On the bank of the Mahanadi at Sambalpur in Odisha stands the Maa Samaleswari temple, the presiding deity and guardian Mother of the city — indeed, from whom Sambalpur takes its very name. The Goddess is worshipped as Samaleswari, a powerful form of the Divine Mother, honoured for centuries as the tutelary deity of the Chauhan rulers of the region.
A great centre of Shakti devotion in western Odisha, the temple draws immense crowds, especially during the Nuakhai harvest festival and Durga Puja. Maa Samaleswari of Sambalpur is among the most venerable and beloved Devi shrines of Odisha.
