Dhabaleswar, Hindu temple in Odisha, India

Dhabaleswar is a Hindu temple on a small island in the Mahanadi River in Odisha dedicated to Lord Shiva. The complex displays typical Kalinga architectural features with carved stone walls and a pyramidal roof over the main shrine.

Dhabaleswar Temple was built under the Somavamshi dynasty by King Yayati Keshari, and its stone carvings date to the early 10th and 11th centuries. The present structure was later renovated and repaired by the rulers of Athgarh State.

The name Dhabaleswar combines Dhabala (white) and Eeswar (God), from the legend of Shiva turning a black calf white to save a thief. Maha Shivaratri, Shitala Sasthi and Ashokastami are celebrated here, and Kartika Mondays draw large crowds. Devotees also offer pinda to ancestors, as at Puri's Jagannath temple, and the Bada-osha fair fills the island in Kartika.

The island lies 27 km from Cuttack and 52 km from Bhubaneswar, reached by bus via Chowdwar, Nuapatana or Mancheswar, or by boat from ferries near Cuttack. Odisha's first foot hanging bridge now links the island to Mancheswar; visitors pay a nominal fee to cross. Shops run by nearby villagers line the way to the bridge and the temple entrance.

The footbridge linking the island to Mancheswar is described in Odia sources as the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Asia; it was built by the Odisha government after years of boat crossings and accidents during Kartika. A government observation building stands near it.