Shree Jagannath Temple

The celebrated Temple of Lord Jagannath now existent at Puri was constructed by Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev in 12th century A.D. The wooden images of Jagannath Balabhadra and Subhadra were installed in that temple. The management of the temple continued under the Hindu rulers till 1558, when the State of Orissa was conquered by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal and the temple was attacked by the Afgan General ‘Kalapahad’. Then, an independent Khurda kingdom was established by Ramachandra Deb, who assumed the management of the temple. He consecrated the temple and reinstalled the deities. Raja Mansingh, a General of the Mughal King Akbar, defeated the Afghans and annexed Orissa in to the Mughal dominion. It remained under the Mughals till 1751 A.D. Till 1760, the temple continued under the Khurda Raja, who was paying tribute to Mughals and Marhattas. Marhattas took up direct management of the temple till 1803. The Britishers annexed Orissa into British empire in 1803 and allowed Puri Raja to manage the temple. The position continued till 1947.

Sun temple

The magnificent Sun Temple at Konark is the culmination of Orissan temple architecture and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. It is 36km from Puri and 64km from Bhubaneswar. It was constructed in the mid-13th century, but little is known about its early history. Konark was an important port from early times and was known to the geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. Just why this amazing structure was built here is a mystery. A popular legend relates that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, was afflicted by leprosy brought about by his father's curse on him. After 12 years of penance, he was cured by the sun god Surya and it is in his honour that he built this temple. Scholars however feel that Raja Narsimhadeva I of the Ganga dynasty built it in 13th century AD to celebrate his victory over the Muslims. The temple fell into disuse after it was desecrated by one of the envoys of Mughal Emperor Jahangir in the 17th century. Today it is located 3km from the sea, but originally the ocean came almost up to its base. Until fairly recent times, in fact, the temple was close enough to the shore to be used as a navigational point by European sailors, who referred to it as the 'Black Pagoda'.

Lingaraj Temple

Dedicated to Tribhuvaneshwar (a form of Shiva) or the Lord of the Three Worlds, this temple is a prime example of Indian architecture, in its most mature and fully developed state. Its present form dates back to the 11th century, although parts of it are over 1400 years old. The presiding deity, here, is the Swayambhu Linga - half Shiva, half Vishnu, a unique feature of the temple. The granite block representing the Linga is said to be bathed daily with water, milk and bhang (marijuana) Almost all the Hindu gods and goddesses are represented in this temple, mirroring the inherent element of harmony within the religion. More than 50 smaller temples and shrines crowd the enclosure. This temple is closed to non-Hindus, however a viewing platform allows visitors to see over the wall.