Lingaraja Temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest
temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the
The Indian state of Odisha, India. The temple is the most prominent landmark of
Bhubaneswar city and one of the major
tourist attractions of the state.
Religion
District
Shiva As Lingaraja
Bhuvaneshvari Form
of Parvati (consort)
Festivals
Location
Ekamra Kshetra, Old
Town, Bhubaneshwar
State
India
Architecture
Type
Creator
Jajati Keshari
Completed
11th century CE
The Lingaraja temple is the largest
in Bhubaneswar. The central tower of the
the temple is 180 ft (55 m) tall. The temple
represents the quintessence of the Kalinga
architecture and culminating the medieval
stages of the architectural tradition at
Bhubaneswar. The temple is believed to
be built by the kings from the Somavamsi
dynasty, with later additions from the
Ganga rulers. The temple is built in the
Deula style has four components namely, vimana (structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall),
Salamandra (festival hall) and bhoga-
mandapa (hall of offerings), each
increasing in the height to its predecessor.
The temple complex has 50 other shrines
and is enclosed by a large compound wall.
Bhubaneswar is called the Ekamra Kshetra
as the deity of Lingaraja was originally
under a mango tree (Ekamra) as noted in
Ekamra Purana, a 13th-century Sanskrit
treatise. The temple is active in worship
practises, unlike most other temples in
Bhubaneswar. The temple has images of
Vishnu, possibly because of the rising
the prominence of the Jagannath sect emanating
from the Ganga rulers who built the
Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century. The central deity of the temple,
Lingaraja is worshipped as Shiva.
Lingaraja temple is maintained by the
Temple Trust Board and the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The temple has an average of 6,000 visitors
per day and receives lakhs of visitors
during festivals. Shivaratri festival is the major festival celebrated in the temple and
event during 2012 witnessed 200,000
visitors. The temple compound is not open
to non-Hindus, but there is a viewing
platform beside the wall offering a good
View of the main exteriors. This was
originally erected for a visit by Lord Curzon
when Viceroy.
History
Central vimana and temples in the Lingar aja Temple complex.
Minor temples in the Lingaraja Temple complex.
Lingaraja means the king of
Lingam, the iconic form of Shiva. Shiva
was originally worshipped as Krutivasa
and later as Harihara and is commonly
referred to as Tribhuvaneshwara (also
called Bhubaneswar), the master of three
worlds, namely, heaven, earth, and
netherworld. His consort is called
The temple in its present form dates back
to the last decade of the eleventh century.
There is evidence that part of the temple
was built during the sixth century CE as
mentioned in some of the seventh centuries
Sanskrit texts. Fergusson believes that the temple might have been initiated by
Lalat Indu Keshari who reigned from 615
to 657 CE. The Assembly hall
( jagamohana), sanctum and temple tower
were built during the eleventh century,
while the Hall of offering ( bhoga-mandapa)
was built during the twelfth century. The
Salamandra was built by the wife of Salini
between 1099 and 1104 CE. By the time
the Lingaraja temple was completely
constructed, the Jagannath (a form of
Vishnu) the sect had been growing in the
the region, which historians believe, is
evidenced by the co-existence of Vishnu
and Shiva worships at the temple. The kings
of the Ganga dynasty were ardent followers of
Vaishnavism and built the Jagannath
Temple at Puri in the 12th century.
As per some accounts, the temple is
believed to have been built by the
Somavanshi king Yayati I (1025-1040),
during the 11th century CE.Jajati
Keshari shifted his capital from Jajpur to
Bhubaneswar which was referred to as
Ekamra Kshetra in the Brahma Purana, an
ancient scripture. One of the Somavamsi
queens donated a village to the temple
and the Brahmins attached to the temple
received generous grants. An inscription
from the Saka year 1094 (1172 CE)
indicates gifts of gold coins to the temple
by Rajaraja II.Another inscription of
Narasimha I from the 11th century
indicates the offering of betel leaves as tabula
to the presiding deity. Other stone
inscriptions in the temple indicate royal
grants from Chodaganga to the nearby
village people.
K.C. Panigrahi mentions that Yayti I had no
time to build the temple and it should have
been initiated by his son Ananta Kesari
and Udyota Kesari (believed to be other
names of Yayati II as well). The argument
provided against the view that is his
weak successors could not have
constructed such a magnificent
structure.
Architecture
Lingaraja temple has a square plan; a section from the top vimana (sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), Salamandra (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings).
lateral view of Liṅgarāja temple, Bhubaneśvara.
The Lingaraja temple is the largest
in Bhubaneswar. James Fergusson (1808–
86), a noted critic and historian rated the
temple as "one of the finest examples of
purely Hindu temple in India". It is
enshrined within a spacious compound
wall of laterite measuring 520 ft (160 m)
by 465 ft (142 m). The wall is 7.5 ft (2.3 m)
thick and surmounted by a plain slant
coping. Alongside the inner face of the
boundary wall, there is a terrace to protect
the compound wall against outside
aggression. The tower is 45.11 m
(148.0 ft) high and the complex has 150
smaller shrines in its spacious courtyard.
Each inch of the 55 m (180 ft) tall tower is
sculpted. The door at the gate of the
the entrance porch is made of sandalwood.
The Lingaraja temple faces east and is
built of sandstone and laterite. The main entrance is located in the east, while there
are small entrances in the north and south.
The temple is built in the Deula style that
has four components namely, vimana
(structure containing the sanctum),
jagamohana (assembly hall), Salamandra (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of
offerings), with all four in axial alignment
with descending height. The dance
hall was associated with the raising
the prominence of the devadasi system that existed during the time. The various
units from the Hall of offering to the tower
of the sanctum increase in height.
The bhogamandapa (Hall of offering)
measures 42 ft (13 m)*42 ft (13 m) from
the inside, 56.25 ft (17.15 m)*56.25 ft
(17.15 m) from the outside and has four
doors on each of the sides. The exterior
walls of the hall have decorative sculptures
of men and beasts. The hall has a
pyramidal roof made of up several
horizontal layers arranged in sets of two
with the intervening platforms. It bears an
inverted bell and a kalesa in the
top. The Salamandra (festival
hall) measures 38 ft (12 m)*38 ft (12 m)
from the inside, 50 ft (15 m)*50 ft (15 m)
from the outside, has one main entrance
and two side entrances. The side walls of
the hall has decorative sculptures
displaying women and couples. It has a
flat roof sloping in stages. There are thick
jagamohana (assembly hall) measures
35 ft (11 m)*30 ft (9.1 m) from the inside,
55 ft (17 m)*50 ft (15 m) from the outside,
entrances from south and north and has a
30 metres (98 ft) tall roof. The hall has a
pyramidal roof made of up several
horizontal layers arranged in sets of two
with the intervening platform as in the Hall of
offering. The facade to the entrances are
decorated with perforated windows with
lion sitting on hind legs. The inverted bell
above the second unit is adorned by kalas
and lions. The Rekha doula has a
60 m (200 ft) tall pyramidal tower over the
sanctum and measures 22 ft (6.7 m)*22 ft
(6.7 m) from the inside, 52 ft (16 m)*52 ft
(16 m) from the outside over the sanctum.
It is covered with decorative designs and
seated lion projecting from the walls. The
sanctum is square from the
inside. The tower walls are sculpted with
female figures in different poses.
The temple has a vast courtyard mired
with hundreds of small shrines.
Religious significance
The flag of the time fixed to a Pinaka bow
Bhubaneswar is called the Ekamra Kshetra
as the deity of Lingaraja was originally
under a mango tree (Ekamra). Ekamra
Purana, a Sanskrit treatise of the 13th
century mentions that the presiding deity
was not seen as the lingam (an aniconic form of Shiva) during the Satya and Treta yugas
and only during the Dvapara and Kali
yugas, it emerged as a lingam. The lingam
in the temple is a natural unshaped stone
that rests on a Sakti. Such a lingam is
called Krutibasa or Swayambhu and is
found in 64 places in different parts of
India. With the advent of the Ganga
dynasty in the early 12th century, during
the period.
It is attributed to the raising prominence of
The Jagannath sect that became predominant
during the construction of the temple. The
Gangas remodelled the temple and
introduced certain Vaishnavite elements
like images of Vaishnava Dwarapalas
namely Jaya and Prachanda, The flag of
the temple was fixed to a Pinaka bow
instead of the trident usually found In Shiva
Festival and worship
practices
As per Hindu legend, an underground river
originating from the Lingaraja temple fills
the Bindusagar Tank (meaning ocean
drop) and the water is believed to heal
physical and spiritual illness. The water
from the tank is thus treated as sacred and
pilgrims take a holy dip during festive
occasions. The central deity of the
Temple, Lingaraja, is worshipped as Shiva.
.
Rukuna Ratha yatra is an annual Ratha yatra of Lingaraja
Shivaratri is the main festival celebrated annually in Phalgun month when
thousands of devotees visit the temple.
Apart from a full day of fasting, bel leaves
are offered to Lingaraja on this auspicious
day. The main celebrations take place at
the night when devotees pray all night long.
The devout usually break their fast after
the Mahadipa (a huge lamp) is lit on the
spire of the temple. This festival
commemorates Lingaraja having slain a
demon. Thousands of bol bom pilgrims
carry water from river Mahanadi and walk to the temple during the month
of Shravana every year. Sunian day is
observed from royal times in the month of
Bhandra, a day when temple servants,
peasants and other holders of temple
lands offer loyalty and tribute to
Lingaraja. Chandan Yatra (Sandalwood
ceremony) is a 22-day festival celebrated
in the temple when servants of the temple
disport themselves in a specially made
barge in Bindusagar tank. The deities and
servants of the temples are anointed with
sandalwood paste to protect from heat.
Dances, communal feasts, and
merrymaking is arranged by the people
associated with the temple.
Every year the chariot festival (Ratha-
Yatra) of Lingaraja is celebrated on
Ashokashtami. The deity is taken in a
chariot to Rameshwar Deula temple.
Thousands of devotees follow and pull
brightly decorated chariots containing the
idols of Lingaraja, Gopaluni And
Vasudeva.
The Lingaraja temple is active in worship
practises, unlike the other ancient temples
of Bhubaneshwar which is not active
worship centres. Non-Hindus are not
allowed inside the temple, but it can be
viewed from the viewing platform located
outside the temple. The viewing platform
and the back of the temple can be reached
via a laneway located to the right of the
the main entrance of the temple.
The sanctity of the temple is maintained by
disallowing dogs, unbathed visitors,
menstruating women and families that
encountered birth or death in the
preceding 12 days. In the case of a foreign
trespass, the temple follows a purification
ritual and dumping of prasad (food
offering) in a well.
Religious practices
The image of Lingaraja is abluted with
water (called manana) several times a
day and decorated with flowers, sandals
paste and cloth. Hemlock or hemlock
flowers which are generally offered in
other Shiva temples are not allowed in the
Lingaraja temple. Bilva leaves (Aegle marmelos) and Tulasi (Ocimum sanctum)
are used in daily worship. Offerings of
cooked rice, curries and sweets are
displayed in the bhogamandapa (hall of
offering) and the divinity is invoked to
accept them amidst scores of chanting of
Sanskrit texts. Coconut, ripe plantains and
kora-Khai is generally offered to Lingaraja by the pilgrims. Bhang beverage is offered to Lingaraja by some devotees especially
on the day of Pana Sankranti (Odia's new
year).
The Lingaraja temple is open from 6 a.m.
to about 9 p.m. and is intermittently closed
during bhoga (food offering) to the deity.
In the early morning, lamps in the cella
are lit to awaken Lingaraja from his sleep,
ablution is performed, followed by
adoration and arati (waving of light). The temple is closed from about noon until
about 3.30 p.m. A ceremony known as
Mahasnana (ablution) is performed once
the doors are closed, followed by pouring
of Panchamrita (a mixture of milk, curdled milk, clarified butter, honey, and ghee)
upon the deity for purification. At about
1:00 pm, a ripe plantain is divided into two,
one half is offered to the Sun god and the
another half to Dwarapala (the guarding
deities in the doorway). Between 1 p.m.
and 1:30 p.m. the food offering called
Ballabha Bhoga (breakfast containing
curdled milk, curd, and vegetables) is
offered to the deity. The consecrated food
is carried to the temple of Parvati and
placed before her as an offering, a practice
commonly observed by the orthodox
Hindu housewives. At about 2 pm, the
Sakala Dhupa (morning's offering of food)
takes place. After the food is offered to
Lingaraja, the offerings are carried to the
Temple of Parvati to serve her. An offering
called Bhanda Dhupa is carried out at
3:30 p.m. at the hall of the offering. This
food is later offered by the inmates to the
A light refreshment knew as Ballabha
Dhupa is offered to the deity at around
4:30 pm. At around 5:00 pm, Dwipahar
Dhupa (mid-day meal) is offered. At around
7 pm, another offering called Palia Badu is
placed before the deity. Sandhya arati
(waving of lights in the evening) is
performed during that time. Another light
a meal called Sahana Dhupa is offered at
around 8:30 pm. After the meals, the
ceremony of waving light ( arati) is
performed before the deity. At 9.30 pm, the
last service of the day, Bada Singara (the
great decoration) is performed when the
deity is decorated with flowers and
ornaments after which a light food
the offering is made. A wooden palanquin is
laid in the room, incense is lighted,
drinking water is served and prepared
betel is placed. Panchabaktra Mahadeva
comes to the palanquin and returns to his
own abode after the arati is performed.
This is a bronze image of Mahadeva
having five faces and Parvati in his lap.
Each of these ceremonies is accompanied
by ritual observances and recitations of
mantras (Sanskrit texts) specified for each
occasion.
Temple staff and
administration
King Jajati Keshari, believed to be the
founder of the Lingaraja temple, deputed
Brahmins who had migrated to south India as temple priests over the local Brahmins
on account of their increased knowledge
of Shaivism, due to increasing invasions
from Muslim invaders. The focus was to
enhance the temple practises from tribal
rites to Sanskritic. While the exact number
of castes involved in the biogas
(practises) is not known, Brahmins, tribal
worshippers and inmates from
Untouchable castes are believed to be part of the setup. Bose (1958) identified 41
services with the involvement of 22
separate castes and Mahaptra (1978)
identified 30 services. It is understood
from the records that kings and temple
managers of different times introduced or
discontinued certain services, fairs,
offerings, and caste-centred core services
during their regime. As of 2012, the
temple practised 36 different services
(biogas).
In modern times, the Lingaraja temple
priests are from three communities,
namely Pujapanda Nijog, Brahman Nijog
and Badu Nijog. The Badu are non-
Brahmin servant groups, whose origin is
not ascertained due to the unavailability of
authentic records, while they are described
as Vadu in chapter 62 of the
Ekamrapurana. The caste group of Badu is
called Niyoga, which elects the officers
every year during the Sandalwood festival.
Every Badu undergoes three distinct rites,
namely, ear-piercing, marriage, and god-
touching. Historically, the Badus
performed five different temple duties -
Paliabadu and Pharaka, which were
considered important and Pochha, Pasadena
and Khataseja, which were considered
inferior. From 1962, only Paliabadu and
Pharaka practises are followed and the
others are discontinued. The Badus also
carry out ablution and dressing of the
images of Siddhaganesh and Gopalini.
The temple is maintained by the Temple
Trust Board and the Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI). The temple is guarded by
security personnel deputed by the Police
Commissioner of Bhubaneswar and
security guards appointed by the temple
administration. The temple has an
average of 6,000 visitors every day and
receives lakhs of visitors during
festivals. The Shivaratri festival during
2012 witnessed 200,000 visitors. As of
2011, the annual income of Lingaraja
temple from hundi (donation boxes) is
around ₹1.2 million per annum. Another
₹4 million is collected annually from other
sources like rents from shops, cycle
stands and agricultural lands. Starting
2011, the temple charges an amount for
six types of religious worship (special
pujas) carried out by the devotees.
A sculpted gryphon or "udagajasingha" on the
main temple spire.
Image of Bindusagar pond with Lingaraja
Temple in the background.
Varieties of Marigold for offering to Lingaraja
during Shivaratri at Bhubaneswar.
Bird's eye view of Lingaraj Temple during
Deepa Dana February 2020.
Lingaraj Temple complex at dusk during
Shivratri 2020.
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