Lokanath Temple

At a separation of 2 km from Sri Jagannath Temple and 4.5 km from Puri Junction, Lokanath Temple is an antiquated sanctuary situated in the town of Puri. Committed to Lord Shiva, it is a standout amongst the most imperative Shiva sanctums of Odisha and furthermore one of the prevalent spots to visit in Puri. 

The directing god of this eleventh century sanctuary is Lord Lokanath as lingam. As indicated by history, the lingam in this sanctuary was set up by Lord Rama. While Lord Rama on his approach to Sri Lanka for seeking Sita achieved Puri and sat with a pledge to see Shiva here. Around then, there was a town named Sabarapalli close-by introduced him a Lau or Lauka Pumpkin resembling a Shiva linga. Ruler Rama introduced that as a copy of Siva linga at that place and asked Shiva to satisfy his want. Therefore the sanctuary is called Laukanatha and later named as Lokanath Temple.