Temples & Pilgrimage
1 place around Bhubaneswar, with the travel time to each.
Lingaraj Temple
An 11th-century architectural masterpiece dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lingaraj Temple is one of Bhubaneswar’s most revered landmarks. Raised under the Somavamsi kings, it is the point at which Kalinga temple building arrives at its full form: four structures on one axis — sanctum, assembly hall, dance hall and hall of offerings — each stepping higher than the one before, with the tower over the sanctum reaching about 55 metres. The sanctum and assembly hall are the 11th-century work; the hall of offerings was added in the 12th. The tank of Bindusagar lies immediately north, ringed by smaller shrines. The temple itself is open to Hindus only, and visitors who cannot enter read it from the raised platform beside the boundary wall, which clears the compound wall and takes in the whole tower.