Temples & Heritage

Odisha has one of India's richest temple traditions. The Kalinga style of architecture, with its tall curved deul towers, reached its peak between the 7th and 13th centuries, and Bhubaneswar alone has hundreds of surviving temples. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is one of the four Char Dham pilgrimage sites, the Konark Sun Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Lingaraj Temple is the largest temple in Bhubaneswar.

Beyond the Golden Triangle of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark, there are important Shakti shrines such as Maa Tara Tarini in Ganjam, Maa Samaleswari in Sambalpur and Maa Tarini at Ghatagaon in Keonjhar. Each guide covers darshan timings, dress code and entry rules, the history of the shrine and how to get there. Note that some temples, including Puri and Lingaraj, allow only Hindus inside.