft above this temple. Again we trekked up to the place passing through lush green forest and bushes of wild flowers. There was an Ashram on the top where a Babaji was sitting alone amidst dhyan. Going up we reached the place.... so cool...thick forest all around...sound of the same stream that we had come across near the foot of the hill was getting mixed with the chirping sound of Cuckoos. And the most beautiful part ---Stream after flowing down was directly falling on the Shiv Ling. No temple was there..but just a ling….

Mountain Spring directly falling on the Shiv Ling

Same spring flows down to the foothills

Just 10 ft above was the mouth of the stream coming out from below a rock. First time I saw the mouth of a stream. Anecdote is that there are some caves above this place where only the priest of the Saptasajya can go as Shiv Bhagwan himself stays in those caves guarded by Tigers…Another anecdote is that Pandavas of Mahabharat had rested here for some time…