Bhubaneswar
Capital Of Odisha; The Temple City Of India · Bhubaneswar, Odisha
The capital of Odisha and the Temple City of India, once said to hold thousands of Hindu temples, of which several hundred survive, making it one of the best places anywhere to trace the development of the Kalinga style of temple architecture over a thousand years. The greatest is the Lingaraj, an eleventh-century temple to Shiva whose tower dominates the old town; it is in active worship and closed to non-Hindus, who see it from a viewing platform outside the wall. Others are open to all: the small, jewel-like Mukteswara, with its carved arched gateway; the Rajarani, famous for its sculptures of women; and the early Parasurameswara. On two hills at the edge of the city, the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves were cut for Jain monks in the second century BCE. Dhauli, just outside, is where Ashoka fought the Kalinga war that turned him to Buddhism, and his rock edicts remain there beside a white peace pagoda. Bhubaneswar forms a triangle with Puri and Konark and is the usual base for exploring Odisha's coast.
Lingaraj Temple Road, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751002, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm before planning. The typical pattern: working temples open around dawn, close for a period around midday and reopen late afternoon; ASI monuments such as Rajarani and the caves are open sunrise to sunset; the Odisha State Museum and Nandankanan keep daytime hours and each close one day a week (often Monday; check). The traps: non-Hindus arriving at the Lingaraj expecting entry, touts charging for the viewing platform, and visiting the caves in the midday heat.