The Rajarani Temple dates from the 11th century and is named, most historians think, after the fine red-and-yellow sandstone locally called rajarania. What makes it unusual is that it has no presiding deity and is not in worship — so there are no restrictions on who can go inside the enclosure, and it is maintained as a protected monument in landscaped gardens.
It is also the best place in Bhubaneswar to see the sculpted nayikas — graceful women shown in everyday moments, holding a mirror, a child or a branch — and the eight dikpalas, guardians of the directions, around the base of the tower.
Top things to do at Rajarani Temple
Walk the tower clockwise
Start at the entrance and work your way around the tower: the dikpalas sit at the corners at eye level, and the nayikas stand between them. The carving on the north side is usually the best preserved.
Come for the Rajarani Music Festival
Each January the lawns host a classical music festival, typically for three evenings just after the Mukteswar Dance Festival. Check Odisha Tourism for dates.
Picnic in the gardens
Rajarani’s lawns are one of the few calm green spaces in the Old Town. Late afternoon, when the stone glows, is the most photogenic time.
How to get to Rajarani Temple
- Location: on Tankapani Road, about 500 m east of Mukteswar and 2.5 km from Lingaraj.
- Getting around: autos and app cabs are cheap; walking between Mukteswar, Parasurameswara and Rajarani is easy.
- Tours: the Old Town temple circuit and most city tours include it.
Insider tips
- Rajarani is ticketed by the Archaeological Survey of India — typically around ₹25 for Indian citizens and ₹300 for foreign nationals, slightly cheaper online. Check the current rate.
- Open sunrise to sunset. It is quiet in the morning and popular with families at weekends.
- Because it is not a place of worship, you can photograph freely and keep your shoes on in the gardens.
Best tours & tickets for Rajarani Temple
These experiences are the easiest way to see Rajarani Temple with a guide and transport sorted:
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
Private day trip from US$132 Architectural Wonders of Odisha Tour
A long, architecture-first day for people who want the story of the Kalinga temple style from its early experiments in Bhubaneswar to its peak at Konark, with a guide who can read the carving on the walls.
- Kalinga-style temples from the 7th to 13th centuries
- Rock-cut caves and temple sculpture explained
- A long private day with pickup
