Composing…
/Lingaraja Temple
State Temple
Lingaraja Temple
लिंगराज मंदिर
Location
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Darshan
–
Deity
🪔Lord Shiva (Harihara)
Entry
Free entry
Lingaraja is the largest and oldest temple in Bhubaneswar, the 'City of Temples'. The presiding deity is worshipped as 'Harihara', a combined form of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. This signifies the harmony between the Shaivite and Vaishnavite sects in Odisha.
Mythology
According to the Ekamra Purana, the deity was originally worshipped under a mango tree (Ekamra) as a Swayambhu (self-manifested) linga. It is believed that Lord Shiva told Parvati that he favors Bhubaneswar even more than Varanasi.