The Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has always been a great source of glamour and magnetism to the wide range of devotees around the entire world. The temple, devoted to Lord Shiva depicts the exact consonance and symmetry of Odisha’s ornamental technique and architectural acclamation and credit. The temple is one of the oldest temples of the town, and stands at a height of 180 feet representing the medieval stages of architecture in Bhubaneshwar. Representing the Deula style, the temple comprises vimana, jagmohana, natmandira and bhoga mandapa; and encompasses a large complex that has almost 150 shrines within.
There are many stories around behind the establishment of this notable creation. The temple of Lingaraja is highly revered and admired by the devotees of Hinduism. The term ‘Lingaraj’ refers to ‘the king of Lingas’, where ‘linga’ originally means Lord Shiva. In the 11th century, Lingaraj Temple was erected by the King Jayati Keshari, who belonged to Soma dynasty. It is heard that when the King shifted his capital from Jaipur to Bhubaneswar, he started the construction of Lingaraj Temple. The reference of this ancient temple is also found in the Hindu scripture, The Brahma Purana. Though the main structure was built in 11th century, but there are many other parts in the temple that are believed to be constructed in 6th century. The locals stories have their say that when the great Jagannath Temple started being erected, then the Lingaraja Temple was about to finish. This belief is further strengthened with the fact that Lord Vishnu is also worshipped here along with Lord Shiva.
