The Architectural Enigma: The Mysterious Tilt of Huma
Perched on a rocky granite bluff along the southern bank of the Mahanadi River in Sambalpur district, approximately 25 kilometers south of Sambalpur city, the 17th-century Bimaleswar Temple at Huma is one of the most intriguing architectural curiosities in the world. Often referred to as the 'Leaning Tower of Pisa of Odisha', Huma is one of only two documented leaning temples in India (alongside the Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple in Varanasi).
What makes Huma unique and baffling to structural engineers is that the entire temple complex leans. The main sanctum tower (Vimana) leans noticeably at an angle of approximately 47 degrees from the vertical, while the adjoining Jagamohana assembly hall leans at a different angle, and the subsidiary shrines within the enclosed courtyard tilt in various opposing directions.
Despite this pronounced structural tilt, the crowning Amalaka stone, Kalasa finial, and sanctum chamber have remained stable and intact for over three centuries, defying gravity and resisting the powerful floods of the Mahanadi River.
Tame Kudo Fish Feeding from Temple Steps
At the rocky stone steps descending into the Mahanadi River behind the temple, visitors can hand-feed hundreds of wild, tame Kudo fish (Tor mosal mahanadicus) that congregate in the shallows. Local vendors sell puffed rice (Lia) and sweets. Under ancient religious taboo, capturing or harming the sacred Kudo fish is strictly forbidden, with legend warning that anyone eating them turns to stone.
The Scientific Debate: Fluvial Undermining or Intentional Design?
The cause of Huma's leaning posture has sparked intense debate among geologists, civil engineers, and historians. Some researchers hypothesize that the tilt was unintentional, caused by differential settlement of the rocky riverbank foundation due to subterranean groundwater flow or seismic micro-tremors along the Mahanadi rift valley over centuries.
However, detailed surveys conducted by architectural historians reveal that the interior sanctum floor remains perfectly horizontal and plumb, despite the exterior wall leaning heavily outward. This remarkable engineering anomaly strongly suggests that the 17th-century Kalinga masons deliberately designed the temple with an intentional tilt—perhaps to counterbalance the fierce kinetic pressure of annual monsoon flood currents that strike the promontory.
Whatever the geological truth, the temple has stood securely without any progressive widening of the tilt since modern records began, protected today as a State Protected Monument under the Odisha State Archaeology department.
Historical Foundations: The Cowherd Legend & King Baliar Singh
The historical establishment of the temple traces back to King Baliar Singh (1660–1690 CE), the fifth Chauhan monarch of Sambalpur. According to local folklore, a humble milkman (Gau-rakshak) crossed the Mahanadi River daily to graze his cattle on the rocky islet of Huma.
He observed that one of his cows regularly stopped at a natural black stone outcrop on the rock bank, spontaneously pouring her milk over the stone. Astonished, the milkman investigated and discovered a self-manifested stone Shiva Lingam concealed beneath river pebbles. When King Baliar Singh learned of the miracle, he personally visited the site and commissioned master stone masons to erect the present stone temple, consecrating the deity as Lord Bimaleswar.
The temple follows the classical Kalinga Rekha Deula style with distinct Chauhan adaptations, constructed from local granite boulders and lime-surkhi mortar that has withstood centuries of river exposure.
Uneven Tilted Stone Courtyard & Slippery River Rocks
The temple courtyard slopes visibly, which can cause slight disorientation. Exercise caution while walking on the tilted stone pavers, and avoid stepping onto wet, moss-covered river rocks along the Mahanadi during high water flows.
The Sacred Kudo Fish: Living Guardians of the Mahanadi Ghats
A charming and extraordinary living tradition at Huma is the presence of the sacred 'Kudo' fish (Tor mosal mahanadicus, a species of large freshwater Mahseer). In the deep, rocky pool of the Mahanadi River immediately bordering the temple steps, hundreds of these massive silver-scaled fish live in absolute fearlessness of human presence.
When pilgrims descend the stone bathing ghats and clap their hands or call out, dozens of large Kudo fish—measuring up to three to four feet in length—rush to the water surface, poking their heads above the water to eagerly consume puffed rice (Lia), sweet laddoos, and dough balls offered by hand.
Under ancient village taboo, capturing, netting, or eating the Kudo fish is strictly forbidden. A local legend warns of a greedy village woman who once caught a Kudo fish and attempted to chop it on a stone cutting board; the fish miraculously leaped back into the river while the woman and her cutting stone were turned to solid rock. A stone carving depicting this petrified woman can still be seen near the river steps.
Visitor Planning, Rural Excursion & Travel Routes
Huma is located 25 km south of Sambalpur city along the scenic Sambalpur-Sonepur highway. Private taxis and auto-rickshaws reach the village in approximately 35 minutes, winding through peaceful rural countryside flanked by green paddy fields and mango groves. Frequent local buses also operate between Sambalpur bus station and Huma.
The temple is open daily from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM with free entry. Early morning or late afternoon visits are ideal, when the golden sun reflects off the Mahanadi River and the leaning silhouette of the temple casts dramatic shadows across the rocky riverbank.
A visit to Huma is the perfect complementary excursion to a Sambalpur heritage tour. Combine Huma with the Maa Samaleswari Temple in Sambalpur (25 km north), the monumental Hirakud Dam (35 km north), and the vibrant handloom weavers' villages of Bargarh.
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