History of Bhubaneswar

The history of Bhubaneswar goes back for more than 25 centuries. The history of Bhubaneswar is a true tale of extraordinary civil engineering achievements.

As a visitor to Bhubaneswar, you shall be amazed by the number of Hindu temples that dot the Bhubaneswar urban scape. The Bhubaneswar skyline seems to be dominated by these relics of the history of Bhubaneswar. Every bit of the history of Bhubaneswar is a part of a mosaic of the cultural creativity of the people of the region.

The history of Bhubaneswar started when Emperor Kharavela established his capital in Sisupalgarh. The present geographic position of Sisupalgarh is in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar city. The first Hindu temple was built around Emperor Kharavela's time.

The history of Bhubaneswar is a delight for archaeologists and historians; the time line of history is clearly etched in Bhubaneswar by the construction of the various temples, which was established in different eras in the history of Bhubaneswar. The first Hindu temple is believed to have been established in the 7th century.

The city of Bhubaneswar once contained 7000 Hindu temples; now only 500 remains are standing. A few of the ruined temples was dismantled through mother nature's entropies, but the overwhelming number of temples was destroyed by Islamic looters.

The Lingaraj, the Parasurameswar and the Rajarani temples are not only ancient places of worship, they are seen as architectural marvels that has been unscathed through the ravage of time and human interference. The excellent sculptures beside the temples only enhance the historical structures.

Contemporary Bhubaneswar is a planned city designed by the German architect Otto H Koenigsberger.



Last Updated on 27 July 2012