The Marathas, who succeeded the Mughals in the mid-18th century, encouraged pilgrimage in the region. In the 16th century, the area came under pachamani Mughal control. During their reign, most of the temples and other structures were destroyed or disfigured. In 1568, the Karrani dynasty of Afghan origin gained control of the area. The Ananta Vasudeva Temple is the only old temple of Vishnu in the city. Most of the older temples in Bhubaneswar were built between 8th and 12th centuries, under Shaiva influence. After them, Mukunda Deva of the Bhoi dynasty – the last Hindu ruler of the area until the Marathas – developed several religious buildings in the area. Their capital Kalinganagara was located in present-day Bhubaneswar City. After the Kesharis, the Eastern Gangas ruled Kalinga area until the 14th century CE. In the 7th century, Somavamshi or Keshari dynasty established their kingdom in the area, and constructed a number of temples. The area was subsequently ruled by several dynasties, including Satavahanas, Guptas, Matharas, and Shailodbhavas. His Hathigumpha inscription is located at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves near Bhubaneswar. After the decline of the Mauryan empire, the area came under the rule of Mahameghavahana dynasty, whose most well-known rule is Kharavela. One of the most complete edicts of the Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, dating from between 272 and 236 BCE, remains carved in rock, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the southwest of the modern city. 262-261 BCE), in which the Mauryan emperor Ashoka invaded and annexed Kalinga. Dhauli, near Bhubaneswar was the site of the Kalinga War (c. Hathigumpha inscriptions at the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves near Bhubaneswarīhubaneswar stands near the ruins of Sisupalgarh, the ancient capital of the erstwhile province of Kalinga. 8.2.4 Think tanks / Research institutesīhubaneswar is the anglicisation of the Odia name "Bhubaneśwara"(ଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), derived from the word Tribhubaneśwar (ତ୍ରିଭୁବନେଶ୍ୱର), which literally means the Lord (Iśwar) of the Three Worlds (Tribhuban), which refers to Shiva.8.2.1 Engineering and applied sciences institutions.6.2 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha Constituencies.Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are the only cities in smart city mission from Odisha. Bhubaneswar is categorised as a Tier-2 city. Recent data from the United Nations released in 2016 states that Bhubaneswar's metro area has a population of around a million people. The metropolitan area formed by the two cities had a population of 1.7 million in 2011. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are often referred to as the 'twin cities of Odisha'. Along with Jamshedpur and Chandigarh, it was one of modern India's first planned cities. The modern city was designed by the German architect Otto Königsberger in 1946. īhubaneswar replaced Cuttack as the capital on 19 August 1949, 2 years after India gained its independence from Britain. With Puri and Konark it forms the 'Swarna Tribhuja' ("Golden Triangle"), one of eastern India's most visited destinations. It is a confluence of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain heritage and includes several Kalingan temples, many of them from 6th-13th century CE. Īlthough the modern city of Bhubaneswar was formally established in 1948, the history of the areas in and around the present-day city can be traced to the 7th century BCE and earlier. In contemporary times, it has emerged as an education hub and an attractive business destination. Bhubaneswar is dubbed the "Temple City" -a nickname earned because of the 700 temples which once stood there. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as Ekamra Khetra (area ( kshetra) adorned with mango trees ( ekamra)). Bhubaneswar ( / ˌ b ʊ b ə ˈ n eɪ ʃ w ər/ Odia: ( listen)) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha.