Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

is a majority religion in

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

, which is followed by nearly 93% of the total population of the state.

has a very rich cultural heritage of

and the state has second highest percentage of

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, after

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

. The state is home for the tribal culture and historical

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

, the notable includes the Jagannath Temple in Puri and Lingaraja Temple. Ratha Yatra of Puri is one of the biggest

Hindu pilgrimage In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a very long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred area or shrine of importance to innate faith. Members of every major religion participate in pil ...

in India. The state has also many Historical sites.

Demographics

Majority of population of

follows

, which is about 93.6% of the total population. Many of the

tribal people The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

follows their traditional tribal religions.

Hindus decadal population

Hindu population by district

Temples

File:Konark Sun Temple Front view.jpg,

Konark Sun Temple Konark Sun Temple is a (year 1250) Sun temple at Konark about northeast from Puri city on the coastline in Puri district, Odisha, India.Muktesvara deula Mukteshwara Temple (; also spelt Mukteswara) is a 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The temple dates back to 950–975 CE and is a monument of importance in the study of the development of Hind ...

Panoramic View,

. File:Jagannath Temple, Puri 04.jpg,

Jagannath Temple, Puri The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu - one of the Trimurti, trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. Puri is in the state of Odisha, on the eastern coast of India. The present temple was ...

Panoramic View,

. File:Taratarini maa.jpg,

Taratarini Temple Tara Tarini Temple is a famous Hindu shrine of Adi Shakti on Kumari hills at the bank of river Rushikulya near Purushottampur in Ganjam district of Odisha. Maa Tara Tarini is worshiped as the Breast Shrine (Sthana Peetha) of Adi Shakti here. Th ...

. Temple architecture in Odisha architecture has assumed a unique identity and evolved into the rock-cutting and wooden carved style which is also a very common style of Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh and

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India b ...

. In the older times in Odisha's history, the rulers used temples as symbol of respect to gods and their prosperity and hence gave special focus for the best style of

Hindu temple architecture Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many varieties of style, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''garbha griha'' or womb-chamber, where ...

References

External links

* * at Odisha Tourism {{Odisha Hinduism in Odisha