TOP TEMPLES OF ODISHA

Temples built from sandstone to the 11th-century Hindu Lingaraja Temple to the 13th-century Sun Temple and world famous Lord Jagannath Temple give tourist an array of attractions and make them feel they are in God’s abode.

Jagannath Temple Puri – Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of deity Maha Vishnu, the temple is one of the famous Hindu Char Dhams and is situated on the Eastern Coast at Puri in Odisha. The temple is famous for its Rath Yatra held in July every year.

Konark Sun Temple – It is a 13th century constructed CE sun temple situated at Konark city in Odisha. Dedicated to Hindu deity Surya, the temple complex has a 30 metre high chariot with huge horses and wheels engraved from stone. It is indeed a classic illustration of Kalinga architectural wonder.

Lingaraj Temple – Dedicated to Hindu deity Shiva, it is among one of the oldest ancient temples located in Bhubaneswar city. Reckoned as the major tourist attraction of the place, it is the largest temple in the city, whose central tower is 180 feet tall. The temple is extremely active in worship practices and represents the core of Kalinga architecture.

Brahmeswara Temple – Dedicated to Hindu god Shiva, the temple is richly carved in and out and is been built at the end of 9th century CE. Also been referred to as Panchatanaya temple, there are four subsidiary shrines situated across the four corners of the temple.

Mukteswar Temple – Dedicated to Hindu lord Shiva, it is a 10th century ancient temple located in Bhubaneswar city in Odisha. Recognized as one of the prime tourist attractions of the city, it is found to be the earliest work belonging to Somavamshi period.

Parasurameswar Temple – Dedicated to Hindu Lord Shiva, it is one of the oldest existing ancient temples located in East Indian city in Bhubaneswar. The temple has a vimana, a bada, a sanctum, rising to a height of 40.25 feet. It is also one of the prime tourist attractions in Odisha.

Rajarani Temple – It is famous as an 11th century Hindu temple located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Also been well known as “love temple”, the temple has erotic carvings of couple and women on the walls. Made up from dull red and yellow sandstone, the temple is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Vaital Deul Temple – Dedicated to Goddess Chamunda, it is an old 8th century Hindu temple located in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. Locally, the temple is famous as “Tini Mundia Deula”, as it has three spires available on top of it which is indeed a very unique and distinctive feature unless other temples.

Khirachora Gopinath – The ancient temple is in Remuna, about 9 km west of Balasore in Odisha. The specialty of the temple is mouth watering khira or Amruta Keli, which are available in pots as prasad and only after personally tasted by Lord Gopinatha. Pilgrims from all over visit here all throughout the year.

Taratarini – Situated on the Kumari hills near Brahmapur city in Ganjam district in Odisha, the temple is worshipped as the manifestations of Adi Shakti and as the Breast Shrine. Reckoned as one of the oldest pilgrimage centres of Mother Goddess, it is counted among the famous four ancient Shakti Peethas in India.

Akhandalamani – Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple is situated at Aradi village in Odisha. The temple’s 50 foot high concrete and cement based temple structure is been replaced now by a wooden temple. There are many fairs and festivals arranged by the temple, also known locally as Jagara mela.

Panchalingeswar – The temple is named after the 5 Shivalingas that are placed inside and is located in the Balasore district in Odisha. Located on the top of the hillock nearby Nilagiri hill, it is easily approachable by bus or car and so.

Chhatia Jagannath Temple – Dedicated to Lord Jagannath and Kalki, avatar of Lord Vishnu, the ancient temple is located in Chhatia in Jajpur dstrict in Odisha.

Dhabaleswar – Dedicated to Hindu God Shiva, the temple lies at a distance of 27 km from Cuttack, Odisha. A perfect weekend tour, the temple is on an isolated island on Mahanadi River, is adorned with stone carvings belonging to 10th and 11th century.

Cuttack Chandi – Dedicated to Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of Cuttack in Odisha, the ancient temple is located at the banks of River Mahanadi. It is popular and widely visited by locals and tourists for its annual Kali Puja and Durga Puja festivals.

Kapilas – Also been famously known as Chandrashekhar temple, it is located at North Eastern part of Dhenkanal town in Odisha. The temple is at a height of 2239 feet above sea level and the main tower is 60 feet tall. Inside the temple, there is a wooden Jagamohana, Gangadevi, Kartikeya and Sri Ganesh idols.

Baladevajew Temple – Dedicated to Balarama, it is indeed a very popular temple located in Ichhapur in Odisha. In the main temple, Lord Jagannath and Subhadra is also been worshipped and the huge temple complex is constructed over an area of 2 acres land.

Kakatpur Mangala – The famous Mangala temple is been located in Kakatpur, Eastern coast of India in Odisha. A true symbol of ancient heritage of Kalinga, it is a 15th century temple and is easy to reach from all sides via road. Goddess Mangala is the manifestation of Shakti, who is worshipped here.

Kantilo Neelamadhava – It is an ancient and popular Lord Vishnu temple located nearby the banks of River Mahanadi. The temple’s overall complex and structure is quite similar to the famous Lord Jagannath temple.

Gupteswar – The city shrine dedicated to Hindu lord Shiva, it is located at 55 km away from Jeypore in Koraput district in Odisha. Reckoned as a limestone cave, the major attraction of the temple is huge Shiva Linga that is believed to be increasing in size with time.

Ladubaba – Built in the 13th century AD, the temple is located in Bhubaneswar, the capital city in Odisha. Formerly well known as Kainchhi temple, the sanctum of the temple is empty. The sculptural adornments and work on the outer walls depict that the temple was dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Samaleswari Temple – Dedicated to the Goddess ‘Maa’, the famous Hindu temple is located in Sambalpur in Western Odisha. The temple is known to have a rich cultural heritage and the goddess is worshipped with a great devotion, care and dedication by the natives.

Nrusinghanath Temple – Situated at the foothills of Gandhamardan hill nearby Bargarh in Odisha, the foundation of the temple is been laid in 1313 AD. The height of the temple is 45 feet and is segregated into two parts, one where there is seat of Lord Nrusinghnath and the other where there is seat of Jagamohan.

Huma’s Leaning Temple – It is the famous one of only two leaning temples of the world. The temple is located on the bank of Mahanadi River in a village 23 km South of Sambalpur in Odisha. Dedicated to Lord Bimaleshwar, the edifice of the temple leans and the pinnacle is perpendicular to ground.

Harishankara – The famous temple lies on the slopes of Gandhamardan hills in Odisha. Dedicated to two Hindu Lords, Shiva and Vishnu, it is a holy place and visited by many. It is easily approachable by road and nearby railway station.

Yogini Temple, Hirapur – Also famously known as 64 Joginis temple, the popular temple is located in a hamlet known as Hirapur, 20 km outside of Bhubaneswar, in Odisha. It is believed to be built during 9th century by Queen Hiradevi of Brahma dynasty.

Kedara Gouri Temple – As per legend, the temple is the symbol to Odisha’s everlasting love story. Dedicated to Hindu Lord Shiva and Goddess Gauri, most of the young couples visit this temple to seek for a happy and blessed life after marriage.

Ramachandi – Situated 5 km away from Konark in Puri district in Odisha, the temple is on the banks of Kusabhadra River. Some people believed the presiding deity of the temple is Goddess Ramachandi and some thought to the Mayadevi, wife of Sun God (Surya).

Sakhigopal – Formerly been popular as Satyabadi Gopinatha temple, the temple is dedicated to Lord Gopinatha. It is situated in the Sakhigopala town on the Bhubaneswar Puri Highway in Odisha. It is built representing Kalinga style of architecture.

Sri Gundicha Temple – The famous Hindu temple is situated in Puri in Odisha. During the Rath Yatra festival, the temple is occupied by the images of Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra for complete 7 days each year.

Biraja Temple – The historic Hindu temple is situated in Jajpur district in Odisha. Built during the 13th century, the presiding deity is Devi Durga. She is worshipped as Viraja or Girija by the people, and there are local nicknames been given to Jajpur like Biraja Peetha and Viraja Kshetra.