Naganatheswar Temple

Location

This temple belongs to sri sri Naganatheswar shiva, situated at village'Nagena' about 20 Km from Dhenkanal. It is the most ancient saiva temple and was constructed during the region of the Keshari dynasty. According to scholors Pandit Nagendranath Mohapatras'Naganath satakam it is one of the 12 yotir lingas. In the stotras of the 'Awashyotirlinga' one of the yotirlinga is in the Daruka-Vana or Neem forest.The neem forest is still there in the premises. Even Harisingh Vidyadhar who occupied the Dhenkanal fragmental temple for the darshan of Lord Naganath. The sloka of rdwadasha yotirlinga says that Naganath temple is situated in the southern most part of Anga Kingdom. It shows that some times in history that part kalinga touched Anga border. However, near it there is a debri of a fort which is still unidentified. Here river Brhamani turns to north which is as holy as the Gangas.