VISIT TO ODISHA TEMPLES.
Odisha
historically rich by it s culture and its ruler of Maurya dynasty the King
Ashoka.The Bhubhaneshwar, konark and Puri is the Pilgrimage tourist hub. They
are all located within 50Km radius. From Bhubaneshwar lot of bus facility
available to Konark and Puri.
The unexplored beauty and the perfect
amalgamation of traditions, culture and art forms in Odisha is amazing that
attract tourists from all parts of the world.The main thing to explore in
temples is the divinity that you will feel, while another main thing the architecture of
the temples of Odisha will keep you mesmerized for a long time
Much needs to be said about the temples of Orissa. The
Golden triangle of Orissa comprising Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark attracts
tourists from around the world. There are hundreds of lesser known temples in
Orissa. The city of Bhubaneswar abounds in temples built over a range of several
centuries.
The temples of Orissa exhibit a majestic grandeur. An
Orissan temple (deul) usually consists of a sanctum, one or several front
porches (jagamohana) usually with pyramidal roofs, a dancing hall (nata mandir)
and a hall of offerings (bhog mandir). The Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar
boasts of a 150 foot high deul while the Janannath Temple at Puri is about 200
feet high and it dominates the skyline of the town. Only a portion of the Sun
Temple at Konark, the largest of the temples of the Golden triangle exists
today, and it is still staggering in size. It stands out as a masterpiece in
Orissan architecture.
Orissa's history dates back to the days of the
Mahabharata. It was under the rule of the Nanda Kings in the pre Christian era
and then under the Mauryan rule. Rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka are found in the
State. The impact of the invasion of the Guptas is seen in the early temples of
Bhubaneswar. The Matharas ruled Orissa from the later half of the 4th century
AD. The Sailodbhavas who followed constucted several shrines the ruins of which
can be seen today. (600-750 AD).
The period of the Bhaumakaras and Somavamsis (8tth to
11th centuries AD) played a major role in the cultural life of the State.
Saivism dominated the religious scene although Budhist, Jain and Vaishnavite
monuments also came into being. The Gangas took over after the decline of the
Somavamsis. The early Eastern Gangas ruled from Kalinganagara (Mukhalingam near
Srikakulam Andhrapradesh). They shifted their capital to Cuttack in the 12th
century. Saivism began to decline while Saktism flourished. Further, the
religious leader Ramanujacharya had a great influence on the monarch
Chodagangadeva who built the great temple at Puri. The Gangas were champions of
Vaishnavism. It was during the Ganga rule that Orissan architecture reached its
peak. Narasimhadeva of this dynasty built the Sun Temple at Konark.
The Gangas were succeeded by the Suryavamsi Gajapati
rulers, under whom Vaishnavism in the form of Jagannatha worship reached new
heights. This period was marked by the influence of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and by
the construction of Jagannatha temples across the length and breadth of the
empire. After the decline of the Gajapatis, the kingdom began to disintegrate
and was taken over by followed by Muslim rule, the rule of the Mughals, the
Mahrattas and then the British. The Bhoi Gajapatis who ruled Orissa over a
small territory caused several Jagannatha temples to come up.
Bhubaneswar
It is known as the City of Temples, where you will find the
temples made in an ancient time during 8th to 15 Century AD. During your tour
to the capital city of Orissa, Some of the most popular temples in Bhubaneswar and Odisha temples include.
Lingaraj Temple: This temple has got 108 shrines within its
premises for different gods. The main shrine is for lord siva. It is the most
prominent and must see temple in Bhubaneswar that is dedicated to Harihara –
Lord Shiva. It was developed in 11th century A.D. Here the Lingam made in
fusion of Lord Siva and hari(Vishnu).This fusion type temple you find very
rare.
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| LINGARAJ TEMPLE |
The
main temple has got Garpagirah, Natiya mandapam and entrance hall (Where the
food is offered to all the devotees).Here for lord the rice has been offered by
temple administration committee in larger volume during afternoon pooja season.Here
lingaraj temple hindus only allowed to make pooja inside the temple.The
photography strictly prohibited inside the temple complex.
The
temple of Lingaraja, the biggest of all at Bhubaneswar is located within a
spacious compound wall of left to right measuring 520 feet by 465 feet. The
wall is very large in thick and surmounted by a plain slant coping. Lingaraj
Temple is a temple of the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of
the Temple City Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage centre and the capital of the
state of Odisha
Alongside
the inner face of the boundary wall there runs a terrace probably meant to
protect the compound wall against outside aggression. Bhagavan Lingaraj is half
Shiva and half Vishnu. HE is neither worshiped with BEL leaf nor with only
TULSI leaf. He is offered with both BEL & TULSI leaf for puja There is one
Bow (Dhanush) on top of the temple unlike other Shiv Temple where TRISHUL is
placed on top of the other Shiv temples. The Shivalingam in the sanctum of the
Lingaraja temple rises to a height of 8 inches above the floor level, and is 8
feet in diameter. The Bhagawati temple is located in the northwest corner of
the courtyard. There are several other shrines and temples in this vast
courtyard.
History:
Lingaraaj means 'the king of Lingas', 'Linga'
or 'Lingam' being the symbol of Lord Shiva worship.The temple is more than 1000
years old, dating back in its present form to the last decade of the eleventh
century, though there is evidence that parts of the temple have been there
since sixth century AD as the temple has been emphasized in some of the seventh
century Sanskrit texts.
This is testimony to its sanctity and importance as a Shiva shrine. By the time
the Lingaraj temple was constructed, the Jagannath (form of Vishnu) cult had
been growing, which historians believe is evidenced by the co-existence of
Vishnu and Shiva worship at the temple. Bhubaneshwar the capital of Orissa is a
city of temples, several of which are important from an architectural point of
view. The Lingaraj temple is the largest of these. It is about a thousand years
old.
SIVA TEMPLES IN BHUBANESHWAR
Aisanyesvara Siva Temple- Built in 13thcentury A.D. Akhadachandi Temple- Built in 10th
century Bhringesvara Siva Temple-It is in the
foothills of Dhauli and left Bank of River Daya. Champakesvara
Siva Temple-Built in 13th century.
Devasabha Temple- Built in 18th century A.D. Lakhesvara
Siva Temple-Built in 13th century AD. It is located very close
to renowned Lingaraj Temple.
VISNU TEMPLES IN BHUBANESWAR
Ananta Vasudeva Temple- Built in 13th century A.D. In the temple,
Subhadra and Balram are also worshiped.
MATAJI TEMPLES IN BHUBANESHWAR
Bharati Matha:
It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and considered as one of the oldest
temples in Bhubaneswar.
Gopal Tirtha Matha: Built in 16th century, it is
located in front of the Chitrakarini Temple.
In addition to aforementioned Bhubaneswara
Odisha (Orissa) temples, there are also a number of other
temples that include Madneswar Siva temple, Mangalesvara Siva temple,
Mukteswar Temple, Nagesvara Temple, Pabaneswara temple, Parusurameswar
temple, Purvesvara Siva temple, Rajrani Temple, Ram Mandir, Sarvatresvara
Siva temple, Sivatirtha Matha, Suka Temple, Svapnesvara Siva temple, Vaital
Deula and etc. In short the famous temples of Bhubaneshwar are Lingaraj temple,
Brahmeshwar temple, Mukteshwar temple, Parasurameshwarar temple, Rajarani
temple, Vaital deul temple, kedar gowri temple and Iskan temple don’t miss
it during your visit.
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DHAUPURI:
These Dhauligiri Buddha Stupa
and Dhaulaswaru (Lord siva) temple
located in small hill lock adjacent to River Daya.At hill hill top you can have
panaromic view of Bhubaneshwar outer skirts and river Daya. Just at the foot
hill you can find King Ashoka’s Rock inscription.
Udayagiri Caves, Khandagiri caves and
its Jain temple are main tourist attraction point in Buhbaneshwar.They are very
closely located.
In
Udyagiri caves you can find double decker cave which is very rare to see and
various other caves too available.At hill top you can find the basement of
destroyed monuments. From here the bhubaneshwar city panaromic view very nice
to see.In Khandagiri hill you can find Maa Barabhuja temple and Jain Adinath
temple.This temple near devotees offer their food items to monkeys.They are
very dare enough to take food from your hand try during your visit.
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ISKAN TEMPLE IN BHUBANESHWAR
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OTHER FAMOUS TEMPLES OF ODISHA
PURI TEMPLES
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| jagannath temple |
From
Bhubamneshwar only 50 Km distance the world famous Jagannath temple is
there.This temple kitchen is Asia’s largest
kitchen maintained in the temple premises. The world famous chariot festivals carried out here during this
period lot of devotees from all over the world gather in lacks.
Jagannath means Lord of the Universe.
The main temple is known as Vimana that is nothing but the sanctum enshrining
the deity; while the porch or Jagmohana is a place for those who come to pay
home to their lords, gods and goddesses. As far as the temples in Odisha are
concerned, Vimanas are constructed on a square base and at the same time marked
by a curvilinear tower that is called as Shikhara.
The architecture of the temple follows
the pattern of many Oriyas temples of the classical period. The main shikhara,
or tower, rises above the inner sanctum where the deities installed. Subsidiary
shikharas rise above ante-halls. The temple complex is surrounded by a wall, on
each side of which is a gopura or gate, over which rises a pyramid-shaped roof.
Being the largest temple in the state, it has a complex covering several square
blocks with dozens of structures including a mammoth kitchen.
I has visited the
temple during charot car festival time lot of people around the world gathered
to watch this festival. During this time the Main deities from Jagannath temple
shifted to Lord’s mousi house for devotees pooja offering purpose at the end of
the festival the deities will be shifted to main temple and kept there
permanently.
The deities
special is made up of Neem tree wood it last life for every 19 years.At the
cycle of 19 years once the Dieties were replaced with new one.The recent
replacement of deities were took place in the year 1977, 1996 and 2015 the
preparation under progress in Apl. Month.
MAIN TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
The main temple structure of this architectural and cultural wonder is 65m (214
feet) high and is built on elevated ground, making it look more imposing.
Comprising an area of 10.7 acres, the temple complex is enclosed by two
rectangular walls. The outer enclosure is called Meghanada Prachira, 200m (665
ft) by 192m (640 ft). The inner wall is called Kurmabedha, 126m (420 ft) by 95m
(315 ft). There are thirty-six traditional communities (Chatisha Niyaga) who
render a specific hereditary service to the deities. The temple has as many as
6,000 priests.
There is a wheel on top of the Jagannath Temple made of an alloy of eight
metals (asta-dhatu). It is called the Nila Chakra (Blue Wheel), and is 3.5m (11
ft 8 in) high with a circumference of about 11m (36 ft). Every day, a different
flag is tied to a mast attached to the Nila Chakra. Every Ekadasi, a lamp is
lit on top of the temple near the wheel.
There are
four gates: the eastern Singhadwara (Lion Gate), the southern Ashwadwara (Horse
Gate), the western Vyaghradwara (Tiger Gate), and the northern Hastidwara
(Elephant Gate). There is
a carving of each form by the entrance of each gate. The Lion Gate, which is
the main gate, is located on Grand Road. Thirty different smaller temples
surround the main temple. The Narasimha Temple, adjacent to the western side of
the Mukti-mandapa, is said to have been constructed before this temple.
KONARK SUN TEMPLE
It is one of the
most popular temples in India that has been witnessing a heavy influx of
tourists to india as well as in the
state of Odishsa.From Puri to konark mini bus facilty available along the way
you can find coastal areas and cashew tree, these total area preserved by
forest department of odisha.
Sun Temple in Konark was built by King
Narasimhadeva I in 13thcentury from oxidized and weathered farraginous
sandstone. The erotic sculpture of Sun is the main attraction here; however,
the temple compound spread in the area of 261 meter by 160 meter with a 128
feet audience hall. The famous poet Rabindranath tagore who wondered the
carvings and sculpture work and descripe as one of the gem of india need to be
preserved for ever.
TEMPLE HISTORY It is believed that the temple was constructed by Samba who was the son
of Lord Krishna. As per religious myths, Samba had the problem of leprosy that
was brought about by his father's curse on him. And Lord Sun cured him; thus to
give them honour, he built Sun Temple at Konark.
The
renowned temple is very close to shoreline.You can find nice beach and resorts
nearby. It is constructed in the form of chariot of Surya that is heavily
decorated with stone carving. It looks as if it is stand on wheels. Twelve
pairs of ornamented wheels pulled by seven pairs of horses attract tourists and
take them back to 13thcentury.The main temple entrance is damaged you can’t
enter inside, the renovation work going on to polish the rocks and rectify the
damaged parts in the main temple during the year 2014.
The temple is opened in early morning when sun
rises for Maha Aarati and them closed at 12 in noon. After this it is opened
again in evening and closed with sun set. Every year, Danace festival is also
organized here that is very popular event in Odisha.
Sri Sri Baladev Jew Temple
This temple is located in Ichhapur in kendrapara Dt. Lord Balabhadra is
the main god of this temple.With Balabhadra lord jagannath and Subhadra also
worshipped here.Ratana simhasan in the temple Idol of Godess Tulsui in sitting
position in there after the sacred seven steps.
Architecture:
This temple spreads around 2 acres of land.This temple has got beautiful
garden inside.The boundary wall of temple built at an height of 14 M high.There
are four main parts of the temple they are Sri Mandir, Natya Mandir, Bhoga
mandap and Mukhashala.The main temple height is 75ft. And width is 40ft bhandar.The
main temple has a 7 step construction and heavy baulamalia stone were used for
this construction.The main parts of the temples are Garuda Stambha, Ratan
bhandar,Snana mandap, Mukti Mandap.The deities of Lord Baladev, lord jagannath
and godess Subhadra wera different costumes and are decorated in different
forms during importand festive period.This tradition is known as alankara.The
rath yatra here is famous for the Brahma taladhwaja rath.
Some
Important Alankara are:
Sri Raghunatha
Besha on Chaitra Purnima Festival. Padma Besha on Kartik Purnima Festival and
Tulsi Vivah in Kartik. Gamhabhisheka Besha – From Shraavana Sukla Dashami to
Purnima,holy srinakshatra ceremony of Lord Balarama Pushyabhisheka Besha on
Pausha Purnima festival Kanchi Kaveri Besha on Vasant Panchami festival. Suna
Besha (Bali Vamana Besha) on Bhadrapad Dwadashi Day Krishna Balarama Besha on
Phalguna Purnima festival
Offerings:
There are arrangements for 3 main Naivedya offerings ( Dhupa )and 3 minor
offerings (Abakasha) for the deities daily. Morning offering ( Sakala Dhupa)
Offering at pre-noon (Madhhyanna Dhupa) Rice offering ( Dwiprahara Dhupa/ Anna
Dhupa) Offering at evening ( Sandhya Aarati Dhupa) Rice offering ( Nisankhudi
Dhupa) Offering at night ( Badasinghar Dhupa) Different types of offerings
(Prasad) are made with trained traditional families,called as Supakara and
Mekap are engaged solely for deities.
Some of the delicacies are highly patronized in different historic regimes. A
comprehensive list of the delicacies is given below. Baula Gaintha, Upana Pitha,
Mithei, Chaurashi Vyanjana(84 vegetable Curry), Makara Chaula, Bhaja,Ghia Anna,
Dali, Phalamula (fruits), Dry sweets, Ghanavarta, Pura Kakara, Rasabali, Potali
Pitha, Chipa Kakara, Karanji, Khaja, Magaja Ladoo, Dalimba, Khuduma, Nishkudi,
Mutha Gaja, Tala, Chhena Chakata are the famous ones.
Baliharchandi Mandira, Near Konark - Puri Road, Puri, Odisha
Panchalingeshwar Temple, Nilagiri, Baleswara, Odisha.
DevKund , Udala, Ambika temple, Devakunda waterfalls, Mayurbhanja, Odisha
Kapilasa Mahadev Temple, Dhenkanal,
Odisha
The
temples are situated at a height of about 2239 feet from sea level. The main
tower of the temple is 60 feet tall. There are two approaches for the temple.
One is by climbing 1352 steps and the other is 'Barabanki' or travelling by the
twisting way.King Narasinghdeva I of Ganga Dynasty constructed the temple for
Sri Chandrasekhar in 1246 A.D as indicated in the Kapilash temple inscription.
In
the left side of the temple the 'Payamrta kunda'and in the right side the
'Marichi kunda' exist. The temple has a wooden Jagamohana. Sri Ganesh,
Kartikeya, Gangadevi, etc. are found in the temple. Patita pavana Jagannath is
installed in the temple as the 'Parsa deva'. Lord Vishwanath temple is also
situated in Kapilas. According to some scholars this temple is older than the
Chandrasekhar temple, hence it is known as 'Budha linga'. There are many
legends about Kapilash pitha and its significance. Tradition describes it as
the ashram of Kapila, to some scholars it is the second Kailash of Lord Shiva.
Shridhar swami who wrote commentary on Bhagavata Purana stayed there. There are
some monasteries in the premises. Maa Tarini is the
presiding deity for all Shakti and Tantra peeths or shrines in Orissa. The
origin of Shakti or worship of the Earth as a female embodiment of power is
found across many cultures all over the world. In Orissa which has a high
density of tribal population whose religious practices have been assimilated
into the mainstream Hindu faith, the worship of natural formations such as
rocks, tree trunks, rivers is widespread among the tribes.
Maa Tarini Temple, Ghatagaon, Keonjhar,
Odisha Maa Tarini is always depicted as a red face with two large eyes and
a mark in the middle which serves as an indication for a nose and also a tilak. This primitive conception is
symbolic of the simplicity of tribal beliefs and ceremonies. The red colour has
been attributed to dyes made out of iron ores or ocher which are quite
plentiful in the state and would thus have been used by the tribes for anointing
and decorating the sacred figures of worship.
The ornate letters in the background mean "Maa" or Mother in the
Oriya language. They were a much later addition although the Oriya script did
change very slightly over the millennia. In this form she is very similar to
the conception of the Goddess Kali at Kalighat. Although the two are
embodiments of the same divinity, Kali is the Goddess of death and destruction
whereas Maa Tarini is the force of life. Interestingly, two of the names of
Kali are Maa Taara and Tara Tarini.
Jharial- Chausathi
Jogini Temple together with three minors shrines.
CUTTACK DISTRICT
1.Bandareswar-Ruins
of the Buddhist Temples and images 2.Chandia-Hill
containing many valuable sculptures, images and inscriptions, etc., of
Buddhistic age. On the top, there is a Math and a small Temple of mahakal.
3.Lalitgiri-Ruins
of Buddhist Temple and images
4.Ratnagiri-Hills
containing many valuable sculptures and Temple images
5.Simhanatha
Pitha- Mauza Simhanatha Mahadeva Temple
6.Gopinathpur-Magura.
7.Dhanmandal- Pancha Pandava
Temple
DHENKANAL DISTRICT
1.Bajrakot-Bighneswara
Mahadeva Temple 2. Kualo-Swapaneswar Temple.
GANJAM DISTRICT
1.Kottakolla-Gangadharswami
Temple 2.Jagadiswarswami Temple
3.Mahendragiri-Bhima
Temple 4.Kunti Temple 5.Yudhisthira Temple.
6.Paralakhemundi-Hanuman
Temple 7.Badagaon-Group of Siva Temple
8.Jirabadi (Near
Bhanjanagar) 9.Ramapada Temple.
PHULBANI DISTRICT
1.Gandharadhi-Temples
of Nilamadhava and Sidheswara
2.Baudha Town-Paschima
Somanatha, Bhubaneswar and Kapileswar
Temples.
BHUBANESHWAR
Lord Lingaraj
Temple with all the minor temples in the
compound namely
1.Amania Well 2.Astamurti
3.Chandeswar Deb 4.Gopaluni Temple 5.Ladukeswar Temple 6.Parvati Temple 7.Sabitri
Devi Temple
8.Sakreswar
Temple 9.Sathidevi Temple 9.Sisiresvara Temple
Other temple in Buhbaneshwar.
10.Maitreswar
Temple with all the minor temples in the compound
11.Makareswar
Temple with its minor shrines 12.Markandeswar Temple
13.Mukteswar
Temple with its shrines but excluding the Murich Kunda
14.Parsurameswar
Temple 15.Raja Rani Temple 16.Sari Temple 17.Sidheswar Temple
Hirapur
Chausathi Yogini
Temple known as Mahamaya Temple
Raghunathpur
(Banpur)
Daksha Prajapati
Temple
Chourasi-Varahi
Temple
BALASORE DISTRICT
1.Guamala-Kumareswar
Temple
2.Aredi-Akhandalamani
Temple
3.Palia-Biranchinarayan
Temple
4.Near Tihidi-Dapanayakani
Temple
5.Haripur-Satabhauni
Temple
6.Bhadrak-Bhadrakali
Temple
7.Avana-Brahmani
Temple
8.Gaurangpur-Gouranga
Temple
9.Ramakrishnapur-Rameswar
Temple
10.Rahandia-Rameswar
Temple
11.Bodaka-Nahakani
Temple
BALANGIR DISTRICT
1.Vaidyanath Kosaleswara
Temple
2.Ranipur Jharial
-Indralath Temple
3.Ranipur Jharial-Somesvara
Temple
KEONJHAR DISTRICT
1.Deogaon-Kosaleswar
Temple 2.Keonjhargarh-Baladeva Jew Temple.
KALAHANDI DISTRICT
1.Khariar-Dadhibaman
Temple 2.Budhikomna-Patalesvara Temple
3.Komna-Jagannath
Temple 4.Khariar-Raktambari Temple.
KORAPUT DISTRICT
1.Paikapada-Pataleswar
group of Temples 2.Jogamunda Hill (Padmapur)
Mallikeswar and
Nilakantheswar Temple 3.Boriguma-Bhairava Temple
4.Nandapur-Ganesha
Temple 5.Nandapur-Bhairavi Temple (Group of Temples)
6.Nandapur-Sarveswara
Temple
MAYURBHANJ DISTRICT
1Khiching-Khichakesvari
Temple 2.Rairangapur-Isanesvara Temple
PURI DISTRICT
1.Bhubaneswar-Swarnajaleswar
Temple 2.Algum-Gatiswar
Temple
3.Dhauli-Bahirangeswar
Temple 4.Chaurasi-Laxminarayan Temple
5.Amareswar-Amareswar
Temple 6.Bishnupur-Somanath
Temple
7.Dhauli-Dhabaleswar
Temple 8.Bhubaneswar-
Satrughneswar-Bharateswar and Laxmaneswar Temples. 9.Balisahi-Javan Haridas
Temple 10.Birabhadrapur-Somanath
Temple 11.Chandeswar-Chandeswar
Temple 12.Bayalisabati
(near Gop)-Gangeswari Temple 13.Barisha-Ramachandi
Temple 14.Kenduli-Chandi Temple 15.Jiunti-Iswaradeva
Temple 16.Nairi-Harihara Dev Temple 17.Samantarapur-Dakshineswar
Temple
18.Kakatapur-Mangala Temple 19.Garadipanchana-Buddhanath Temple
20.Brahmagiri
Allarnath Temple 21.Prataparudrapur-Akhandaleswar Temple. 22.Kakudia-Gopinath
Temple 23.Sakhigopal-Sakhigopal Temple 24.Lingaraj temple25.Dhauli-Sidha
Ganesha Temple 26.Banapur-Bhagabati
Temple 27.Bhubaneswar-Mohini Temple
28.Bhubaneswar-Dwarabasini
Temple 29.Bhubaneswar-Bhawani
Sankar Temple 30.Patia-Killa-Sikhara
Chandi Temple 31.Kantilo-Nilamadhava Temple
32.Rameswar-Ramanidhi
Dev Temple 33.Rameswar-Jagatramohana Temple1Baragarh (Bhubaneswar)
34.Banpur
(reserve forest)-Bankadagarh Siva Temple 35.Sauria-Bani
Vakreswara Temple 36.Ghoradia-Somanath Temple
37.Kalyanapur-Laxmi
Nrasimha Temple 38.Lataharana-Grameswara Temple
39.Budhapada-Somanath
Temple 40.Barimunda-Lakheswara Temple
41.Raktapatta-Kunjabehari
Temple 42.Bhubaneswar-Bibhisaneswar Temple
43.Sarakana-Gopinath
Temple 44.Kurala-Chandeswar Temple.
45.Bhaskareswar Temple.
46.Brahmeswar Temple with its minor shrine in the compound
47.Nabakeswar Temple 48.Rameswar
Temple
49.Besuaghai-Magheswar
Temple with its minor shrine
SAMBALPUR DISTRICT
