Bhubaneswar

The Lingaraj Temple is an ancient place of worship situated in the city of Bhubaneswar and is the largest temple situated in the city. Dedicated to Lord Shiva as the name suggests, the temple was built sometime in the 7th century by the King Jajati Keshari. The edifice of the temple is a great example of Orissa style of architecture with a hint of Kalinga style of architecture and has intricately designed stone vaults covering the main sanctum of the temple. This remarkable structure is crafted out of darkest shade sandstone looking exemplary in its form.The Lingraj Temple houses a Shivalingam that rises to a massive height of 8 inches above the floor level and is about 8 feet in diameter as well.  The Lingam here is believed to have been built of granite and is worshipped everyday with milk, water and bhanga.  A small temple dedicated to Goddess Bhagawati temple is located in the northwest corner of the courtyard as well. However, entry is restricted to the followers of the Hindu faith only. Lord Harihara who is the manifestation of Shiva and Vishnu in the same deity, also makes an appearance here. During the course of a day, a total of 22 worship services are offered to the deities here each day. Once every year, the image of Lingaraja is taken to the Jalmandir in the centre of Bindu Sagar Lake.

Nandankanan Zoological Park is a 437-hectare (1,080-acre) zoo and botanical garden in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. It also contains a botanical garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary. Nandankanan, literally meaning The Garden of Heaven,[1] is located near the capital city, Bhubaneswar, in the environs of the Chandaka forest, and includes the 134-acre (54 ha) Kanjia lake. Black panthers, gharial crocodiles and white tigers are some of the wildlife that exist in the zoo. The zoo is home to over 67 kinds of mammals, 18 varieties of reptiles and 81 species of birds that co-exist in the deeply forested boundaries. For gharial crocodiles, a captive breeding centre is also located within the zoo. White tiger breeding also takes place at the zoo. Asiatic lions, Indian crocodiles,    Nilgiri langurs   and countless birds, reptiles and fish are also housed within the zoo. In the zoo are also housed 34 aquaria that contains a large variety of fresh water fish. Entrance of the Reptile Park is adorned with a life-size tyrannosaurus. With facilities like boating, white tiger and lion safaris, nocturnal animal house, reptile park, aerial ropeway, bear safari, herbivore safari, amphibian enclosure and battery operated vehicles, it is the place for a person with a penchant for great outdoors.

Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, formerly called Kataka Caves or Cuttack caves, are partly natural and partly artificial caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. The caves are situated on two adjacent hills, Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvata in the Hathigumpha inscription. They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves built during 2nd century BCE. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out as residential blocks for Jaina monks during the reign of King Kharavela. Udayagiri means "Sunrise Hill" and has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. The caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri, called lena or leṇa in the inscriptions, were dug out mostly during the reign of Kharavela for the abode of Jaina ascetics. The most important of this group is Ranigumpha in Udayagiri which is a double storeyed monastery. Other important caves include Hathi gumpha, Ananta gumpha, Ganesha gumpha, Jaya Vijaya gumpha, Mancapuri gumpha, Bagha/Byaghra/Vyaghra gumpha and Sarpa gumpha. The number of existing caves at Udayagiri is 18, while Khandagiri has 15. Rani Gumpa, Chota Hathi Gumpa, Thakurani gumpa,Jaya Vijaya Gumpa, Rasui Gumpa, pawana Gumpa, Ganesh Gumpa etc are some of these caves.

Dhauligiri Hills is a place marked with the serenity of Daya River and lies at a distance of 8 Km from Bhubaneswar. The famous rock edicts of Ashoka are worth witnessing. It is presumed to be the area of the bloody battle of Kalinga, won by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in 265 BC. However, today the more visited site is, Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Peace Pagoda, at the top of Dhauli Hill, built by Indo Japanese collaboration in 1972, standing in the form of a massive dome with lotus petals as its crown. The five chhatris (umbrellas) placed on its flattened top represent five important aspects of Buddhism. This gleaming white double storey structure stands on a platform with two entrances with flights of steps. The stupa, from its origin emerges as the central focus of worship. Dhauli Stupa commemorates the mission of peace that the Kalinga War achieved. The white Peace Pagoda or the Shanti Stupa transforms into a canvas for the night, as the state-of-the art projectors beam laser rays onto its surface, recreating a jaw-dropping rendition of the past. With the solemn scenes playing out in 3D, the narrator’s voice steady and strong, the audience is transported back into time, living every bit of the history unfolding before them.

Parashurameswar Temple, a small but marvelously decorated shrine of Lord Shiva, is assumed to be one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar and is constructed in 650 A. D. The temple is a specimen of the architectural styles of Oriyan temples. Enclosed within a compound wall, the deul, facing the West is a square towered, while the jagamohana, instead of being a stepped pyramid, is a rectangular structure with a terraced roof, sloping in two stages. Even though Parasurameswara Temple is the abode of Lord Shiva, this temple worships both Shakti and Shiva.  The temple has verdant sculptures of animals, amorous couples and floral designs. The outer walls adorned with beautiful carvings of Lord Ganesh, Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Lord Muruga and other Hindu Gods. There are also many beautiful carvings depicting Puranic stories. The spectacular identity and uniqueness of the temple is the "One thousand Lingas placed in the North West corner of the temple. Some of the major features in the architecture that make this temple one of the popular tourist attractions are the vimana, a bada, the curvilinear spire over the roof and the sanc

ISKCON Temple contains idols of deities like Krishna, Balaram, Gaura Nithai, Subhadra and Jagannath. Focused on propagating and educating spiritual knowledge, techniques of spiritual life to society at large, and consciousness of Krishna, the temple follows the great scriptures of India, Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. As publicised in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the temple focuses on the belief that each soul is part and package of the quality of Godhead, Krishna. The temple also promotes the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name of God.Showcasing the ideology of the ISKCON movement, the temple organises kirtans, bhajans and pooja on a regular basis. With activities surrounding over two ISKCON centres, one in the Swarga Dwara area and the other in the outskirts of the city, ISKCON movement is very prominent in Bhubaneshwar. Nearby ISKCON temple, a new Radha-Krishna Temple is constructed, for the devotees of Krishna and Radha, the universal symbol of love.