One of the oldest temples in the Eastern state of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, the Lingaraja Temple is dedicated to the Harihara—a form of lord Shiva and lord Vishnu. It happens to be one of the largest temples in the state and also is a top most tourist attraction.
Historically speaking, Lingaraj stands for the king of lingam, a form which is used to denote lord, Shiva. It is said that lord Shiva originally worshipped as Kirtivasa and later as Harihara in the temple. The lord is commonly called as Tribhuvaneshwara (also Bhubaneswar), which means the master of three worlds—heaven, earth and netherworld. Lord’s consort is called Bhuvaneshvari.
The temple dates back to 11 century and represents the Kalinga Architecture and its beauty. Lingaraj temple resides images of lord Vishnu, because of the rising prominence of Jagannath sect emanating from the Ganga rulers who built the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century.
Thousands of devotees rush to the temple to seek the lord’s blessings. Recently, PM Narendra Modi too visited the famous Lingaraj Temple in Odisha and prayed to the lord.
Here’s how you can reach the temple:
The Lingaraj Temple is open for devotees on all 7 days and the starts as early as 6 am. The closing time happens to be 9 pm.
The best time to visit the temple is during March-April when the summer heat is not at its peak.
Road: You can board a local or private bus from the Bermunda Bus stand in Bhubaneswar which is the nearest bus stand.
Train: The nearest railway station is Bhubaneswar railway station which is around 6 km away from the temple.
Air: The Biju Patnaik Airport is around 6 km from the temple. So, you can take a flight as well. Once you reach Bhubaneswar, you can start your journey.
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