Lingaraj Temple Bhubaneswar

Lingaraj Temple Bhubaneswar
India is a democratic country as well as a religious country. There are millions of temples, mosques and gurudwaras here. Each temple has its own glory and is specially worshiped everywhere. There are many temples dedicated to Lord Shiva here and we are going to tell you about the Lingaraja Temple included in those temples.

The Lingaraja Temple is located in Bhubaneswar. Bhuneshwar is the capital of Odisha. The Lingaraja temple is very ancient and huge. Which is dedicated to Shiva. The special feature of this temple is that only followers of Hinduism can enter here.

History of Lingaraj Temple
First of all let us tell you that Lingaraja means King of Lingam and Lord Shiva, King of Lingam is called. The history of this temple is very old. According to beliefs, it is believed that the Lingaraja temple was built by Somavanshi King Yayati Keshari in the 11th century. At the same time, another fact is said that the Lingaraja temple was built in the sixth century.

Temple architecture
It is famous all over the world due to the grandeur of the Lingaraja temple. The structure of the temple is built of deep sandstone. It is also a great example of Odisha style along with Kalinga style. The Lingaraja temple is surrounded by kilo walls around the huge Bindusagar lake. The temple is 150 square in width. The height of the peak of the temple is 180 feet and the height of the Kalash is about 40 meters. The fort is beautifully carved with Diwari sculptures. More than 150 small temples are built in the entire temple complex. Which includes the temple of Ganesh, Karthikaya and Maa Gauri. A black stone idol of Maa Gauri is built here. In the Lingaraja temple, Lord Shiva is situated in the lingam form located in the inner womb planet. The Swayambhu Linga is eight feet thick and about one feet high which is made of granite stone. The Bindusagar Sarovar Temple situated here adds to the beauty of the temple. The water of the lake removes all the problems and mental illnesses. There is a tradition of bathing in this lake.

Legend of Lingaraja Temple
It is said about the Lingaraja temple that Goddess Parvati reached Bhuneshwar as a common cattle to find out why Lord Shiva loved the city of Bhuneshwar so much and when the goddess was coming to Bhuneshwar, two demons named Kriti and Vasa followed They have also come. Mother Parvati forbade both the demons many times but they continued to chase the mother. After which there was a war between Mata Parvati and the two demons and the demons were killed by Parvati, the mother of the demons. The mother felt terrible thirst after the terrible war. To quench the thirst, Lord Shiva asked for the contribution of all the holy rivers and asked to make a lake. Rivers contributed to build the Bindusagar lake here and Maa Parvati quenched her thirst with the water of the lake.
Chandan Yatra Festival
Every year the festival of Mahashivaratri is celebrated with great pomp in the Lingaraja temple. Chandan Yatra celebrations are also made here which are included in special festivals. The ceremony is celebrated after the temple servants were displaced at the Bindusagar lake. In this ceremony, sandalwood is applied to the deities and devotees and the Rath Yatra is carried out with great fervor.