Local communities staying near the Laxmi Narayana Temple in Cuttack believe that an idol of the mythical bird Garuda installed in the temple premises expands with time
Cuttack: With many mythical places in its kitty, Odisha has some of the most unique and gripping stories in store for tourists and locals alike. Mansinghpatna of Cuttack houses one such site: Laxmi Narayana Temple under Mastaram Math.
The shrine houses an idol of the mythical bird ‘Garuda’. It is the centre of attraction of the site as locals believe that the size of the idol increases with each passing year.
Interacting with Orissa Post, travel enthusiast Deepak Kumar Nayak, who recently visited the historical temple, said, “I discussed about the belief with Prakash Kumar Jethy, the trustee of the temple trust board and head priest Jagannath Panda. They said that even though Lord Narayana and Goddess Laxmi are the presiding deities, the idol of Garuda is the main attraction of the place.”
The shrine has some resemblance with Alaranath Temple of Brahmagiri and Nilamadhava Temple of Kantilo. “Even though it is just a mythological belief of the local people, I have never seen a 5ft high granite idol of the mythical bird Garuda,” said Nayak.
In 1594, Rajput King Raja Man Singh who was the hero of Mughal conquest over Odisha was appointed as the Subahdar (Governor) of Bengal, Bihar & Odisha by Emperor Akbar. During one of his visit to Cuttack, Man Singh met one famous Sadhu (holy man) named Mast Ram Baba who was living there in those days.
Man Singh was deeply impressed with the devotion & religious dedication of Mast Ram Baba and donated land in the name of his Matha in Cuttack. Sadhu Mast Ram also showed interest in building a temple dedicated to Lord Narayana and Goddess Laxmi in the Matha premises. As per his wishes, Man Singh donated huge funds to build this temple.
After the temple was built, one night Sadhu Mast Ram dreamt about a huge Garuda sculpture which was kept somewhere inside the Barabati Fort. The Baba and his followers were able to locate the idol, brought it to the Laxmi Narayan temple and installed it in front of the main shrine.
State Archaeology Department maintains the temple. The remnant of the old Mast Ram matha is found in the backend of the temple. The Trust board of the temple wished to convert it into a Mandap to be used for marriages and other social functions. However, the archaeology department rightly opposed to the move and is currently reviving its original glory.