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Lingaraaj means ‘the king of Lingas’, ‘Linga’ or ‘Lingam’ being the symbol of Lord Shiva worship. The Lingaraj temple stands majestically as the largest temple in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. At 55 metres high, it dominates the landscape with 150 smaller shrines in its spacious courtyard and is surrounded by massive walls lavishly decorated with beautiful sculptures. The Lingaraj temple is known for the Lingam or the phallic deity hallowed in it. Described as the ‘ Quintessence of the Kalinga architecture’, the temple is one of the famous Shaiva (followers of Lord Shiva) pilgrimages and according to Hindu scriptures, one should first visit the temple before going to Puri. Lingaraj is the religion temple of Orissa and Oriya Culture.

Lingaraj temple is divided into four distinct chambers interconnected to each other;Jagamohana, Garbhagriha, Nata mandap and the Bhoga Mandap. The outer walls of the temple exhibit unparalled carvings. The beautifully carved and sculpted images of various God and Goddess of Oriya Community are unrivaled. The temple complex has three compartments and each one has a temple each. Towards south of the entrance to main temple is image of Lord Ganesha, at the back is the image of Goddess Parvati and to north is Lord Kartikya. The Lingaraja temple has got various pillars and halls which add to its beauty. The Lingaraja temple has got various pillars and halls which add to its beauty. At the main gate is the temple of Lord Ganesha followed by Nandi pillar. Its towering spire-like beauty dominates the Orissa, Bhubaneswar skyline.It represents the the peak of Kalinga(Ancient name of Orissa) style of architecture spanning over 25 centuries of progressive history.

The 11th century Lingaraj Temple was built by the Orissa King Jajati Keshari, representing the Kalinga style of architecture. Surrounded by massive walls with beautifully carved sculptures, the temple stands to a height of 180 ft. The temple complex is filled with 150 small shrines dedicated to several Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Erected in red sandstone, the temple is located around the vast Bindu Sagar Lake. The noted feature of the temple is that, on top of the temple there is no trishula or Chakra. The temple only has an arrow symbol – the reason behind this may be because Lord Ram was a worshipper of LordShiva and is said to have performed pujas at the Lingaraj Temple. The main gates of the Lingaraj Temple have images of Trishula on one side and Chakra on the other side.

The famous oriya Festival Ashoka Ashtami is the main festival celebrated at the The Lignaraj Temple. The festival falls on the eighth day of the Chaitra month (March – April) to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over demon Ravana.

The near by temple attactions are Ananta-Vasudeva Temple, Bindusagar and Bhaskareswar Temple. Ananta-Vasudeva Temple Situated at a distance of 4 km from the famous Lingaraj temple, this 18.29 meter high Vaishnav shrine was built by Chandradevi in 1278 A.D. Dedicated to Lord Krishna.Bindusagar or “Ocean Drop” is a tank placed north of the Lingaraj temple and is said to contain holy water from every river, lake and stream of India brought by Lord Shiva. Pilgrims from all over the country visit here to take a holy dip, with the faith that it will cure any disease due to the medicinal value of the water stored. Bhaskareswar Temple Located at 6 km from Lingaraj shrine, the Bhaskareswar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.