Odisha Temple Circuit: Puri, Bhubaneswar, Jajpur & Konark

Odisha is the best-kept secret of India, especially for someone spiritual. When people are asked if they know any religious destinations in Odisha, they say Jagannath Mandir (Temple) in the divine city of Puri. It saddens us (Odias) that they only know about the Jagannath Mandir.

Is Puri’s Jagannath Mandir the only spiritual destination in Odisha?

Now, people are correct to assume the Jagannath Temple is the spiritual destination of Odisha, which we Odias are very proud of, but is it the only spiritual destination you could visit if you decide to visit Odisha? Well, if you think it is the only place, then it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Odisha Temple Circuit

Here you are going to find a few more destinations in Odisha(In Puri, Bhubaneswar, Jajpur, and Konark) apart from the Jagannath Mandir, like Gundicha Mandir, Maa Biraja Temple, Konark Sun Temple, Loknath Temple, among others that you can explore. We will start off with some popular temples in all of these places, then we will head towards other tourist attractions that you can visit, and then in the end you will be provided with our website where you can find great packages that cover almost all of the discussed locations. So without wasting any more of your precious time, let us jump straight into the topic.

Temples in Puri, Bhubaneswar, Jajpur and Konark

Odisha is a state that is rich in temples, so what are some of these temples? Let’s explore these temples together. What makes these temples so prominent in our Hindu culture? What are the popular folk legends associated with these temples?

Puri Jagannath Temple (Puri)

You may wonder why we have placed Jagannath Puri Temple at the top of this list after explaining that Odisha has many other important temples. The reason is simple: although it is not the only major temple in Odisha, its religious significance makes it a must-visit destination.

Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra, the temple is one of the four sacred Char Dham pilgrimage sites in Hinduism. It attracts thousands of devotees daily, serves Mahaprasad from its famous temple kitchen, and hosts the world-famous nine-day Rath Yatra every year.

According to a popular legend, a mysterious carpenter believed to be Lord Vishwakarma agreed to carve the three deities’ wooden idols on one condition: no one could disturb him while he worked. However, the queen eventually opened the door out of concern for his well-being. The carpenter disappeared, leaving the idols unfinished. Devotees regard their distinctive forms as divine rather than imperfect.

Gundicha Temple (Puri)

After the Jagannath Temple, if there is any temple that you just have to visit, it is the Gundicha Temple. This temple is also called the Garden House of Jagannath. During the world-renowned Ratha Yatra, the divine idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are taken out of the main temple, and they are transported to the Gundicha Temple temporarily, where each sibling has their own chariot with distinct colours and names. It’s treated as if the siblings have gone out for a vacation at their aunt’s (As Goddess Gundicha is considered the lord’s aunt), but there is another account of Maa Gundicha’s identity, as some claim she is not the lord’s aunt but King Indradyumna’s wife. According to locals, this is the exact place where Viswakarma crafted the wooden idols of Jagannath. Balabhadra and Subhadra.

Loknath Temple (Puri)

Another major temple in Puri that needs to be explored by you is the Loknath Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Shiva Lingam remains submerged inside the water for most of the year because of the natural phenomenon, but it goes on to make the place more divine in the sense that the temple was created in the 11th century, and at that point of time, when modern science was nowhere near “developed,” our ancestors understood the phenomenon and, using it, created all these wonders in the form of architecture.

One of the legends revolving around this temple is that when Lord Rama went to look for Maa Sita, he worshipped (or some versions say he installed) the Shiva Lingam in this place. This just makes this temple so much more sacred.

Narendra Tank (Puri)

Another sacred location that you can explore when you are in Puri is the sacred water body of the Narendra Tank, also known locally as Narendra Pokhari. Where the deities participate in rituals involving sandalwood paste, this takes place during the festival of Chandan Yatra. The name of this tank comes from a benefactor by the name of Narendra Mahapatra.

Lingaraj Temple (Bhubaneswar)

The temple, located in the old town area of Bhubaneswar city, 6 kms away from the Biju Patnaik Airport, will let you know its spiritual significance the moment you visit it. Dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Harihara, which symbolises the unity between Shaivism and Vaishnavism. What makes this temple so fascinating is its architecture, which goes on to show the artistic side of ancient Kalinga architecture.

Dhauli Shanti Stupa (Bhubaneswar)

Next temple in our list is directly linked to the great and bloody Kalinga War – Dhauli Shanti Stupa. Also known as the Peace Pagoda, this site is located on the Dhauli hills near the Daya River. This is the exact place where the Kalinga War took place, resulting in the death of 1000s of people in that war. But what makes this place so prominent is the fact that this is where the great emperor Ashoka gave up violence and chose Buddhism because of the bloody aftermath of the Kalinga War. The Shanti Stupa itself is rather modern, built in the 1970s to educate the world about the Buddhist philosophy of non-violence.

Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves (Bhubaneswar)

The twin caves of Udaygiri and Khandagiri are another must-see spiritual destination if you want to explore the unique architecture of ancient Kalinga. This impressive architecture belongs to the early Jain era of Kalinga. The caves are partly natural and partly artificial (man-made) structures. The caves were built in the 1st and 2nd centuries. The Udaygiri and Khandagiri caves are prominent because of their religious significance (early Jainism) and Kalinga history.

Mukteswar Temple (Bhubaneswar)

Gem of Odisha Temple Architecture, the Mukteswar Temple, is a prime example of ancient Kalinga architecture. A temple that was built in the 10th century is dedicated to Lord Shiva as Lord Mukteswar. This temple has some of the most enchanting craftsmanship of a temple not just in Odisha but in India. You must be thinking, “They are exaggerating the design.s” And to answer that, we’ll just request you to visit the temple just once, whenever you are in Odisha, and you will find out why we are “Exaggerating the design. When you enter, you will come across the entrance called a torana, where 2 stone pillars hold an arch; the carvings in this gateway invite devotees into the temple. But it doesn’t stop here because then you’ll be awed by the Vimana, Jagamohan, and the artistic carvings on the temple walls.

Konark Sun Temple

One of the most important temples you must explore is the Konark Sun Temple. Famous for its beautiful architecture, Konark Sun Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. World-renowned for its architecture, the temple was built in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I. The temple was planned and designed as a chariot with around 24 wheels carved; the Sun temple and the entire temple were designed as a chariot for the Sun God.

One of the most popular legends in Odisha is of Dharmapada (the 12-year-old architect), where a 12-year-old boy by the name of (you guessed it) Dharmapada was the son of the chief architect of the Sun Temple. The architects of the Sun Temple spent years finishing the temple, but what they found too complicated to complete was the crowning stone of the temple. The King had given them a deadline, and if they failed to deliver by it, the King would kill them.

At that point of time, Dharmapada visited his father (whom he had not seen), and when he was told about the worry, Dharmapada understood the problem and came up with a solution, and the crowning stone issue was resolved, but then the story takes a dark turn as the architects feared the king would anyway kill them for failing to come up with a solution, which a 12-year-old boy came up with, resulting in Dharmapada committing suicide in order to save the architects.

Maa Biraja Temple (Jajpur)

Originally built in the 11th Century, Maa Biraja Temple is a temple dedicated to Goddess Biraja, who is a manifestation of Maa Durga. If you read it carefully, you’ll notice the word ‘Originally’ before the word ‘built ‘; the reason we have used it is that the temple went through reconstruction in the early 19th Century after it was destroyed by the Afghans during their conquest in Odisha (1568). The temple shows the Goddess killing the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. One of the most unique aspects of this temple is that the Goddess is portrayed with only 2 hands, unlike the other manifestations of Maa Durga who have several hands.
A legend goes that Maa Sati’s navel fell on this place, hence making it a Shakti Peetha.

Yajna Varaha Swamy Temple (Jajpur)

Dedicated to the third incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the Yajna Varaha Swamy Temple in Jajpur is dedicated to Lord Varaha (The Boar Avatar of Lord Vishnu). Apart from the main Varaha shrine, the temple also includes deities such as Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Vimana.

What’s so unique about the temple is the varying Legend of Varaha. If you check the legend of Varaha, you will find that he fought the demon Hiranyaksha, who tried to drown Goddess Earth in the Cosmic Ocean. But the legend of this temple says.. When Lord Brahma was performing a Yajna, he found that the Sacred Vedas had been stolen. So he prayed for Lord Vishnu’s help, who incarnated as Varaha, coming out of the Yajna.

So, now that you know about some of the major temples of Odisha (Keep in mind that not all the major temples of Odisha have been included in this article), decide your Odisha trip accordingly, but are you willing to explore other tourist sites in these places apart from these sacred temples? Then allow us to suggest a few more destinations that are not temples but are tourist attractions.

Tourist Attractions which are not Temples (Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar, and Jajpur)

Golden Beach (Puri):

This beach is the most famous tourist attraction of Puri after the temples. The breezy air of the beach in the evening after your darshan at the Puri Mandir will end your day on a breezy and peaceful note.

Raghunath Heritage Craft Village (Puri):

Your next tourist attraction is Puri’s Raghunath Heritage Craft Village, and personally, this village is THE recommendation from us. Just explore the village; you will come across a new kind of painting called Patachitra, where they use resources from nature, like wood carving and palm leaves. You will get the opportunity to see the artists create their masterpiece, and this is a promise: you will be amazed at how these artists create their art.

Chilika Lake at Satapada (Puri):

This destination is Asia’s largest Brackish Water Lagoon. Here, you will experience the beauty of Chilika, where you can find the rare and endangered Irrawaddy Dolphines and also many migratory birds.

Odisha State Museum (Bhubaneswar):

A tourist attraction that is not a temple in the temple-rich city of Bhubaneswar is the Odisha State Museum in Kalpana Square, BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar. You could see the amazing ancient sculptures and archaeological objects from the bygone era. Also, you could see the palm-leaf manuscript, coins of that time, traditional paintings, and many more.

Nandankanan Zoological Park (Bhubaneswar):

Next, Odisha’s most famous zoo, the Nandankanan in Bhubaneswar, where you could find white tigers, botanical garden, butterfly garden, toy train, reptile park, herbivore safaris, just to name a few.
Chandrabhaga Beach (Konark): Another tourist destination in Konark, apart from the amazing temples, is the Chandrabhaga Beach, which is popular for its coastline and the early morning sunrise.

Ratnagiri Buddhist Site (Jajpur):

Ratnagiri Buddhist, this is a tourist attraction site in Jajpur consisting of monasteries, stupas, sculptures & artifacts, and stone carvings

Udaygiri Buddhist Site (Jajpur):

Hearing this, you might think, “They have already discussed this place! They must’ve used Chatgpt for this article; that’s why the destinations are repeated.” But you are mistaken. It’s not your fault; most people confuse the Udaygiri Buddhist site in Konark with the Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves in Bhubaneswar. But these are completely different locations. At this site, you can enjoy the sight of many stupas, with a large main stupa and a few smaller stupas; apart from this, you will also find ancient monasteries, prayer halls, and meditation chambers.

So, How To Plan Your Visit To All These Destinations?

These are some of the tourist sites, including temples and non-temples, that you experience if you decide to visit Odisha. But for that, you need a good plan: where do you want to visit first, which destinations you might have to skip, hotels and stay, food, travel.

Oh God! The planning part of the trip is so exhausting; you want to visit all the tourist sites, but you are not from Odisha, so the planning is difficult, plus your budget doesn’t align with the stay and the travel. Because of this, you have to cancel a few places; it must break your heart to think that you’ll have to cancel a few places, just because of the budget. Well, there is a solution to your problem: puritourism.com

We not only help you with proper planning and visits but also arrange stays with food included. There are many packages; choose the one that is the most suitable for you and meets your demands.

Click here for the packages; you will be amazed by the offers you can find in these packages, and that too at a very low price. Contact us (Which you will find on the website) and tell us which design best aligns with your preference. Remember, we at puritourism respect your spirituality and curiosity to explore Odisha, and it is our mission to help you explore it to the fullest of your heart’s desire.