Temples in Odisha get a special identity in the archaeological map of India which attracts millions of devotees, pilgrimages, architects, scholars, and tourists across the globe.
Odishan ancient temple history begins from 6th century AD - Lakhaneswar temple at Bhubaneswar and the art form developed in time being and Finished at 13th century AD - Sun Temple at Konark. But there is lot and lot of character in the ancient temples which show their mighty background history of Odishan prosperous art and architect and the language of stone which defeated the language of humans.
If you give anOdisha temple tour you will find the temple designs categorized of three such as Rekha (main temple - semi curvilinear design ), Piddha (dancing hall, offering hall) and Khakarmundi (normally sakti goddess temple).
The temples of Odisha famous, for its architectural wonders, Odisha houses some of the best temples in the country. The temples in Odisha are said to have given supreme expression to architecture. Taking the Kalinga pattern of architecture to its zenith, these Odisha temples are unique in both plan elevation and decoration details.
Plan your Odisha temple tour packages with Toshli to understand the architectures, which can be found its supreme expression in the form of temples, some of which are among, finest in the country. Of these, three are most famous the Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneswar (11th century), the Jagannath Temple at Puri (12th century) and the great Sun Temple at Konark (13th century). These mark the culmination of a distinct style of architecture called the Kalinga style remarkable in its plan elevation and details of decoration.
The famous temple of Odishatour includes Jagannath temple, Gundicha temple-Puri, Sun temple-Konark, Lingaraja temple, Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Baitala Deula, Parashurameshvara temple, chausathi Jogini temple,Brahmeswara temple,Mukteswar temple, Rajarani temple, Ram temple- Bhubaneswar, Taratarini temple-Bramhapur, Chandi temple-Cuttack, etc. The state, whose history stretches back several millennia, is particularly reputed for its many temples, which are simply beautiful and beguiling to discover. So plan your temple tour packages in Odisha with Toshali Tours and Travels to know about the true traditional creativity of Odisha.
Welcome to Odisha – a state where hospitality is a way of life, a land where history lives in music and dance. Odisha is a treasure trove of ancient monuments. The temples of Odisha exhibit a majestic grandeur. The Capital city Bhubaneswar is known as the temple city of Odisha.
Arrive Bhubaneswar Airport, pick-up, drive to Puri, check-in hotel, after refreshment visit world famous Jagannath Temple, enjoy at golden sea beach of Jagannath Dham and Local market shopping, overnight at Puri.
Jagannath Temple: The Jagannath Temple of Puri is a sacred Vaishnava temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath and located on the eastern coast of India. The temple is an important pilgrimage destination and is one of the Char Dham pilgrimages that anyone is expected to make in one's lifetime. The major construction of Jagannath temple was initiated by king Chodagangadeva And was completed by his grandson Anangabhimadeva in the late 12th century. The huge temple complex covers an area of over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2), and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. This 20 feet (6.1 m) high wall is known as Meghanada Pacheri. It contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Odia style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India. The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars.
Festivals of Lord Jagannath: There are large number of traditional festivals are observed by the devotees of Jagannath. Some of them as are follows.
After breakfast visit Alarnatha Temple, Gundicha Temple, Sunar Gaurang Temple, Loknath Temple, Sankaracharya's Gobardhan Pitha, Narendra Pokhari (Pond). Overnight at Puri.
Alarnatha Temple: Alarnatha Temple is a temple dedicated to Vishnu. It becomes crowded during the krishnapaksha of Ashadha, after the Snana Yatra when lord Jagannath cannot be seen in Puri. During this period, popularly known as Anasara or Anavasara (literally meaning no opportunity to see the lord of Puri), instead of having darshan in Jagannath Temple, peoples believe that Lord Jagannath during this time manifests as Alarnath Dev, at the Alarnath temple.
Gundicha Temple: It is also known as the Garden House of Jagannath. The temple is built using light-grey sandstone and architecturally, it exemplifies typical Kalinga temple architecture. On the first day of the yatra, the deities are transported in chariots from the main temple to Gundicha temple. Except for the 9-day Rath Yatra when Jagannath is worshipped in Gundicha temple, the temple remains empty the rest of the year.
Sunar Gaurang Temple: It is situated towards the northern end of Puri town and at a distance of 3 kilometers from the Lord Jagannath temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Gauranga.
Loknath Temple: Lokanath Temple lies the 11th century, dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to history the lingam in this temple was established by Lord Rama. The unique feature is that the shivalinga is always under water which substantiates the legend that Goddess Ganga flows through the top of the shivalinga as a stream. The utsava murti of Lokanatha is kept inside the Jagannath temple, Puri. He is the guardian deity of all the treasures and jewellery of Lord Jagannath.
Sankaracharya's Gobardhan Pitha: It is One of the Highest Dham among four in India and is one of the four cardinal mathas founded by Adi Shankara in the 8th century CE. The deities here are Jagannath (Bhairava) and the devi is Vimala (Bhairavi).
Narendra Pond(Pokhari): it is one of the significant Ancient Pond of Holly city Puri. The Pond is specifically used for Summer Navigation of Lord Jagannath & the festival Chandan Yatra is one of the significant event of Jagannath Puri in summer (June/July) which is performed in this pond.
After breakfast check out from the hotel, drive to Konark, en route visit Ramachandi Temple, Chandrabhaga beach, then visit Konark (The Sun Temple and world heritage site and also known as the black pagoda). Then drive to Bhubaneswar, visit Dhauli peace pagoda (The Buddhist monument & famous for kalinga war), Chausathi Yogini Temple. OverNight at Bhubaneswar.
Ramachandi Temple: Ramachandi Temple is on a beautiful spot on the banks of the Kusabhadra River where it flows into the Bay of Bengal. Goddess Ramachandi, the deity of Konark is thought by some to be the presiding deity of this temple, while others thought it to be the temple of Mayadevi, wife of Surya (Sun God). From the religious point of view, it is one of the famous Sakta pithas of Odisha. A graceful Chandi, seated on a Lotus flower in a small temple half hidden by sand mounds, on the river mouth of Kushabhadra and the endless Bay of Bengal stretched to eternity.
Konark (Sun Temple): It is, also known as the Black Pagoda, built in black granite during the reign of Narasimhadeva-I. The temple is a World Heritage Site. The Sun Temple was built in the 13th century and designed as a gigantic chariot of the Sun God, Surya with twelve pairs of ornamented wheels pulled by seven horses. The Sun temple belongs to the Kalingan school of Indian temple architecture. The Temple is an example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty.
Dhauli: It is also know as Peace pagoda. Dhauli hill is presumed to be the area where the Kalinga War was fought. Ashoka had a special weakness for Dhauli, where the battle was fought. The Daya river is said to have turned red with the blood of the many deceased after the battle, and enabled Ashoka to realize the magnitude of horror associated with war. It has major Edicts of Ashoka engraved on a mass of rock.
Chausathi Yogini Temple: Chausathi Jogini Temple is believed to be built by the Queen Hiradevi of Bramha dynasty during 9th century. 64 Joginis Temple is a tantric temple, with hypaethral architecture as tantric prayer rituals involve worshiping the bhumandala (environment consisting all the 5 elements of nature - fire, water, earth, sky and ether).
After breakfast visit, Lingaraj Temple, Rajarani Temple, Mukteswar Temple, Parshurameswar Temple, Kedar Gouri Temple, Ananta Basudev Temple, Baital Temple, Brahmeswara Temple. Overnight at Bhubaneswar.
Lingaraj Temple: It is one of the oldest & the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. The central tower of 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 in its present form dates back to the last decade of the eleventh century. Fergusson (Scottisharchitectural historian) believes that the temple might have been initiated by Lalatendu Keshari who reigned from 615 to 657 CE.
Rajarani Temple: Rajarani Temple is an 11th-century Hindu temple, known originally as Indreswara. It is locally known as a "love temple" because of the erotic carvings of women and couples in the temple. The architecture of other temples in central India is believed to have originated with this temple, the notable ones being the Khajuraho temples and Totesvara Mahadeo temple in Kadawa.
Mukteswar Temple: Mukteshvara Temple is a 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. The temple dates back to 950–975 CE. It is known as "Gem of Odisha architecture" for its magnificent architecture. The presence of a torana, which is not part of any other temple in the region, makes this temple unique and some of the representations indicate the builders were starters of a new culture.
Parshurameswar Temple: Parashurameshvara Temple is considered the best preserved specimen of an early Odia Hindu temple dated to the Shailodbhava period between the 7th and 8th centuries CE. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the oldest existing temples in the state. It is believed to have been built around 650 CE in Nagara style and has all the main features of the pre-10th century Odia-style temple.
Kedar Gouri Temple: The temple is a significant Shaiva temple as it is one of the eight Astasambhu temples in the city. The legend goes that king Lalatendu Kesari, after a tragic episode relating to two lovers Kedar & Gouri, had built this temple in their memory.
Ananta Basudev Temple: Ananta Vasudeva Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temple was constructed in the 13th century. The temple dates back to the period of Chandrika Devi, the daughter of Anangabhima III, during the reign of the king Bhanudeva. In form, the temple resembles the Lingaraj temple, but includes vaishnavite (Lord Vishnu related) sculptures.
Baital Temple: Vaitaḷa Temple is an 8th-century Hindu temple of typical Khakara style dedicated to Goddess Chamunda located in Bhubaneswar. It is also locally known as "Tini Mundia Mandira"(Three headed temple).
Brahmeswara Temple: Brahmeswara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, erected at the end of the 9th century CE, is richly carved inside and out. The temple is built in the 18th regnal year of the Somavamsi king Udyotakesari by his mother Kolavati Devi, which corresponds to 1058 CE.
After breakfast drive to Jajpur, en route visit Cuttack Chandi Temple, Qadam-I-Rasool Dargah. Then Visit Maa Biraja Devi Temple. Then back to Bhubaneswar, on the way visit Mahavinayak Temple, Chhatia Baat, Cuttack Chandi Temple. Overnight at Ratnagiri.
Cuttack Chandi Temple: The Cuttack Chandi Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to the Goddess Chandi. Maa Chandi is worshipped in various incarnations of Durga during the puja. People strongly believe Maa Cuttack Chandi as 'The Living Goddess'.
Qadam-I-Rasool Dargah: Among the historical monuments, Qadam-I-Rasool at Dargha Bazar in front of Cuttack Jail (Old) stands out as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. Qadam-I-Rasool was built by Nawab Shujauddin Khan in the year 1715. The building has entrance doors each in the direction of North, South, East and West; the floor covered with plaque and white square marble is divided into eight squares. The foot-print of the Prophet engraved in circular stone is placed in the center of the monument.
Biraja Devi Temple: The Biraja Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in Jajpur. The present temple was built during the 13th century. The principal idol is Devi Durga, who is worshiped as Viraja (Girija). After Jagannath Dham(Shreekshetra), it is the second highest pilgrimage destination in Odisha known as Biraja Kshetra.
Chhtia Temple: Chhatia is popularly known as Chhatia Bata as sacred place of pilgrimage. The shrine of Lord Jagannath at Chhatia is a modern piece of Odisha Temple Architecture. It is the saint Mahapurusa Hadi Das Samadhi Pitha. The trinity of Jagannath, Balabhadra Subhadra in militant form seated on horse back. The three deities brandish their sword in their hand.
Maha Vinayak Temple: Mahavinayak temple is a major centre of pilgrimage and one of the oldest Ganesha temples in Odisha and also a major shaiva pitha or centres of Odisha. It is a place of both mythological and historical importance. This sculpture (i.e. the Mahavinayak temple) has been constructed by the kings of Keshari Dynasty of Odisha during the 12th century and later it became the centre of worship of Darpan King.
After breakfast check out from thr hotel, visit famous and great Budhhist attraction and Budhhist history of sculptures at Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and lalitgiri. These are also famous as the name of "Dimond Triangle" of Odisha. Then drop at Bhubaneswar Airport with sweet memories of Odisha.
