Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
Shiva (Mukteswara) temple · Bhubaneswar (Old Town), Khordha (Khurda), Odisha, India
Photo: Subhashish Panigrahi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Mukteswar Temple is a living Shiva temple in Old Town, Bhubaneswar, in Khurda (Khordha) district of Odisha, where the deity is enshrined as a Sivalinga set in a circular yonipitha (IGNCA). Shiva is worshipped here as Mukteswara, a name the Ministry of Tourism renders as Lord of Spiritual Freedom (Incredible India). The temple stands on the right side of the road that runs from Bhubaneswar towards Puri (IGNCA).
The temple is a Protected Monument of the Archaeological Survey of India, which maintains it (IGNCA; Swarajya). It is best known for its arched stone gateway, or torana, which the Ministry of Tourism describes as the temple's signature feature (Incredible India).
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
Scholars place the temple in a transitional phase of Odisha's temple-building tradition, and the documentation record notes that James Fergusson counted it among the gems of Orissan architecture while R. L. Mitra praised it as a charming epitome of that style (IGNCA). The Ministry of Tourism notes that historians have called it a miniature gem (Incredible India).
Sivaratri, Kartika Purnima and Jalasaya are observed at the temple (IGNCA). The temple grounds are also the setting for the Mukteswar Dance Festival, which celebrates Odissi dance (Incredible India).
Heritage
History of Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
The temple carries no inscriptions, so its date rests on art-historical judgement (Swarajya). The heritage documentation record assigns it to the period of Somavamshi rule in the 10th century CE (IGNCA), and art historians generally place it in the Somavamshi era, most likely under King Yayati I (Swarajya).
The Ministry of Tourism gives a narrower range of 875 to 904 CE and attributes the temple to Yayati I (Incredible India). Because the temple has no inscription, these dates are scholarly estimates rather than a recorded founding date, and the sources do not agree on an exact span (Swarajya; Incredible India).
Architecture and sacred features
The temple faces west and consists of two blocks: a square vimana with a curvilinear rekha spire and a rectangular jagamohana with a stepped pyramidal pidha roof, built of ochre sandstone in dry ashlar masonry (IGNCA). It is pancharatha in plan, stands on a low platform, and its walls carry nayika figures, scrollwork, chaitya motifs and naga-nagi pillars (IGNCA). The jagamohana ceiling has an eight-petalled lotus with mother-goddess images on its petals (IGNCA; Swarajya), and small panels around the temple show Lakulisa, Sarasvati, Kartikeya, Surya and other figures (Swarajya).
In front stands the torana, an arch resting on sixteen-sided pillars topped with kirtimukhas, flanked by slender female figures (Swarajya). A low decorative compound wall with a zig-zag pattern encloses the temple, which shares its complex with the Siddheshvara temple (Swarajya). Marichi Kunda, a tank inside the temple precinct, lies to the east (Incredible India; Orissa Post).
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
The temple is an active place of worship as well as an ASI-protected monument (IGNCA). Confirm current visiting hours and arrangements with the Archaeological Survey of India, Bhubaneswar Circle, before travelling.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Bhubaneswar Circle) before travelling. Last reviewed 11 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
Maha Shivaratri
Sivaratri is among the observances recorded at the Mukteswar Temple (IGNCA).
Kartika Purnima
Kartika Purnima is observed at this temple according to its heritage documentation (IGNCA).
Mukteswar Dance Festival
An Odissi dance festival held at the temple, presented by Odisha Tourism according to the Ministry of Tourism (Incredible India).
Rukuna Ratha
On the eve of Lord Lingaraj's Rukuna Ratha festival, water from the temple's Marichi Kunda is auctioned by a group of Lingaraj temple servitors, as devotees believe bathing in it helps with fertility (Orissa Post).
Location
How to Reach Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar
The temple is in Old Town, Bhubaneswar, beside the road leading from Bhubaneswar to Puri (IGNCA). The nearest airport is Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar and the nearest railway station is Bhubaneswar (Incredible India). The Kedara Gauri temple is across the street, and the Rajarani temple is a short distance away (Swarajya).
Location: Bhubaneswar (Old Town), Khordha (Khurda), Odisha, India
Nearest airport: Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar
Nearest railway station: Bhubaneswar
More in Hindu temples in Odisha · Shiva (Mukteswara) temples
Questions
Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar: Frequently Asked Questions
Which deity is worshipped at the Mukteswar Temple?
Shiva is worshipped here as a Sivalinga within a circular yonipitha (IGNCA), under the name Mukteswara (Incredible India).
How old is the Mukteswar Temple?
It has no inscriptions, so its date is estimated from its style (Swarajya). The heritage record places it in the 10th century CE under the Somavamshis (IGNCA), while the Ministry of Tourism gives 875–904 CE (Incredible India).
What is the Mukteswar torana?
It is the arched stone gateway in front of the temple, resting on sixteen-sided pillars with kirtimukha capitals and flanked by female figures (Swarajya). The Ministry of Tourism calls it the temple's signature feature (Incredible India).
Who looks after the temple?
It is a Protected Monument of the Archaeological Survey of India (IGNCA), which maintains it (Swarajya).
What is Marichi Kunda?
It is a tank within the Mukteswar Temple precinct (Orissa Post). Devotees believe bathing in its water helps with fertility, and its water is auctioned on the eve of the Rukuna Ratha festival (Orissa Post).
Where exactly is the temple?
It is in Old Town, Bhubaneswar, in Khurda (Khordha) district, on the road from Bhubaneswar towards Puri (IGNCA). The Kedara Gauri temple is across the street (Swarajya).
What is the Mukteswar Dance Festival?
It is a festival of Odissi dance held at the temple and presented by Odisha Tourism (Incredible India).
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q3635669 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Mukteshvara Temple, Bhubaneswar — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Ministry of Culture — Documentation format for Archaeological/Heritage Sites/Monuments: Muktesvara Temple, Bhubaneswar, Dist. Khurda (OR/KDA/BSR-123)
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India) — Mukteswara Temple, Bhubaneswar
- Swarajya — Seven Thousand Wonders Of India: The Mukteshvara Temple In Bhubaneshwar
- Orissa Post — One pitcher of holy water from Mukteswar Temple in Bhubaneswar fetches Rs 1.3 lakh (PTI)
Further reading: Mukteswar Temple, Bhubaneswar on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Write to info@hindutone.com — see our editorial policy.
