Maa Samleswari Temple

Samleswari Temple is a Hindu temple in Sambalpur, Western Odisha, dedicated to the goddess known as 'Samleswari', also known among the natives as "Samlei Maa", meaning Mother Samleswari. Shree Shree Samleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur, is a strong religious force in western part of Odisha and Chhattisgarh state of India. On the bank of the river Mahanadi the mother goddess Samleswari is worshipped from ancient times as Jagatjanani, Adishakti, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati, and is the mother of the universe. The region in which the temple is situated has a rich cultural heritage. Sambalpur region is popularly known as Hirakhand from ancient times. Ptolemy has described the place as Sambalak, according to Tavernir, the French explorer, and Edward Gibbon, the English historian, diamonds were exported to Rome from Sambalpur.
The temple is of Sandhara order (These types of the temples have a square sanctum enclosed by a gallery of pillars meant for Pradakshina). Thus, the Sandhara temples have a Pradakshinapatha is built of a kind of stone durable as granite, cemented with lime mortar, the whole building is plastered, but in the course of time the surface has become mouldy. The temple comprises two separate structures. The square sanctum sanctorum enshrining the deity is four step below the covered circumambulation, which is supported by 12 stone pillars. Eleven "parswa devis" (side Goddess), are embedded on the outer wall of the sanctum, so that the devotees can worship those deities during parikrama through the vaulted circumambulation. The Idol of Shree Shree Samlei Devi consists of a large block of Granite rock with an inverted, trunk like projection at the bottom. The devi's idol inspires sublime sentiments of awe, fear, reverence, devotion, love and affection towards all-pervading motherhood.
She is worshiped with a great care and devotion by the natives in her temple, famously known as the samleswari temple. Among the varieties of festivals observed before the goddess throughout the year three festivals are observed prominently. The first two are "navaratri puja" during the months of March and April and during the months of September and October. The goddess is dressed differently each day representing each of the navadurgas, this is called Beeja. Among these two "Navaratri" "pujas" (nine days continuous worship of the goddess) the second one is observed with a great splendour and devotion. The third festival which is said to be the chief festival of the whole western Odisha region is "Nuakhai". In this festival, the farmers offer the first produce from their lands to the goddess before using it for their use.