Kapilesvara Siva Temple 3.2

The Kapilesvara Siva temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva located in the south western outskirt of the village Kapilesvara, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. It is located at the end of Kapilesvara road leading from Lingaraj temple to Kapilesvara Village. The presiding deity is a Siva-lingam at the center of a circular yonipitha inside the sanctum. It is a living temple, facing towards east and maintained by Kapilesvara Temple Trust Board. The temple is situated within the precinct along with 33 other monuments. The precinct is located on the northern embankment of Manikarnika tank over an area of 44.00 square metres.Tradition & legendsAccording to the local legend this is the birthplace of sage Kapila, who is considered as the father of Sankhya Philosophy. He is also considered as the brain child of Brahma, an incarnation of Vishnu and lord Siva himself. Hence it is a sacred place where the shrine is dedicated to Lord Kapilesvara Siva.The TempleThe dominant feature of the temple is the 60 foot high temple and its adjacent pond, surrounded by stone steps. The temple is a satellite of the main temple in Bhubaneswar, the Lingaraj temple. Both these temples, like other temples in India are centres of social, political, and educatioal activities. Until the middle of the 20th century, the temple dominated the economic, political and ritual life of the place. The temple was built during 14th Century A.D. during Suryavamsi rule of Kapilendra Deva. Inscription of Kapilendra deva and other architectural sculptural fragments suggest the original temple could be earlier than 11th Century A.D.