This 8th-century temple, with a double-storey ‘wagon roof’ influenced by Buddhist cave architecture, was a centre of tantric worship, eroticism and bloody sacrifice. Look closely and you’ll see some very early erotic carvings on the walls. Chamunda (a fearsome incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess) can be seen in the dingy interior, although her necklace of skulls and her bed of corpses are usually hidden beneath her temple robes.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.79 MILES
Conceived as the cosmic chariot of the sun god Surya, this massive, breathtakingly splendid temple was constructed in the mid-13th century, probably by…
0.29 MILES
The 54m-high Lingaraj Mandir dedicated to Shiva dates from 1090 to 1104 – though some parts are more than 1400 years old – and is surrounded by several…
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Museum of Tribal Arts & Artefacts
3.23 MILES
This superb museum is a must for visitors interested in Odisha's 62 tribes or considering a visit to the state's tribal areas. Complete with interactive…
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0.52 MILES
This small but beautiful 10th-century structure is one of the most ornate temples in Bhubaneswar; you'll see reproductions of it on posters across Odisha…
3.09 MILES
Six kilometres west of the city centre are two hills riddled with rock-cut shelters. Khandagiri is topped with a fine temple. Many of the caves are…
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3.48 MILES
In about 260 BC, 11 of of Ashoka’s 14 famous edicts were carved onto a rock at Dhauli, 8km south of Bhubaneswar. Above the edicts, the earliest Buddhist…
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3.27 MILES
Hidden among rice fields 15km south of Bhubaneswar, this small but serene 9th-century open-roofed temple is dedicated to yoginis (female tantric mystics)…
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10.71 MILES
Famous for its white tigers, Odisha's premier zoological park was founded in 1960 and is known to run India's best captive-breeding program for the big…
Nearby attractions
0.29 MILES
The 54m-high Lingaraj Mandir dedicated to Shiva dates from 1090 to 1104 – though some parts are more than 1400 years old – and is surrounded by several…
0.41 MILES
This is an ornate Shiva temple built around AD 650. It has lively bas-reliefs of elephant and horse processions, panels of musicians and dancers, and…
0.47 MILES
Located in the same compound as Mukteswar Mandir, Siddheswara Mandir is a later, more austere temple with a red Ganesha adorning the facade.
0.52 MILES
This small but beautiful 10th-century structure is one of the most ornate temples in Bhubaneswar; you'll see reproductions of it on posters across Odisha…
0.54 MILES
Over the pathway from Mukteswar Mandir is the whitewashed Kedargauri Mandir, one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar (although it has been substantially…
0.73 MILES
Built around AD 1100, this temple surrounded by manicured gardens is famous for its ornate deul (temple spire). Around the compass points are pairs of…
1.05 MILES
Standing in well-kept gardens and flanked on its plinth by four smaller structures, this 9th-century temple is a smaller version of Lingaraj Mandir. It’s…
1.05 MILES
This 13th-century Hindu temple is dedicated to Shiva. Its central spire (deul) is architecturally distinct and the manicured lawns outside are quite…