If Lingaraj is the cathedral of Bhubaneswar, Mukteswar is its jewel box. Built around the second half of the 10th century, it is small — the tower is barely 11 metres high — but carved with a refinement that earned it the nickname "the gem of Odishan architecture".
Its most famous feature is the free-standing torana, a sandstone arch on two pillars decorated with smiling women and garlands, unlike anything else in the city. Unlike Lingaraj, Mukteswar is open to visitors of every faith, and it sits in a peaceful garden alongside the taller Siddheswar temple and the Marichi Kunda tank.
Top things to do at Mukteswar Temple
Study the torana and the ceiling
Stand back to photograph the arch framing the temple, then step inside the porch to look up: the ceiling is carved as an eight-petalled lotus with figures around it. Early morning light turns the sandstone warm orange.
See the Siddheswar and Marichi Kunda
The plain, taller Siddheswar temple in the same enclosure shows the style a century later. The Marichi Kunda tank beside Mukteswar is believed by many to bless women hoping for children.
Catch the Mukteswar Dance Festival
Every January (usually around 14–16 January) Odisha Tourism stages an Odissi dance festival with the illuminated temple as the backdrop. Entry is generally free and the setting is unforgettable.
How to get to Mukteswar Temple
- Location: on the Tankapani Road side of the Old Town, about 2 km north-east of Lingaraj — a 10-minute auto ride or a pleasant walk via Bindu Sagar.
- Combine it: Parasurameswara is across the road and Rajarani about 500 m away — all three fit comfortably in one morning.
- With a guide: the heritage walks and city tours all include Mukteswar.
Insider tips
- Open from sunrise to sunset and free to enter. Remove shoes before the temple platform.
- It is one of the Old Town temples where photography is welcome — be respectful of worshippers at the shrine.
- Local guides wait at the gate. A good one is worth the modest fee for the carvings alone; agree the price first.
Best tours & tickets for Mukteswar Temple
These experiences are the easiest way to see Mukteswar Temple with a guide and transport sorted:
Walking tour from US$21 Bhubaneswar: 2-Hour Guided Heritage & Cultural Walking Tour
A short private walk through the Ekamra Kshetra, the sacred Old Town around Bindu Sagar, pairing well-known temples with the small shrines and tanks tucked between houses. Reviews are mixed, so treat it as a budget introduction rather than an in-depth tour.
- The Old Town on foot with a local guide
- Temples, tanks and lanes most visitors drive past
- The cheapest guided option in the city
Private day trip from US$94 Bhubaneswar: Temples and Puri Private Day Tour
Starts with the small, exquisitely carved early temples of Bhubaneswar — Parasurameswara and Mukteswar — then heads 60 km to the coast for Puri, the Jagannath Temple and the sea. A good pick if Konark is already on another day of your plan.
- Parasurameswara and Mukteswar, the oldest jewels of the Old Town
- Puri and the Jagannath Temple
- Time on Puri’s beach
City tour from US$102 Mystical Bhubaneswar: Temples, Caves and Dhauli Hills Tour
Everything inside the city limits in one well-paced day: the Old Town temples, the rock-cut Jain monasteries on Udayagiri and Khandagiri hills, and the white peace pagoda at Dhauli above the battlefield of the Kalinga War. Hotel pickup included.
- Lingaraj, Mukteswar and Rajarani temples
- The 2,000-year-old Jain caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri
- Dhauli Shanti Stupa and the Ashokan rock edict
