Bhubaneswar

"Bhubaneshwar’s history from the 3rd century BC is represented in the nearby Dhauligiri rock edict of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka at the site of his famous conquest of the Kalingas. Between the 5th and 10th centuries CE it was the provincial capital of many Hindu dynasties and a centre of the Shaivite faith. Its many temples (including the Mukteshwara and Parashurameshwar), displaying every phase of Orissan architecture, were built between the 7th and 14th centuries."

"The city consists of the old quarter, containing about 30 ancient temples, and a planned township built after 1948, when the capital was moved there from Cuttack."

"Bhubaneswar before becoming the capital of Orissa in 1948 had been a temple town. As a temple town it prospered and thrived, becoming an important Hindu cultural and religious center...it is generally believed that the town probably developed around the Lingaraj temple, erected to commemorate Lord Shiva. Thus the name Bhubaneshwar – the Lord of the Three Worlds: Tribhuvaneshvara."

"...the city’s character alternated with Buddhism, Jainism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism – religions which found a home in Bhubaneswar at one time or another with the changing dynasties of Kalinga, the ancient name for Orissa. The presence of different religions gave Bhubaneswar its pluralistic character, but not without making the Oriya people suspicious of outsiders;m and it also gave Bhubaneshar its definite religious character, which has endured into the present."

"How do you ignore history? But the nationalist movement, independence movement ignored it. You read the Glimpses of World History by Jawaharlal Nehru, it talks about the mythical past and then it jumps the difficult period of the invasions and conquests. So you have Chinese pilgrims coming to Bihar, Nalanda and places like that. Then somehow they don't tell you what happens, why these places are in ruin. They never tell you why Elephanta island is in ruins or why Bhubaneswar was desecrated."

"The temple town of Bhubaneshwar is predominantly saiva, and the Oriya Hindus who live here belong, for the most part, to families of hereditary servants (sevaka) of Lingaraja, the form in which Shiva is worshiped here."

"This temple, Lingaraja Temple is an important pilgrimage site for all Hindus. Pilgrims from North India and Assam, and Bengal, in particular make a point of praying here before going on south to worship at the Jagannath temple."

"There is also an open air Tantric temple to the south of Bhubaneshwar that is dedicated to the sixty-four yoginis, each of whom is associated with a particular yogic ability. It is said that people still worship the sixty-four yoginis here on New Moon (amavasya) nights."

"The Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneswar, built in the eleventh century, has two classes of priests: Brahmins and a class called Badus who are ranked as Sudras and are said to be of tribal origin. Not only are Badus priests of this important temple; they also remain in the most intimate contact with the deity whose personal attendants they are. Only they are allowed to bathe the Lingaraja and adorn him and at festival time (...) only Badus may carry this movable image (...) the deity was originally under a mango tree (...) The Badus are described by the legend as tribals (sabaras) who originally inhabited the place and worshipped the linga under the tree.'"

"...history is reflected in the present-day appearance of the city, with the old city centre in the vicinity of the Lingaraj temple , and the far bigger new part of the city, the core of which was planned by German architect Otto Königsberger in the late 1940s. The layout of the new streets is very spacious, as are the parcels of the government buildings, with many trees and green areas along and inside them, respectively."

"...the modern administrative city that only came into being after 1948, [is] now capital to around 37 million Orissans."

"What makes Bhubaneswar a special case is the fact that there are wide areas inside the city limits that can be developed into modern urban, densely populated quarters rather than allowing the city to sprawl excessively."

"...Orissa government had taken the decision for placing the capital at Bhubaneshwar in September 1946...Dr. H Otto Koenigsberger, a German Jew, was first mentioned as a town planner, who had fled Germany and arrived in India at the invitation of Diwan (Chief Minister) Mirza Ismail of Mysore in 1939."

"We want a good architect and Town Planner to help us in preparing a scheme for [Bhubaneshwar]...The remuneration which will be paid to Dr. H Otto Koenigsberger, may be settled by mutual agreement."

"I am looking forward to the opportunity of helping you in this bold and interesting scheme."

"I do not know if they [Health Ministry] will be able to spare him [Koenigsberger], for any length of time but I suppose he can go to Orissa from time to time."

"...was conceived as a modern new town based on neighborhood planning concept by the internationally acclaimed urban planner, Dr.H. Otto Koenigsberger."

"The Bhubaneswar region, conceived after independence, has experienced tremendous growth."

"Administrative and institutional activities have contributed to the increase in the volume of trade and commerce activity."

"Bhubaneswar, well connected with the city of Cuttack (30 km) through rail and road linkages (NH-5 and Howrah-Chennai Rail route), has tremendous potential to act as a complimentary growth center to Kolkata in the Eastern Region for trade and commerce."