Joranda Gadhi, Mahima Dharma temple at three-village intersection in Dhenkanal, India
Joranda Gadhi is a Mahima Dharma temple located at a three-village intersection in Dhenkanal, with a central shrine dedicated to Sunya Brahma. The sanctuary contains no physical idols or images, creating an empty sacred space meant for internal focus.
The temple was built in the early twentieth century on a site where a shrine had stood since the fourteenth century. This location marks the Samadhi Peetha of Mahima Goswami, linking two periods of spiritual practice.
Mahima Dharma followers gather at this place to direct their prayers toward the sun direction as a focused point of concentration rather than sun worship itself. The practice reveals how the community uses the temple as a spiritual anchor in their daily lives.
The temple complex sits about 24 kilometers north of Dhenkanal town and offers lodging for ascetics who follow the rule of staying no more than two nights in one place. Visitors should expect simple accommodation in a quiet, remote setting.
During the annual Magha Purnima festival in January or February, many ascetics gather at the temple to perform traditional Mahima Dharma rituals. This festival transforms the usually quiet site into one filled with active spiritual practice.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
