Standing tall with its towering spire, intricate carvings, and reflecting the unique style of Kalinga temple architecture, the Lingaraj Temple is located in the old part of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha.
The temple, regarded as the largest and one of the oldest temples in the city, is dedicated to Lingaraj or Lord Shiva, and worshipped as Harihara, a combined form of Vishnu and Shiva, probably due to the rising prominence of Jagannath cult during the rule of the Ganga dynasty, who constructed the Jagannath Temple in Puri in the 12th century. Regarded as the most prominent landmark of the city and one of the major tourist attractions of the state, the temple houses a Shiva Linga, the symbolic representation of Lord Shiva, in the sanctum sanctorum, which is believed to be self-originated. According to Ekamra Purana, a 13th-century Sanskrit text, Bhubaneswar is the other name of Ekamra Kshetra, as the deity of Lingaraj was found by Goddess Bhubaneswari or Parvati, under a mango tree, locally called Ekamra.
The history of the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar dates back to the last decade of the 11th century, although some believe that part of the temple was built during the 6th century AD, as mentioned in some of the seventh century Sanskrit texts, like the Bhrahma Purana.
However, several scholars like James Fergusson, a Scottish architectural historian, mainly remembered for his interest in Indian historical architecture, believe that probably King Jajati Keshari from the Somavamsi dynasty initiated the construction of the temple, when he shifted his capital from Jajatipur or Jajpur to Bhubaneswar, which was subsequently expanded and completed in the eleventh century. It is estimated that the temple tower, along with the sanctum and the Jagamohana or the assembly hall, was built during the eleventh century, while the Bhoga Madapa or the Hall of Offering was constructed in the twelfth century.
Depicted by the scholars as one of the finest examples of purely Hindu temple in India and spanning a vast area of 250000 sq feet (23225.76 sq m), the huge complex of the Lingaraj temple, containing 150 smaller shrines, and a big pond, called Bindusagar, stretched about 22 acres and connected with natural streams of water, is surrounded by a 520 feet (160 m) by 465 feet (142 m), and 7.5 feet (2.3 m) thick wall, topped by a simple slant coping.
In addition to it, there is also a terrace running along the inner face of the boundary wall for the protection of the compound wall against any possible aggression. The walls are adorned with captivating sculptures, depicting mythological tales, including scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata. With its 180 feet (55 m) tall central tower, the Lingaraj temple, facing east, is built of sandstone and laterite. The main entrance of the east facing temple is located in the east, while its two other entrances are in the north and south. Interestingly, the door of its entrance porch is made of sandalwood.
Like many other Hindu temples, the Lingaraj Temple consists of four parts, which include the Vimana, the structure containing the sanctum or Garbha Griha, Jagamohana or the Assembly Hall, the Naat Mandira or the Dance Hall, and the Bhoga Madapa or the Hall of Offering, all aligned with descending heights. The uniqueness of the Garbha Griha of the Lingaraj Temple is that, the presiding deity in it, considered to be Swayambhu or self-originated, and worshipped both as Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, is not a usual Shiva Linga, but a natural unshaped piece of stone that rests on Shakti. The Bhoga Madapa or the Hall of Offering of the Lingaraj temple, measuring 42 feet (13 m) by 42 feet (13 m) from the inside, and equipped with four doors in each of the sides, has a pyramidal roof made up of several horizontal layers arranged in sets of two with intervening platforms, bears an inverted bell and a pitcher in the top, while the exterior walls of the hall has decorative sculptures of men and beast. The Jagamohana or the assembly hall, with the façade of its entrances decorated with perforated windows with lion sitting on hind legs, is comparatively smaller than the Bhoga Madapa, measuring 35 feet (11 m) × 30 feet (9.1 m) from the inside, but has a pyramidal roof like the Bhoga Madapa. The Naat Mandira or the Dance Hall was associated with the Devadasi system prevailing in the period, in which unmarried female dancers were ritually dedicated to the worship and service of the deity in a temple for the rest of their lives, maintaining chastity. The hall, measuring 38 feet (12 m) by 38 feet (12 m) from the inside and equipped with weight bearing thick pylons in the hall, has a flat roof sloping in stages, and equipped with one main entrance and two side entrances, while its side walls are decorated with sculptures, displaying women and couples.
Apart from daily worship, several festivals are celebrated in the temple, which include the Shivaratri festival, celebrated each year in the month of Phangun, the eleventh month of the Bengali Calendar, when thousands of devotees visit the temple to pray all night long, and usually break their fast after a huge lamp, known as the Mahadipa, is lit on the spire of the temple. The other two important festivals are the celebration of the annual Chariot festival or the Ratha-Yatra, celebrated on Ashokashtami, and the Sandalwood ceremony or Chandan-Yatra. However, non Hindus are not allowed to enter the temple, though they can see the temple from outside and also observe the celebrations from the viewing platform, located outside the temple, just to the right side of the main entrance of the temple.