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Indian Legion presents to you Voice of The Wild, an...
"Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighed down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the House of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. The answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways." - Ezra Taft Benson
Odisha is an Eastern Indian state which is also the eighth largest state in terms of area. Odisha, as a state, is often overlooked but the place has a very rich history. Also known as Utkala or Kalinga, the history of Odisha dates back to 261 BCE when King Ashoka won Kalinga from King Kharavela in the infamous Kalinga War. The Kalinga War is the deadliest, largest, and bloodiest war India has ever witnessed. On 1st April 1936, a new boundary of Orissa, previously known as Orissa was drawn by the British according to the linguistic majority, and henceforth 1st April is known as Utkal Divas or Odisha Day.
Odisha is a home to about 900 temples which is why the state is known as “The Land of Temples.” Bhubaneswar, the capital city is an amalgamation of both 700 new and ancient temples. Most of the temples of Bhubaneswar are dedicated to Lord Shiva as all the previous rulers of Bhubaneswar were said to be the devotees of Lord Shiva. All the glorious, historical temples have a tale associated with them, which makes them more enticing. The ancient temples were built in about the 8th century in Indo- Aryan architectural style. The intrinsic artistic quality is what makes the temples world famous. Every temple has a unique architectural style that is very eye-pleasing.
Here are some really famous temples of Odisha:-
1. Lingaraja Temple: Constructed by Jajati Keshari, a king from the Somvanshi dynasty, Lingaraja temple is one of the oldest and largest temples of Odisha. The temple is built in ”deula” style and is dedicated to Lord Shiva with the presence of a Shivalinga in it. The temple was built during the 11th century CE. The temple is made of red sandalwood and has a Vimana, a structure containing a sanctum, Jagamohana, an assembly hall, Natamandira, a festive hall, and a hall of offerings, all these are in axial alignment with descending height.
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2. Konark Sun Temple: Constructed by Langula Narsinghadeva I, a ruler of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, Konark Sun Temple is dedicated to “Surya” and has an enticing history associated with it. After defeating the famous Muslim ruler, Narasinghadeva decided to build a temple in the form of a war chariot dedicated to Sun God. The temple which is in the form of a chariot has 24 stone wheels and is haunted by seven powerful horses. Built on the bank of the Chandrabhaga river, it took about 12 years and 12,000 craftsmen to complete the temple. Dharmapad, son of one of the craftsmen, had to sacrifice his life to complete the temple. Dharmapada, who had not seen his father in 12 years, decided to pay a visit to his father. After reaching, he got to know that the temple was completed, however, the craftsmen have no idea how to place the “Chuli”, the topmost part of the temple. The king had given them a deadline until the next sunrise to complete building the temple, failing which, all the craftsmen would be given the death sentence. To save the life of his father and other craftsmen, Dharmapada, who was of low built, easily climbed up the temple and placed the child. But he had no idea how to climb down, he knew that he could not create a commotion, therefore he jumped into the Chandrabhaga river and laid down his life.
