Ghanteswari Temple is situated on the banks of the
Mahanadi River, about 35 km south-west of
Sambalpur, in
Orissa. Goddess Ghanteswari is the presiding deity. The prime attraction here is innumerable bells of different sizes and shapes, which are believed to have existed here from a very early period even before the erection of this temple. The wind blows quite heavily here and those bells served as a warning against strong wind for sailors who traveled via this place in olden times. Ghanteswari Temple is believed to have been built by those sailors. Later, the temple and its surroundings with this bevy of bells came to be known as 'lighthouse without light.'
