Lingaraj Temple

Lingaraj temple of Orissa upholds the culture and tradition of Orissa. The temple represents a purely Orissan architecture. This temple was built in the early 11th century by Yayati Kesari. The magnificent structure is 180 feet high and depicts the architectural expertise of the bygone era.

This holy Lingaraj temple of Orissa is visited by thousands of tourists every year. The entry of the non-Hindus is restricted to the temple. This grand temple has got four structures in it. They are:

deul (the hall of Shiva)

jagmohana (the audience hall)

natamandira(the dancing hall)

bhoga-mandapa (the dining hall)

The temple bears enormous architectural sculptural works that displays human figures engaged in religious and musical activities.

One striking feature of Lingaraj temple of Orissa deity is that it is an admixture of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Besides there are other images in the temple that exhibits the syncretic religion of Orissa. The Lingaraj temple compound also holds about 150 holy shrines. In the north west part of the temple courtyard is the Bhagawati temple.

The Lingaraj temple is divided into three compartments for Goddess Parvati, Lord Ganesha and Lord Karthikeya. The temple of Lingaraj has been exquisitely carved out of stone and has got magnificent pillars in it. The image of Shiva is made out of granite stone and is bathed everyday with milk and water. The image is at an elevation of 8 inches from the floor and has a diameter of 8 feet.

The tourists can visit the temple between 6.30 in the morning to 10 at night. The temple courtyard covers an extensive area of 250000 square feet. It is a must visit for the tourists.