Swapneswar Mahadev temple, built in 6th-century, has been declared as a protected monument site by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The historic Lord Shiva temple is located at Punjiama village in Banpur block of Khurda district.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by…the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, the Central Government hereby declares that the ancient monument specified to be of national importance,” read a Gazette notification issued by the ASI earlier on July 2.
Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, who is also looking after the endowment commission, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and G Kishan Reddy for their special contributions in preserving the ancient temple of the state.
In a post from his X handle, Harichandan said his father Biswabhusan Harichandan, back in 1977-78, when he was the then Minister of Culture in Odisha, has entrusted the responsibility of the temple to the state endowment commission for its maintenance and protection.
However later, the shrine fell into a state of neglect. But, after Prime Minister Modi assumed the charge at Centre, the ASI initiated the process of taking over the responsibility of the temple, the Law Minister of Odisha said.
“After the formation of the double-engine government in Odisha in 2024, through the relentless efforts of the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the process was expedited, and it has now been officially declared a ‘protected monument’ by the ASI,” he further said in the post, which originally is in Odia language.
"ଦୀର୍ଘଦିନ ଅପେକ୍ଷାରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣଛେଦ ପଡ଼ିଲା।"
ମୋ ନିର୍ବାଚନ ମଣ୍ଡଳୀ ଅନ୍ତର୍ଗତ ଆମ ବୀର ଐତିହାସିକ ବାଣପୁର ମାଟିର ଗାରିମା କୀର୍ତ୍ତିରାଜି ଆଜିକାଲିର ନୁହେଁ, ଏହାର ଇତିହାସ କିମ୍ୱଦନ୍ତୀ ସର୍ବ ପୁରାତନ। ଏହାର ଅନେକ ଉଦାହରଣ ରହିଛି ଆମ ଇତିହାସରେ। ଇତିମଧ୍ୟରୁ ଖ୍ରୀଷ୍ଟାବ୍ଦ ୬ଷ୍ଟ ଏବଂ ୮ମ ଶତାବ୍ଦୀ ସମୟର ଶୈଳୋଦ୍ଭବ ରାଜବଂଶର ରାଜଧାନୀ… pic.twitter.com/7fysLsOeNW— Prithiviraj Harichandan (@PrithivirajBJP) July 5, 2025
The Swapneswar temple, a rare relic of Odisha’s ancient architectural and spiritual heritage, is believed to have been established during the Shailodbhava dynasty in the 6th century.
