Cultural Heritage of Bhubaneswar

The Cultural Heritage of Bhubaneswar is opulent and unmatched anywhere in the Indian subcontinent.

The Cultural Heritage of Bhubaneswar is manifested prominently in the architecture of the temples. The temples of Bhubaneswar form a striking feature of the city.

At one time in its history, Bhubaneswar had over 7,000 shrines. These temples epitomize an exhaustive history of the cultural heritage of Bhubaneswar.

These temples also serve as a time line through Indian history; the time line extends for 2000 years from 3rd Century BC to 16th Century AD. The 46 meter high Lingaraj temple marks a milestone in the history of the Oriyan people.


The official language of Bhubaneswar (and Orissa) is Oriya. Oriya originated from the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo European language family. The Oriya language bears more than a passing resemblance to Bengali and Assamese. A few tribal languages are still spoken by the Adivasis or original inhabitants of the state.

The Cultural Heritage of Bhubaneswar includes the famous Odissi dance form. The Odissi dance originated from Orissa. Odissi is considered by some historians as an offshoot of the Hindustani Classical music of northern India- although the two are quite distinct from each other.

The State Museum of Bhubaneswar offers a window to the region's valorous past. The museum displays a wide selection of archaeological artifacts, weapons, local arts and local crafts. The State Museum has the world's largest collection of palm leaf paintings.

The Cultural Heritage of Bhubaneswar is prominent in its art and craft -stone sculptures, silver filigrees and papier mache among others.



Last Updated on 27 July 2012