Surrounded by high walls on four sides, The
Lingaraja temple is one of the most famous
temples in Orissa. It is one of the best and splended
examples of the architectural exellence which the
artists had attained during 11th century. This temple
is also known as the Bhubaneswar temple. The outer
walls of the temple exhibit exemplary carvings. The beautifully sculpted images
of various God and Goddess are unmatched. The temple
tower can be seen from a long distance. The temple
complex has three parts and each part has one temple
each. Towards south of the entrance to main temple
is image of Lord Ganesha, at the back is the image
of Goddess Parvati and to north is Lord Kartikya.
There are about 600 temples in Orrisa, the biggest
and finest being the Lingaraj Temple. Lingaraj temple
was built in 617-657 A.D and its height is about
54 meters. It was Jajati Keshari who laid the foundation
of the Lingaraj temple and his great grandson completed
the work. This temple was constructed in the 11th
AD at the site of an old seventh century shrine.
The 'nata mandapa' (dance hall) and 'bhoga mandapa'
(offerings hall), were later added to the temple,
that has evolved over different historical periods.
By the time, the
Lingaraja temple was built, the Jagannath cult had
become widespread, throughout Orissa. The temple
is dedicated to Lord Siva the ‘Lingam’ here is unique
in that it is a ‘hari hara’ lingam-half Siva and
half Vishnu. there are 150 shrines within the immense
Lingaraja complex ,many of them extremely interesting
in their own right. This is exemplified by the fact,
that the presiding deity, here, is the Svayambhu
Linga - half Shiva, half Vishnu, a unique feature
of the temple. Almost all the Hindu gods and goddesses
are represented in this temple, mirroring the inherent
element of harmony within the religion.
History
Lingaraj temple was built in 617-657 A.D and its
height is about 54 meters.The Lingaraja temple is
said to have been built first by the ruler Yayati
Kesari in the 7th century who shifted his capital
from Jaipur to Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar remained
as the Kesari capital, till Nripati Kesari founded
Cuttck in the 10th century. Inscriptions from the
period of the Kalinga King Anangabhima III from
the 13th century are seen here.
Structurally, the
Parasurameswara temple at Bhubaneshwar is the oldest,
dating back to the middle of the 8th century, and
the Lingaraja is temple is assigned to the 10th
century. The nata mandir and the bhog mandir of
the Lingaraja temple are of later origin
Architecture
The outer walls of the temple exhibit unparalled
carvings. The beautifully carved and sculpted images
of various God and Goddess are unrivalled. The temple
complex has three compartments and each one has
a temple each. Towards south of the entrance to
main temple is image of Lord Ganesha, at the back
is the image of Goddess Parvati and to north is
Lord Kartikya. The Lingaraja temple has got various
pillars and halls which add to its beauty.
The Lingaraja temple
has got various pillars and halls which add to its
beauty. At the main gate is the temple of Lord Ganesha
followed by Nandi pillar. Its towering spire-like
beauty dominates the Bhubaneswar skyline.It represents
the the peak of Kalinga style of architecture spanning
over 25 centuries of progressive history.This 11th
century temple is the culmination of architectural
beauty and sculpted elegance. The temple is dedicated
to "Tri Bhubaneshwar", or Lord of the
three worlds also known as Bhubaneshwar. The granite
block representing "Tri Bhubaneshwar"
is bathed daily with water, milk and Bhang (Marijuana).
It is enclosed and has four features - a sanctuary,
a dancing hall, an assembly hall and a hall of offerings.
There are many smaller shrines around the temple
in the enclosed area.
The Legends
Legend has it that Shiva revealed to Parvati that
Bhubaneshwar - or Ekamra thirtha was a resort favoured
by him over Benares. Parvati in the guise of a cowherd
woman, decided to look at the city herself. Two
demons Kritti and Vasa desired to marry her. She
requested them to carry her upon their shoulders,
and crushed them under her weight. Shiva, then created
the Bindu Saras lake to quench her thirt, and took
abode here as Krittivasas or Lingaraja.
Places to
see
Bindu Sagar, Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves
