Lingaraja Temple was another temple that I loved to explore. Lingaraja Temple is an architectural marvel and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The lingam here belongs to Hari Hara Lingum, which means the deity resemble half Shiva and half Vishnu.

The temple is 1000 year old and has a connection of Tribhuneshwar or the Lord of three world. The temple was constructed by the Yayati rulers and caries an inscriptions of Kalinga King Ananga Bhima.

There are around 150 other shrines around the temple. Being one of the most famous temples in Orissa, it become an eye candy for many tourists. Even I was quite enthralled by the beauty of the temple. The temple complex had a Natya Mandir, the Bhog Mandap and a Splendid Jagamohan.

The Shiv lingam in Lingaraja is worth watching. The height of this idol is about 8 inches above the floor level. The Lingaraja Temple has three compartments - one for Goddess Parvati, one for Lord Ganesha and for Karthikeya

Unveiling its history, I came to know that the temple was built by Lalatendu Keshari of Somavamsi dynasty in 617-657 A.D. It was indeed an enticing experience for me to unfold the history of Lingaraja Temple on my tour to Orissa.