Why Bhubaneshwar is also called as the "cathedral city of India"
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[edit] Introductory Note
The ancient capital of the Kalinga empire, Bhubaneswar's history goes back over 2000 years. "Bhubaneshwar" means the "abode of God" or "master of the universe" and it was also once known as the 'Cathedral of the East', on account of the large number of shrines. At one time, the Bindu Sagar tank was bordered by over 7000 temples. Of these, 500 still survive, all built in the extravagant Oriya style. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building activities of Orissan style flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of over one thousand years. There was a time when Bhubaneswar had over 7,000 such shrines. Having merged its intriguing past so uniquely with its modern aspirations, it forms an integral link in the Golden Triangle that incorporates the holy city of Puri and Konark, for the tourists that flock to pay their homage to the religious, cultural and natural wonders that abound here.
[edit] Reason
Presently, Bhubaneswar has about 500 temples dominating the city skyline and majority of which are within a reasonable walking distance from one another.
Lingaraj, a 46-meter high structure serves as the zenith of temple tradition in the city. The capital of Orissa, Shiva is known as Tribuhuvaneswara here, which means “Lord of the Three Worlds.” It is from it that the city derived its name.
Aside from being known as the Temple Town, the city is aptly called “Cathedral City” because of its many temples. Present-day Bhubaneswar is a lively commercial and religious center and a pleasantly rural state capital that oversees the affairs of 25 million Orissans.
It is said that Bhubaneswar is the capital city of an ancient kingdom. However, these days Bhubaneswar represents the image of a modern city where apart from commerce, religious activities find a distinct niche.
The name of the city itself suggests the meaning “the Lord of the Universe”. Tourists come to Bhubaneswar to pay their homage to the religious, cultural and natural wonders of this beautiful temple city of the east.
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- The history of Bhubaneswar goes back for more than 25 centuries. The history of Bhubaneswar is a true tale of extraordinary civil engineering achievements.
As a visitor to Bhubaneswar, you shall be amazed by the number of Hindu temples that dot the Bhubaneswar urban scape. The Bhubaneswar skyline seems to be dominated by these relics of the history of Bhubaneswar. Every bit of the history of Bhubaneswar is a part of a mosaic of the cultural creativity of the people of the region.
The history of Bhubaneswar started when Emperor Kharavela established his capital in Sisupalgarh. The present geographic position of Sisupalgarh is in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar city. The first Hindu temple was built around Emperor Kharavela's time.
The history of Bhubaneswar is a delight for archaeologists and historians; the time line of history is clearly etched in Bhubaneswar by the construction of the various temples, which was established in different eras in the history of Bhubaneswar. The first Hindu temple is believed to have been established in the 7th century.
The city of Bhubaneswar once contained 7000 Hindu temples; now only 500 remains are standing. A few of the ruined temples was dismantled through mother nature's entropies, but the overwhelming number of temples was destroyed by Islamic looters.
- Silver filigree, Stone and Wood carving, Patta paintings, Tie and Dye textiles, bamboo basketry, brass and bell metal work, horn work, and many other famous handicrafts of Orissa can be selected as souvenirs from the local markets. Purchases can be made from Utkalika (run by the Department of Handicrafts) or at the many privately run shops.
Some of the other important tourist spots of Bhubaneswar are:
-The twin hills of Kumargiri and Kumarigiri known as Khandagiri and Udaygiri contain varieties of rock-cut caves, built mainly for the jain monks around 1st - 2nd century B.C.#The thirteen years lithic record of King Kharavela engraved in Hatigumpha (elephant cave) is a magnificent specimen of Pali records so far found in India.
-Khandagiri and Udaygiri
-Cactus Garden
Cactus garden situated close to the 'Ekamara Kanan' in Bhubaneswar, the Cactus Garden, with its huge collection of Cactii should not be missed.
