Lord Lingaraj Temple – Heart and Soul of Bhubaneswar
By Srikanta Mohanty: “The name of the capital Bhubaneswar is a derivative from the word “Tribhubaneswar” meaning the abode of the Lord of heaven, hell, and earth- the three spheres where atma (spirit of every creature) invariably travels. I know for sure, Lord Lingaraja, is the supreme and the city of temple would reside at his feet forever. It is His grace that has brought unlimited prosperity to the city”- chokes Umakanta in his emotions, who walked miles to bring water and pour it on the body of his favorite God. His legs are swollen and bruised but he keeps walking as his body aches severely. But nothing stops his firm devotion from pouring water with heart-felt prayers in the holy month of “Shravana”.
As the devotees step down the stairs of the temple only to reach the heightened structure of the temple, it just makes them feel as though they have stepped inside the “court of an emperor” to pay obeisance to His omnipotence. The huge statue of Lord Shiva, made of granite inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine gets worshipped in various ways on the auspicious occasions in the year. Literally speaking, as the proverb in Odia goes, “bara masa re tera parba” meaning twelve months in a year get thirteen festivals, the temple remains festive almost on every good occasion in a year.
The temple has four parts, such as the main temple, the ‘yagna shala’ (place for fire sacrifice or homa), bhoga mandap( place for Prasad or offering to Lord), and Natya Shala (place for musical and other shows). As the tradition in rituals goes, the image of Lingaraja, believed as the true manifestation of Shiva, gets worshipped everyday with milk, water, bhang (marijuana), and bela leaves.
Although, no solid evidence is still available, legend has it that the temple was constructed during the times of king Jajati keshari in later half of 11th century, although parts of temple existed from 6th century.
“True to what Swami Vivekananda once said, every ancient temple is great as it has borne the brunt of time. Despite several attacks by outsiders, natural calamities, and time-inflicted decadence, Lingaraj Temple has withstood the tests of time only to become a melting-pot of rituals, faith, and tradition”-says Samarendra Hota- a student of History and scholar in Sanskrit.