Bhubaneswar orissa
Bhubaneswar is the capital of orissa state
Bhubaneswar is also known as the temple city and there are many excellent examples of Oriya architecture in the old part of the city.
Old Town Almost all the famous temples of Bhubaneswar are located here most of which were constructed in the 11th to 13th century period. Around 400 temples of varying sizes are located here. Do see Traffic Mahadev, a small temple which acts as a road divider.
The Lingaraj temple The 10th or 11th-century Lingaraja temple of Bhubaneswar has been described as “the truest fusion of dream and reality.” A rare masterpiece, the Lingaraja temple has been rated one of the finest examples of purely Hindu temple in India by Ferguson, the noted art critic and historian. Every inch of the surface of the 55 m-high Lingaraja temple is covered with elaborate carvings. Sculpture and architecture fused elegantly to create a perfect harmony. Foreigners are not permitted inside. However there is a viewing platform next to one of the boundary walls.
Bindu sarovara is a large lake near to Lingaraj and Ananta Vasudeva temples where there is a drop (bindu) of every holy river in it.
Khandagiri & Udayagiri The twin hills, 8 km from Bhubaneswar, served as the site of an ancient Jain monastery which was carved into cave like chambers in the face of the hill. Dating back to the 2nd century BC, some of the caves have beautiful carvings. The Rani Gumpha (Queen’s Cave), one of the largest and double-storied, is ornately embellished with beautiful carvings. In the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave), King Kharavela has carved out the chronicles of his reign.
Dhauli Giri is 8 km away from Bhubaneswar looking down on the plains that bore witness to the gruesome war waged on Kalinga by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, stand the rock edicts of Dhauli. It was here that King Ashoka, full of remorse after the Kalinga War in 261 BC, renounced his blood-thirsty campaign and turned to Buddhism. The edicts are a living testimony to the King’s change of heart. He urges his administrators to rule the land with justice and compassion. The edicts are so remarkable that they have been excellently preserved, despite the fact that they date back to the 3rd century BC. A sculpted elephant, the symbol of the boundless powers of Lord Buddha, tops the rock edicts. The Shanti Stupa or the peace pagoda, built through the Indo-Japanese collaboration, is located on the opposite hill.
Mukteshwara Temple dating back to 10th century is an important transition point between the early and the later phases of the Kalinga architecture. The highlight of the temple is the magnificent torana – the decorative gateway, an arched masterpiece, reminiscent of Buddhist influence in Orissa. This temple is considered to be the gem of Orissan architecture. The beautiful sculptures eloquently speak of the sense of proportion and perspective of the sculptor and their unique ability in the exact depiction of the minutest objects. Mukteswara means “Lord of freedom”.
Rajarani Temple got its name from a red-gold sand stone used, which is called Rajarani locally and the temple has no presiding deity. The temple has intricately carved figurines in various stages of daily chores.
The Orissa state museum houses a rich collection of sculptures, coins, copper plates, stone inscriptions, lithic and bronze age tools, rare manuscripts written on palm leaves, traditional and folk musical instruments. Rare epigraphic records are preserved in the Epigraphy Gallery.
Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir – Non-Hindus and foreigners who desire to visit a Hindu temple can go to this temple (ask the autorickshaw drivers for ISKCON,situated on NH5 it costs about Rs. 40 from town) – the devotees are friendly and there is a cheap and clean vegetarian restaurant.
Nandankanan Zoo is about 15 km outside of Bhubaneswar and has some rare species of animals. Particularly well known for white tigers. A large number of buses ply from Acharya Vihar Square. Hiring an auto rickshaw is also possible. There is a nice lake inside for boating, a ropeway, also the Botanical Garden is adjacent to the zoo.
Other Temples of interest
Ananta Vasudeva (c. 13th century A.D.)
Bharateswar Temple (c. 6th century A.D.)
Brahmeswar Temple (c. 11th century A.D.)
Laxmaneswar Temple (c. 6th century A.D.)
Markandeswar Temple
Mohini Temple
Papanasini
Parsurameswar Temple(c. 7th century A.D.)
Satrughaneswar Temple (c. 6th century A.D.)
Swarnajaleswar Temples (c. 7th century A.D.)
Vaital Temple (c. 8th century A.D.)
Baya Baba Matha
Ram Mandir
Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir
Parks
Biju Patanaik Park
Buddha Jayanti Park
Ekamra Kanan / Cactus Garden
Forest Park
Gandhi Park
I.G. Park
IMFA Park
Kharavela Park
S.P. Mukherjee Park
Subas Bose Park
BDA Nicco Park
Fortune Tower
Info City
Kalinga Stadium
Pathani Samanta Planetarium
Science Park
Bhubaneswar is known for its architecture and ancient temples.
The 10th century Lingaraja temple, dedicated to Shiva, has been described as “the truest fusion of dream and reality.” The surface of the 55 meter high Lingaraja temple is covered with carvings. Sculpture and architecture fused elegantly to create a perfect harmony.
This city is most renowned for changing the conqueror to the conquered. The great Kalinga War took place here between Emperor Asoka and Kalinga (the old empire of Orissa). Asoka was overwhelmed at the gory of blood that flowed like a river. Asokan inscriptions still stand testimony for this.
The twin cave groups of Kandagiri and Udayagiri are evidence of the region’s antiquity, dating to the 2nd century BC or the early Jain monastery.
Modern Bhubaneswar is a well planned city with wide roads and many gardens and parks. The plan was made by Otto H. Koenigsberger, a German town planner. Though part of the city has stayed faithful to the plan, it has grown rapidly over the last few decades and has made the planning process unwieldy.
Having merged its intriguing past so uniquely with its modern aspirations, it forms an integral link in the Golden Triangle that incorporates the holy city of Puri (Jagannath Temple) and Konark (Sun temple).
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