Samleshwari Mandir

Samleshwari Mandir is a Hindu temple located in Sambalpur city of Odisha state, India. This temple is situated on the banks of Mahanadi. 

Since ancient times, Goddess Samaleshwari has been worshiped as Adishakti, Jagatjanani, Mahasaraswati and Mahalakshmi. It is dedicated to Mata Samleswari and Sambalpur is named after her. Earlier Sambalpur was also known as Hirakhanda due to the diamond mines located near the areas of Sambalpur. SAMALEI (Samaleshwari Temple Area Management and Local Economic Initiatives) scheme was launched for Samaleshwari Temple in Sambalpur by Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik.

History of Samleshwari Mandir

• Raja Balram Dev, the king of Chauhan dynasty, built the temple of Goddess Samleswari in the 16th century AD. 
• Chhatra Sai Dev, the 7th independent king of Sambalpur, rebuilt the temple in 1657 to 1665.
• The goddess of Samaleshwari temple was then named as Samaleei as the temple was constructed under the Simuli tree.

Structure

• A special stone has been used as a building material in the construction of Goddess Samaleshwari Temple, which is considered to be much stronger than granite. 
• The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is square in shape, surrounded by a gallery of pillars.
• The sanctum sanctorum is situated on four steps with a 10 feet wide perimeter which is also supported by 12 stone pillars. 
• 11 idols of Parshva Devi are also installed on the outer wall of the sanctum sanctorum.
• The width of the platform of Samleshwari Mandir is about 16 feet.
• The arch of the temple of Goddess Samaleshwari is formed by eight abutments with an arched roof, which is about 18 feet in height and 35 feet in width.
• The temple has an audience hall, called the auditorium. 

About Mahanadi River

• Mahanadi River is the largest river of Odisha.
• This river is the third largest river in peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna. 
• Its catchment area extends to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
• Mahanadi originates from Rishikund Falls near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh state.
• This river flows through Korba, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Mahasamund of Chhattisgarh and entire western Odisha. 
• The total length of Mahanadi is about 858 km.
• It merges into the Bay of Bengal.
• Major Tributaries: Ibrahimi, Indravati, Tel, Jonk, Hiren, Mand and Gher are the major tributaries of Mahanadi.
• Many hydroelectric projects are established in Chhattisgarh and Odisha on Mahanadi like Hirankhund Dam, Chilka Lake etc. 
• Mahanadi basin has immense hydropower potential of 4.9 lakh MW.

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