Bhubhaneshwar, India

Books by
Usha Alexander

Books by
Namit Arora

Bhubhaneswar, Odisha, India (Nov 2022)

The 'Temple City' of Bhubaneswar once abounded in medieval temples. Over 50 temples still stand in the old city, around the ceremonial tank, Bindu Sagar. The city also has two good museums – Odisha State Museum, State Tribal Museum – an ancient Jaina cave complex, a site with Ashoka's rock edicts, and a Chausath Yogini temple belonging to the tantric religious substrate of early India. Bhubhaneswar is now a noisy and busy regional capital with a distinctive character—a unique mix of the modern, the traditional, and the left-behind.

Lingaraj Temple complex,
dates from 11th century

Kalinga architecture, built
by Somavamsi dynasty

Mukteshwar Temple
complex, from 10th cent.

Shiva temple, built by
Somavamsi dynasty (info)

The decorated torana
archway (more)

Exquisitely carved

"Gem of Kalinga / Odisha
architecture"

Posing visitor

Temple entrance

Relief sculpture on walls

Shrine with snake statues

Parsurameshwara Temple

Dates from 7th century

Sculpture on temple walls

Dedicated to Shiva (more)

Sukasari Temple, dates
from 13th century

Dedicated to Shiva

Sculpture on temple walls

Chitrakarini Temple,
dedicated to goddess
Chitrakarini, or “Paintress”

Rajarani Temple, from
11th century (info)

A saivaite temple

Traditional two sectioned
Orissan temple ...

(1) Deul/Vimana (sanctum)
(2) Jagamohana

Nayikas in various moods

Bindu Sagar tank

Modern Hanuman temple

Sleeping man

An old town square

Ananta Basudev Temple
Entrance

Dates from the 13th cent

Dedicated to Lord Krishna

Commissioned by the
Eastern Ganga Dynasty

Kedara Gouri Temple

Priest inside

Inner sanctum

Another shrine

Chausath Yogini Temple

A tantric shrine (more)

Circular, 25 feet diameter

Roofless architecture

Dates from 9th century

Niches w/ deities / yoginis

64 statues in all

An area for offerings

Maintained by the ASI

Tantric goddesses

In a variety of moods

Standing atop vahanas

Black stone (more)

Ganeshi

Male-female Shiva

Dancing yogini

One legged (more)

Dhauli

Ashoka's rock edicts (info)

Enclosure (more)

Shanti Stupa

View from the hilltop

Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves (info)

From 2nd c. BCE (more)

Alakapuri Gumpha

Hathi Gumpha (more)

Brahmi inscriptions

Thakurani Gumpha etc.

Rasui Gumpha

Haridasa Gumpha

Jambeshwara Gumpha

Ganesh Gumpha (info)

Relief sculpture (detail)

A water tank atop

Visitor

Rani Gumpha
(upper corridor)

Double storeyed (1, 2)

Richly carved

Relief depicting victory
march of a king (1, 2, 3, 4)

Khandagiri Caves with a
modern Jain temple atop

One of 15 caves (more)

Navamuni Gumpha

Carvings of Tirthankars
and Yakshinis

Odisha State Tribal Museum

Established in 1953, this museum "celebrates the life and culture of Odisha’s 62 tribal communities."

Entrance

Art on museum walls

Exhibits (1, 2, 3)

Geographic spread (more)

A new interactive exhibit

Dioramas

Art on walls (more)

Art on the walls

Odisha State Museum (info)

Buddhist heritage (info)

Tara
Bhubaneswar, 8th c. CE

The Buddha
Khiching, 8th c. CE

The Buddha
Balasore, 7th c. CE

Tara (Avalokiteshwar)
Bhuhaneswar, 7th c. CE

Railing Pillar (Lion)
Bhubaneswar, 3rd c. BCE

The Buddha
Ratnagiri, 9th c. CE

The Buddha (headless)
Bihar, 7th c. CE

Jaina Heritage (info)

Risabhanath (1st Tirthankar)
Keonjhar, 9th c. CE (1, 2)

Mahavir (24th Tirthankar)
Bhadrak, 8th c. CE (more)

Parshvanath
(23rd Tirthankar)
Sisupalgarh, 9th c. CE

Tara
Puri, 10th c. CE (more)

Avalokitesvar
Bihar, 7th c. CE

Bajrapani Avalokitesvar
Jajpur, 10th c. CE

Manjushree
Jajpur, 8th c. CE

Ajitanath (2nd Tirthankar)
Bhadrak, 10th c. CE (more)

Risabhadeva (1st Tirthankar)
Podasingidi, 9th c. CE

Lokanath
Bhubaneswar, 11th c. CE

Padmapani Avalokitesvar
Jajpur, 12th c. CE (more)

Buddhist Stupa
Patliputra, 12 c. CE

Varaha
Jajpur, 10th c. CE (more)

Vamana
Bhubaneswar, 10th c. CE

Visnu (more)
Bhubaneswar, 13th c. CE

Krishna-Visnu
Jajpur, 12th c. CE

Visnu
12th c. CE

Visnu
Cuttack, 13th c. CE

Gopinath (1, 2, 3)
Jajpur, 13th c. CE

Chamunda (more)
Jajpur, 10th c. CE
(Saptamatrika, Shaktism)

Varahi
Jajpur, 8th c. CE

Vaisnavi
Jajpur, 8th c. CE

Indrani
Jajpur, 8th c. CE

Mahisasuramardini Durga
10th c. CE (more)

Garuda
Bhubaneswar, 10th c. CE

Bhairava
Bankada, 7th c. CE

Nataraj
12th–13th c. CE

Uma Mahesvar
Bhubaneswar, 9th c. CE

Linga Puja
Bhubaneswar, 10th c. CE

Arddhanariswar
Bhubaneswar, 8/9th c. CE

Manasa (more)
Cuttack, 10th c. CE

Lakulisha (more)
Bhubaneswar, 7th c. CE

Ganesha (info)
Bhubaneswar, 8th c. CE

Ganesha (1, 2, 3)
Bhubaneswar, 7th c. CE

Kartikeya (info, 1, 2)
Bhubaneswar, 9th c. CE

Kartikeya (more)
15th c. CE

Ganga
Bhubaneswar, 9th c. CE

Yamuna
Bhubaneswar, 9th c. CE

Astika-Jaratkaru (more)
Bhubaneswar, 10th c. CE

Erotic sculpture
Kuteswara, 8/9th c. CE

Amorous couples
Bhubaneswar, 7th c. CE

Yaksha and Yakshini
Bhubaneswar, 7th c. CE

Surya
Khiching, 10th c. CE

Kuber
Khair, 9th c. CE

Brahma
Bhubaneswar, 8th c. CE

Gajasimha
Bhubaneswar, 13th c. CE

Gajavidala
Aiginia, 11th c. CE

Hanuman
Bhubaneswar, 12th c. CE

Scene of Ramayan
Cuttack, 8th c. CE

Arjuna's Archery Test
Bhubaneswar, 13th c. CE

Shalabhanjika
Aiginia, 11th c. CE

Mandira Charini
Bhubaneswar, 11th c. CE

Mandira Charina
Bhubaneswar, 11th c. CE

Hero Stone
Kanasa, 13-14th c. CE

Vastra Harana
Puri, 14th c. CE

Rishi with His Disciples
Bhubaneswar, 10th c. CE

Rath Yatra
Bhubaneswar, 8th c. CE

Chachakhai
Bahugram, 13/14th c. CE

Dancing Panel
Bhubaneswar, 13th c. CE

Transportation of
Elephant by Boat
Bhubaneswar, 11th c. CE

Gatekeeper of Shiva (1, 2)
Junagarh, 12th c. CE

Inscription of Satrubhanjadeva
6th c. CE (epigraphy)

Punch-marked coins,
the earliest coins in India