But the thing that’s common amongst all is the connection it holds with its people and tourists, as well as the calmness it provides on being blessed. Not necessarily you need to have a spiritual or religious inclination to tour the temples of Odisha. Only a strong liking for something special in terms of heritage, architecture, grandeur and history will also be enough to be enticed by Odisha’s temple culture.

Although it’s almost impossible to list down all the major temples of Odisha, herein we have tried to showcase the must-visit ones.

Jagannath Temple, Puri
This is the most renowned among all the temples in Odisha, for being the holy center of Lord Jagannath and for hosting the revered annual Rath Yatra festival. Your temple visit to Odisha will be incomplete if you miss out on the Jagannath Temple of Puri. Also, the Chaar Dhaam Yatra of Hindus can’t be completed without visiting here. That’s how significant and spectacular this holy place is.

Konark Sun Temple, Konark
Another place of high importance to the state is the Konark Sun Temple, which is a 13th century Sun Temple, and is shaped like giant chariot, which is exquisitely craved with stones, wheels, walls and pillars. The temple gets its name as “Black Pakoda” owing to the reason that it is constructed using black granite.

Maa Tara Tarini Temple, Berhampur
Apart from being one of the oldest pilgrimage centers, this temple is also considered to be one of the four major Shakti Peethas in India, and there are still several mysteries revolving around the temple site. Be here to witness the majestic temple located scenically on the Kumari Hills, and be blessed by Goddess Maa Tara Tarini

Dhabaleswar Temple, Cuttack
Situated nicely on the Dhabaleswar Island, on the banks of Mahanadi River, this temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and comprises of stone carvings which date back to early 10th and 11th centuries. It’s also one of the oldest temples in Odisha, and is located at around 37 kms away from Cuttack.

Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneswar
Built in Kalingan architectural style, this is one of the oldest temples of Odisha, and is dedicated to Lord Harihara, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. But what’s interesting about this temple is that the lingam here is believed to have been originated by its own. Hence the temple is also known as Swayambhu, wherein the deities of both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are worshipped.

As we have already mentioned that Bhubaneswar has plenty of temples to keep people fascinated. Apart from being at the Lingaraja Temple, you can also visit the Ram Mandir, Mukteswar Temple, Rajarani Temple, Chausathi Yogini Temple, Iskcon Temple, Ananta Vasudev Temple, Parashurameshvara Temple and many others.

This is just a consolidated list of all the major temples in Odisha. You’ll be surprised by all the rich grandeur and heritage in temples which the state provides. Visit any city or district here, and have the best spiritual tour of Odisha.

The post Some Of The Must-Visit Temples In Your Next Odisha Tour first appeared on Best Choice Holiday.

Lingaraja Temple – Constructed by the Jajati Keshari – Somavanshi king, it is 10th century temple made up from red sandstone and the architecture is simply exceptional prototype of Oriya style. Boasting of a spacious courtyard spread in more than 250,000 sq ft area and covered all around by fortified walls, there are over 50 smaller shrines in the temple all dedicated to Hindu pantheon. The altar of the main temple is been embellished with a humongous Shivling in granite, also been reckoned as ‘Swayambhu’. It is indeed a must-visit temple of Odisha.

Konark Sun Temple – Built by the King Narsimhadeva in the 13th century, this famous temple is also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is dedicated to Sun God and the architecture stands on 24 beautiful and intricately sculpted stone wheels, hauled by 7 powerful horses. The overall structure is adorned with different sculptures, both internally and externally. Surya’s three surviving images have been designed in order to capture the sun rays at dawn, noon and sunset. Moreover, it took in total 12 years by 1200 artisans to complete the temple.

Jagannath Puri Temple – It is been located in Puri, Odisha and is been one of the famous Char Dhaams or among the four sacred places of devotion and worship in the country. Constructed on a huge raised platform in the city, the structure is enclosed by a wall penetrated by four gates with big pyramidal structures over them. The building is been built in the form of Kalinga style, and the main altar has about 30 shrines of different sizes. This temple is been reckoned among the tallest structures in Indian subcontinent that is 214 feet above the ground.

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Rajarani Temple – The temple is been built in 11th century and the name is derived from Rajarani that is a kind of red sandstone used in the construction. The East facing shrine of the temple reflects the architectural beauty and splendour of the old Kalinga sculptures. The artwork of the temple is a bit different from others, and the best outstanding treasures are the standing astadikpalas on the Central façade end and on lotuses available with their mounts. A lot of travellers visit the temple in December during the Rajarani Music festival time.

Mukteswar Temple – Also been regarded as the twin temples of Siddheswar – Mukteswar, it is been built back in 10th century and the 35 foot high rise architecture made up of sandstone is been reckoned to be the crowning glory and prestige of Oriya architecture. The temple represents the perfect blend of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist architecture, in terms of their intricate carvings narrating tales of animal figurines as well as from Panchantrata. Ganesha’s standing idol is simply magical and the altar is been constructed in the Pancha Ratha style comprising five divisional walls all around.

64 Yogini Temple – When different parts of ancient India were in the pain of fallout and tantric cult, many regions of the Central and Eastern part introduced the built of different open air shrines and Yogini Temple is one of them that is located in close proximity to Bhubaneswar. It is built in 9th century, with a circular shaped monument with no roof, dedicated to 64 ‘yoginis’. Also been famous as Mahamaya temple, the interesting sculpture in the temple is of one-legged Shiva or Ekapada Shiva.

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Brahmeshwar Temple – The temple is been located to the East of the famous Lingraj temple, constructed by the ruling King’s mother in the respect of the mighty deity Lord Shiva – Brahmeshwar. For the first time, iron beams are used in the construction of the temple and the building is about 60 feet tall. Moreover, for the first time, iconography of dancers and musicians has been done on the temple walls. There were many tantric pictures on the western exterior and Lord Shiva and other deities were pictured in alarming postures.

Maa Tara Tarini Temple – It is not only been counted among the oldest pilgrimage centres of holy and mighty Maa Goddess but also as one of the four prime Shakti Peethas in the country. It is been situated on the banks of River Rushikulya in Ganjam district nearby Brahmapur city.

Ram Mandir – Located in the heart of the city Bhubaneswar, it has images of Lord Rama, Lord Lakshman and Goddess Sita. It is an ancient temple of the city and also has shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and other deities.

Dhabaleswar Temple – This beautiful temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located at the banks of Mahanadi River. The stone carvings on the temple date back to early 10th and 11th century.

Do make sure to must-see and get the blessings of Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and other deities by visiting these temples whenever you are in Odisha. Planning a trip to Odisha? Connect with Best Choice Holiday this time, let them arrange a fully fledged package tour for you and your loved ones and be prepared to cherish the lifetime moments as per your desires and within your budget.

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