BHUBANESHWAR

historically Bhuvanesvara, town, capital of Orissa state, eastern India. Bhubaneshwar's history from the 3rd century BC is represented in nearby archaeological remains. Between the 5th and 10th centuries AD it was the provincial capital of many Hindu dynasties and a centre of the Saivite faith. Its many temples (such as the Mukteshwara and Parashurameshwar), displaying every phase of Orissan architecture, were built between the 7th and 16th centuries. The town consists of the old city, containing about 30 ancient temples, and a planned township built after 1948, when the capital was moved there from Cuttack. In the latter are the state government buildings, the state museum, Utkal University (established 1944 in Cuttack), and the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology. The Gandhi Memorial Park lies at the town's centre. Bhubaneshwar is on the national highway between Calcutta and Madras and on the South-Eastern Railway and has an airport. Pop. (1991) 411,542.