About

The Lingaraja temple is the largest temple in Bhubaneswar. The central tower of the temple is 180 ft (55 m) tall. The temple represents the quintessence of the Kalinga architecture. The temple is believed to have been built by the kings from the Somavamsi dynasty, with later additions from the Ganga rulers. The temple is built in the Deula style that has four components namely, vimana (structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), natamandira (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings).

The Lingaraj temple is situated in the Ekamra Kshetra (temple city) of Bhubaneswar. There are a series of ancient sandstone temples, heritage ponds and water tanks which exist within a 1126 acre area, with an outer core of 476 acre, intermediate core of 504 acre and inner core of 145 acre.

Constructed in:	11th century CE
Height:	45.11 m

Architecture

The Lingaraja temple faces east and is built of sandstone and laterite.

It is enshrined within a spacious compound wall of laterite measuring 520 ft (160 m) by 465 ft (142 m). The wall is 7.5 ft (2.3 m) thick and surmounted by a plain slant coping.

The bhogamandapa has a square base of 13m sides on the inside, and 17.15m sides on the outside. It has four doors, one in each of the sides.

The natamandira has a square base of 12m on the inside, and 15m on the outside. It has one main entrance and two side entrances.It has a flat roof sloping in stages.

The jagamohana has a rectangular base of 11m x 9.1m on the inside, and 17m × 15m on the outside. It has entrances from south and north and has a 30m tall pyramidal roof made of up several horizontal layers arranged in sets of two with intervening platform as in the bhogmandapa. The facade to the entrances are decorated with perforated windows with lion sitting on hind legs. The inverted bell above second unit is adorned by kalasa and lions.

The rekha deula, which rises in the form of a 60m high pyramidal tower over the sanctum, has a square base measuring 6.7m on the inside, and 16m on the outside