This Temple Website sponsored by Mr. Anoop Singh, HSFC, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075.
Phone Numbers- 70117104088, 9136362391
Introduction and History in Brief
Lingaraja Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha. The temple is the most prominent landmark of Bhubaneswar city and one of the major tourist attractions of the state.
The Lingaraja temple is the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. The central tower of the temple is 180 ft (55 m) tall. The temple represents the quintessence of the Kalinga architecture and culminating the medieval stages of the architectural tradition at Bhubaneswar.[4] The temple is believed to be built by the kings from the Somavamsi dynasty, with later additions from the Ganga rulers. The temple is built in the Deula style that has four components namely, vimana (structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), natamandira (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings), each increasing in the height to its predecessor. The temple complex has 50 other shrines and is enclosed by a large compound wall.
Bhubaneswar is called the Ekamra Kshetra as the deity of Lingaraja was originally under a mango tree (Ekamra) as noted in Ekamra Purana, a 13th-century Sanskrit treatise. The temple is active in worship practises, unlike most other temples in Bhubaneswar. The temple has images of Vishnu, possibly because of the rising prominence of Jagannath sect emanating from the Ganga rulers who built the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century. The central deity of the temple, Lingaraja, is worshipped both as Shiva and Vishnu. The harmony between the two sects of Hinduism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism, is seen in this temple where the deity is worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva.
Lingaraja temple is maintained by the Temple Trust Board and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The temple has an average of 6,000 visitors per day and receives lakhs of visitors during festivals. Shivaratri festival is the major festival celebrated in the temple and event during 2012 witnessed 200,000 visitors. The temple compound is not open to non-Hindus, but there is a viewing platform beside the wall offering a good view of the main exteriors. This was originally erected for a visit by Lord Curzon when Viceroy.
Lingaraja, literally means the king of Lingam, the iconic form of Shiva. Shiva was originally worshipped as Kirtivasa and later as Harihara and is commonly referred to as Tribhuvaneshwara (also called Bhubaneswar), the master of three worlds, namely, heaven, earth, and netherworld. His consort is called Bhuvaneshvari.
The temple in its present form dates back to the last decade of the eleventh century. There is evidence that part of the temple was built during the sixth century CE as mentioned in some of the seventh century Sanskrit texts.[5] Fergusson believes that the temple might have been initiated by Lalat Indu Keshari who reigned from 615 to 657 CE. The Assembly hall (jagamohana), sanctum and temple tower were built during the eleventh century, while the Hall of offering (bhoga-mandapa) was built during the twelfth century. The natamandira was built by the wife of Salini between 1099 and 1104 CE.[6] By the time the Lingaraja temple was completely constructed, the Jagannath (form of Vishnu) sect had been growing in the region, which historians believe, is evidenced by the co-existence of Vishnu and Shiva worship at the temple. The kings of Ganga dynasty were ardent followers of Vaishnavism and built the Jagannath Temple at Puri in the 12th century.[7]
As per some accounts, the temple is believed to have been built by the Somavanshi king Yayati I (1025-1040), during the 11th century CE.[7] Jajati Keshari shifted his capital from Jajpur to Bhubaneswar which was referred to as Ekamra Kshetra in the Brahma Purana, an ancient scripture. One of the Somavamsi queens donated a village to the temple and the Brahmins attached to the temple received generous grants.[8] An inscription from the Saka year 1094 (1172 CE) indicates gifts of gold coins to the temple by Rajaraja II.[9] Another inscription of Narasimha I from the 11th century indicates offer of beetel leaves as tambula to the presiding deity.[10] Other stone inscriptions in the temple indicate royal grants from Chodaganga to the nearby village people.[11]
K.C. Panigrahi mentions that Yayti I had no time to build the temple and it should have been initiated by his sons Ananta Kesari and Udyota Kesari (believed to be other names of Yayati II as well). The argument provided against the view is that is his weak successors could not have constructed such a magnificent structure.
Temple Photos
Videos from YouTube
Presiding Deity
Lord Shiva♥️
Timing
Opens from morning 7:00am to 6pm in the evening!
Best time to visit: Try to visit the temple during winters as it can cause health difficulties during summers because of humidity.
Aarti Timing
Details awaited.
Basic Facilities
Drinking Water, CCTV Security, Prasad, Puja Samagri, Satsang Hall, Shoe Store, Wash Rooms.
Activities
Details awaited.
Festivals
Diwali,Holi,Gayatri Jayanti,Naag Panchami, Navratris, Mahashivratri and Durga pooja are the main festivals which are always celebrated here..
Famous Temples Nearby
Langleshwea Temple
Jagannath Temple
Yameshwara Temple Etc.
Near by Shops & Markets
👉Click HERE to look upon more restaurants near Temple.
👉 Famous for shopping in BhubaneswarShree Lingaraj Police Station.
Nearby Dharamshalas
Details awaited.
Hotels near Temple
👉Click HERE to look upon hotels nearby near Temple
Restaurants near Temple
👉Click HERE look upon famous restaurants near Temple.
Nearby Hospitals
👉Click HERE to look upon nearby Hospitals.
Concerned Police Stations
Shree Lingaraj Police Station.
6RPM+83C, Lingaraj Nagar, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751002
0674 234 0475
Managment Commity
Details awaited.
Miscellaneous information
Details to be taken.
Legal information
The temple is situated on legal site taking Mandir Community, there is no legal obligation on Temple Property or Temple Schedule, Criteria,Rules etc..
Facilities to hold Functions
Details to be taken
Library
Details to be taken
Akhadas
Details to be taken
Mehants, Pujaris, Archakas and Sewayats
Name:
Photo:
Phone Number:
Further Details:
Details to be updated.
Gau Sewa, Birds and otheranimals Sewa
Initiattives like Pashu Sewa, Pakshi Sewa, Langar Sewa, Vedic Pathshalas etc Plannings in process.
Langar Sewa
Details awaited.
Gurukul/Vedic Pathshalas
Details awaited.
Mitra Mandal Link for Advice/Guidance*
This is a group of devotees of Govardhan Mandir who regularly go for darshans and Govardhan Parikrama.
Google Forms will be available shortly to become member of this group.
Modes of Travel
Bhubaneswar, the capital city of the Indian state of Odisha, is a centre of economic and religious importance in Eastern India. With Konark and Puri, the city forms the Swarna Tribhuja (Golden Triangle), one of eastern India’s most visited travel destinations. Some of the most famous tourist attractions of the city include Lingaraja Temple, Udayagiri Caves, Raja Rani Temple, Ashokan Rock Edict, Biju Patnaik Park and Vaital Deul Temple. When it comes to connectivity, Bhubaneswar is well-connected to all other major Indian cities by air, road and rail
By Air
Located around 6 km away from the city-centre, the Bhubaneswar Airport or Biju Patnaik International Airport connects the city with rest of the country by air. There are daily flights for Bhubaneswar from cities like New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Visakhapatnam. From the airport, taxi/bus services are available to reach any part of the city.
By Road
Baramunda bus stand, located around 5 km away from the city centre connects Bhubaneswar to all other major India cities by road. Regular bus services are available for the cities like Konark, Puri, Hyderabad, Raipur, Ranchi and Kolkata.
By Train
Bhubaneswar Railway Station is the main railhead connecting the city with several Indian cities. There are regular superfast trains available from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore etc. From the station, you can take private cabs or taxis to reach anywhere in the city.
Bhubaneswar is the city which is well connected through air. Biju Patnaik Airport is the main domestic airport and located about 3km far from the city. Travelers can get various flights to various places such as Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata to Bhubaneswar flightsand many more which will ease the trouble of how to reach Bhubaneswar thought. Now, this airport is going to be international and connects to other countries as well.
👉Nearest Airport : Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar Railway Station is the main railway of the city and situated in the center of city. Superfast trains and passengers trains are easily available from this station. You can get trains to Guwahati, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and many more. Travelers can also get more railway station in the city which is also easy to reach with the availability of various public transports.
To reach in and around the city, you can get various modes such as buses, taxi and auto rickshaw. Bhubaneswar BusStation is 8 km from the city and you can get buses which are operated by Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC). Private buses are also easily available from there.
Visitors’ views about the Temple
- Ashutosh Bisoyi
One of the ancient temple of lord Shiva sitting in the capital of Odisha with a very beautiful campus and surrounding. If you are exploring Odisha, this place is a must. Just loved it : )
- Ashutosh Agrawal
The garden and the outer temple is well maintained but the inside temple is still blocked due to covid.
- Sonalin Dikshit
It’s always a place of peace.
Due to pandemic, prasad shops are closed hence the premises are now very neat and clean. Less crowd is adding to the beauty of the place.
Could not click pics as phones are not allowed inside.
You need to carry vaccination certificate and an ID card and a mask to be allowed inside.
Visit and enjoy. The garden area and parking area have been recently built and is adding to the beauty of the place.
Address for Visiting and Donation Purpose
Lingaraja Temple
Lingaraj Nagar, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751002
The Data mentioned above and links are taken from Google, YouTube, TripAdvisor, Justdial, Wikipedia, Google Maps etc,. which is already in public domain. All such informations are only to facilitate the devotees to have proper darshan and there is no intentions of making any financial benefits out of them.
This website developed and maintained by :
Mc Luhan Madhyam LLP
176, Pocket-2, Sector-19, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075.
Phone Number: 01145118299, 9899802299