The capital of the east Indian State of Orissa, Bhubaneswar is a thriving centre of art and culture. The largest city in the state of Orissa, Bhubaneswar is also a centre of economic importance.Perched at an altitude of 45 metres above sea level, the city is located in the eastern coastal plains of Odisha and to the south-west of River Mahanadi.
One of the earliest mentions of the city can be found in the 3rd century BC when the Kalinga War was fought. Later between the 1st and 2nd century, the destination was ruled by Emperor Kharavela, after he conquered the city. During his reign, he established his capital on the outskirts of the city in Sisupalgarh. It was during his rule that several temples were built in the region. Till the 15th century, the city was ruled by the Mughals.However in 1936, the city came into the limelight when the state of Orissa came under the control of the British. During this period, the capital of Orissa was Cuttack. It was believed that since the 12th century, Cuttack has been the capital of the state of Orissa.
One of the oldest existing temples in India, the Parasurameswara Temple was constructed between the 7th and the 8th century AD. The temple is built in the Nagara Style and is dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva. The temple is exemplary of the Stone carving mastery of the artisans and is decorated with the most intricate carved sculptures of various Hindu deities.
The part natural and part artificial caves were built around the 1st century BC and the subsequent years by the Chedi Dynasty. The caves contain several Jain temples and monasteries said to have been built by King Kharavela and contains a total of 33 caves. Udayagiri and Khandgiri Caves are again exemplary of some fine stone carving by the Kalinga artisans.
Spread across a massive area of 990 acres, the Nandankanan Zoological Park contains a zoo and a botanical park. It was inaugurated in 1979 and contains portions of the Chandaka Forests and Kanjia Lake. The Zoo contains several rare and endangered species such as White Tigers, Asiatic Lions, Crocodiles, Indian Pangolin and 34 aquariums that contains several species of fish.
Another ancient temple in built in the same style along with the aforementioned two, The Lingaraja Temple is the largest temple in the city of Bhubaneswar. The Temple is a marvelous example of the finesse of the Kalinga style architecture and was constructed in the 11th century AD. The primary deity of the temple is Lord Shiva who is worshipped in his Harihara form. The temple also contains several images of Vishnu and is a marvel to behold.