A
tropical state, set on the eastern coast of India, Orissa boasts of a long
and well-renowned history and some of most picturesque scenery in India.
Puri is the main holy place in Orissa, Bhubaneswar and Konark are other holy
cities. Together these three cities form the ‘Golden Triangle of
Orissa.
Orissa’s capital city, Bhubaneswar is known for Lingaraja temple and
other temples like Muktesvara Temple, Parasurameswara Temple, Raj Rani
Temple, Brahmeshwara Temple, Vaital Deul Temple etc. Puri is home to famous
Lord Jagannatha Temple, Gundhicha Mandir and Narasimha Temple. Konark is
known all over the world for Sun Temple, which is also a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Apart from these cities, all over Orissa you will see several
beautiful temples including modern and ancient as well.
Majority of the temples in Orissa follow the ‘Orissan Temple
architectural style’ known as ‘Nagara’. According to Nagara
style, the temple comprises two essential parts namely Deul (the main
structure) and Jagmohana (a porch structure). In addition to these, there
may be a hall of dance (mata-mandira), a congregational hall
(bhoga-mandapa), bathing tanks and subsidiary shrines all flanked by a wall.
As Orissa has a history dating back to 2,000 B.C, so there is no wonder
that the state is dotted with many ancient monuments that include the
Buddhist and Jain monuments. You will find Buddhist monuments at various
place like Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, Udaygiri, Balasore Dist, Sambalpur Dist,
Cuttack District etc. Khandagiri and Udaygiri is home to finest Jain
monuments.
Some of the Popular Temples of Orissa Include :
