ORISSA offers not only nature in all its glory, but also a great tradition of architecture, including monuments that date back to the 3rd century B.C. The State capital, with more than 500 temples, is known as the Temple City of India. There is hardly a place in the State where one does not find a temple.
The most important monuments built between the 7th and the 13th centuries are in Bhubaneswar and Puri, where the Kalinga school of architecture flourished. The most important among them are the Lingaraj temple of in Bhubaneswar, the Jagannath temple at Puri and the Sun temple at Konark. The Puri-Konark-Bhubaneswar circuit is also known as the golden triangle.
The 11th century Lingaraj temple is the biggest temple in Bhubaneswar. Another major religious centre in the city is the Mukteswar temple. Built in the 10th century and known for its stone arch, it has sculptures based on tales from the Panchatantra. Situated close to it is the Rajarani temple. Set in picturesque surroundings, the temple, which has no deity, has floral, animal and human figures carved on its walls. It also has an unusual tower.
Close to the Mukteswar temple is the 7th century Parsurameswar temple, with a small but richly decorated shrine of Siva. The Swarnajaleswar temple, located near the Parsurameswar temple, has beautiful depictions from the Ramayana.
It was in Puri that Adi Sankara founded one of the peethas. The 12th century temple is famous for the annual Rath Yatra.
The Sun temple at Konark is designed as a celestial chariot of the sun god and has 12 pairs of wheels and is drawn by seven horses. Although the sanctum sanctorum is in ruins, the dance hall and the audience hall are intact. The temple has sculptures of great beauty depicting all aspects of life.
TEMPLES in Orissa are not limited to the golden triangle. Jajpur, situated on the banks of the Baitarani river, has the shrines of Biraja (Durga), Sveta Varaha (the incarnation of Vishnu as a white boar) and Sapta Matruka, among others.
The Ghatgaon temple, of the goddesses Tarani, which was earlier a small structure, is now a big complex. People from across the State and even beyond send coconuts as offering to the presiding deity. The belief is that a coconut should be offered to the goddess before proceeding to any destination. Located in Keonjhar district is Gonsika, where the Baitarani originates, the place is surrounded by a series of valleys and wooded hills. Gonsika is also famous as a place of pilgrimage.
Phulbani, the headquarters of Kandhmal district, has the Balaskumpa temple, dedicated to Barala Devi. Also located in the district is Putudi, a place of natural beauty. It has a waterfall.
The Gupteswar temple, located in the undivided Koraput district, is a scenic spot with a cave shrine of Siva surrounded by champak trees. The shrine is visited by a large number of pilgrims during Mahasivaratri.
Berhampur is a major commercial town of Orissa, with shopping centres famous for silk sarees and handicrafts. It is also famous for the Maa Bhairavi temple dedicated to Durga. It has on its premises idols of several goddesses and gods.
Sambalpur, famous for its handloom textiles, folk dance, music and the Hirakud dam, has a Siva temple on the banks of the Mahanadi river, known as Huma. It has the lone leaning temple in Orissa dedicated to Lord Bimaleswar.
The other major religious centre in Sambalpur is the 15th century Nrusimhanath temple located at the foot of the picturesque Gandhamardan hills. On the other slope of the hill is the Harishankar temple.
