Gupteswar, one of the famous Shiva temples of south Odisha, witnessed over 50,000 devotees from different parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on the occasion of the Mahashivaratri. lord Gupteswar is the presiding deity here. The uniqueness of the site is an amalgamation of modernity with tradition. People can witness shades of tribal tradition and culture in the shrine and the rituals performed here.
The Government had not made any special arrangement for the comfort of the devotees and safe conduct of the festivities. Since it is a Maoist affected area, police personnel were seen standing guards. The locals have demanded site development, besides converting the Gupteswar road to a State highway.