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Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, is aptly called the “ Temple City of the East ” . Once upon a time, the city was home to about 7,000 hindu temples which were located around the Bindu Sagar lake in the city. However, only 500 of them have withstood the ravages of time. These temples stand testimony to the great cultural and architectural heritege of Orissa as well as that of India. These architectural marvels in the city feature the Kalinga style (the second great type) of Indian temple architecture.
Orissa's art and culture reached the zenith during the reigns of the Kesari and Ganga dynasties, the rulers of which were the best patrons of artists and sculptors. They worshiped Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva , two of the Holy Trinity in hindu mythology. Most of the hindu temples located in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark were constructed during their reigns. |
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The Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar, one of most beautiful hindu temples in India. The presiding deity of this world-famous temple is “ Swayambhu Linga ” Hari-Hara , i.e., half Vishnu and half Shiva. The deity is also addressed as " Tribhuvaneshwar ", meaning the " Lord of the Three Worlds ". The lingam at the Lingaraja, or Krittivasas , is an uncarved block of granite (8 feet in diameter raised 8 inches above the ground). |
The original structure of the temple consisted of the Mandap and the Garbhagriha ; the Nat Mandir and Bhog Mandir were added subsequently. Each of the three parts of the temple complex has a temple |
dedicated to a hindu deity—Lord Ganesha to the south of the entrance to the main temple, Goddess Parvati to the back nd Lord Kartikeya to the north. The outer part of the temple is decorated with beautiful sculptures of gods and goddesses, animals, birds and human figures. As part of the rituals, everday t he deity is offered an Abhisheka (a bath daily with water, milk and bhang).
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The Rajarani Temple in the city, another architectural marvel, was built in the 11th century AD. The temple was named after Rajraniya, the red-gold colour of the local stone, of which it is made. The Rajarani Temple, which was dedicated to Lord Brahma , is no longer a place of worship because |
i tdoes not have a presiding deity. Surrounded by a beautiful garden, the temple has carvings of the eight digpalas (temple guards), who protect the temple from the different directions.
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