Lingaraja Temple
5KM per person
| Bhubaneswar |  |
Lingaraja Temple | ≈ 20Mins |
| Bhubaneswar |  |
Lingaraja Temple | ≈ 15Mins |
Entry fee : Free
Vehicle : Rs. 20/-
Actually, the temple is divided into four parts, the Garbh Griha, the Yajna Shala, the Bhoga Mandap and the Natya Shala respectively. In the Garbh Griha (Sanctum Sanctorum), the lingam of Lord Shiva is regarded as ‘Swayambhu’ (Self-originated) and it is worshipped as both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. On the main entrance, one can see a trident (Lord Shiva) and Chakra (Lord Vishnu) on the either side of the door. The concord of the two sects can be seen here, where the deity is worshipped as Hari-Hara. The term ‘Hari’ refers to Lord Vishnu and ‘Hara’ refers to Lord Shiva.
This massive image of ‘Linga’ appears to be of granite stone. The ‘Lingam’ is bathed with water, milk and bhang every day. Apart from Garbh Griha, the ‘Nata Mandir’ provides a hint for its close alliance with the devadasi tradition. Besides the Lingam, the parsva devta adores the site, where Lord Ganesha, Lord Kartikay and Goddess Parvati are placed in different directions. All the images are huge and present an excellent workmanship of the artists. The images are festooned with rich draperies and ornaments.
Lingaraj Temple depicts the rich legacy of Indian culture and traditions. The colossal temple attracts thousands of devotees and pilgrims to its doorstep every year. The spiritual ecstasy offered by the temple is worth feeling for once.
The largest temple of Bhubaneswar is Lingaraja. This is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihar. Harihar is considered a form of Shiva and Vishnu. This temple is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar. This temple is the main temple of Bhubaneswar city and is one of the main tourist attractions of the state.
The central tower of the temple is 55 meters long. This temple looks at medieval stages of the architectural tradition of Bhubaneswar. The people of this place believe that this temple built by the kings from the Somavamsi dynasty, with later additions from the Ganga rulers.
According to some accounts, the temple is believed that Somavamsi king Yayati 1 (1025-1040) was built during the 11th century. Jajati Kesari shifted her capital from Jajpur to Bhubaneswar, which is called Brahma Purana, the Ekam region in an ancient scripture. One of the Somavamsi queens donated a village to the temple and the liberals from the Brahmins attached to the temple gave liberal donations. An inscription from the year 1094 (1172 CE) indicates that there are gifts of gold coins in the temple by Rajaraja II. Another inscription from Narasimha from the 11th century indicates that the beetle gives copper to the leaves as Prasad deity.
Other stone inscriptions in the temple indicate a royal grant from Chodaganga to the surrounding villages.
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Lingaraja Temple
The festival is celebrated in February month every year when thousands of devotees visit the temple. Apart from a full day of fasting, on this auspicious day, the leaves of the vine are presented for Lingaraj. The main celebrations occur at night when devotees pray overnight. Devotees usually break their fast after Mahadeepa (a huge lamp) is lit on the top of the temple.
