Hey guys! 👋 Jai Jagannath ⭕️❗️⭕️
Bhubaneswar earns the name Ekamra Kshetra from its mango tree. 🥭
Eka means one and amra means mango. According to the Ekamra Purana, a 13th-century text, the deity now worshipped at Lingaraj Temple was originally under a single mango tree, and the area around it became known as Ekamra Kshetra. 🛕
Want the full mango legend? Read how Bhubaneswar got its name as Ekamra Kshetra.
But that’s only one of the city’s old names. Locals have long called Bhubaneswar by many names such as Tribhubaneswar, Chakra Kshetra, Toshali, Gupta Kashi, and more, each with its own story. Let’s go through all seven! 👇
1. Ekamra Kshetra
- Meaning: The area adorned with a mango tree 🥭
- The story: Ekamra Kshetra usually refers to the Old Town, with its cluster of ancient temples around Lingaraj. It has been on UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage status since 2014.
2. Tribhubaneswar
- Meaning: Lord of the Three Worlds
- The story: This is where the name Bhubaneswar comes from. It refers to Lord Shiva, and the city’s most famous temple, Lingaraj, is dedicated to him. 🙏
3. Chakra Kshetra
- Meaning: The Land of the Chakra (Vishnu’s discus) 🌀
- The story: According to the Purushottama Mahatmya, after Lord Vishnu defeated the demon Gayasura, he placed his conch in Puri, his discus (chakra) in Bhubaneswar, his mace in Jajpur and his lotus in Konark. These places became known as Sankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma Kshetra.
4. Toshali
- Meaning: The capital of ancient Kalinga
- The story: Bhubaneswar has been linked to Toshali, and the name lives on in nearby Dhauli, which is said to have evolved from Toshali/Toshala. 🕊️
5. Kalinga Nagari / Nagar Kalinga
- Meaning: The City of Kalinga
- The story: These names link the city to the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. The Kalinga name also lives on in modern places like Kalinga Nagar and Kalinga Stadium. 🏟️
6. Mandira Malini Nagari
- Meaning: The City of Temples (literally, “a garland of temples”)
- The story: Bhubaneswar is home to many ancient temples, which is why it’s often called the Temple City of India.
7. Gupta Kashi
- Meaning: Ekamra Kshetra is also called Gupta Kashi, the “Hidden Kashi.”
- The story: Legend says Lord Shiva left crowded Kashi to meditate quietly under a mango tree here, and Parvati found him when she saw cows giving milk on their own🐄.
- Old literary descriptions also name the city Svarnadri, Hemakuta, Svarnakutagiri, Kirtivasa Kshetra and Lingaraja Kshetra 📖.
- The earliest written mention of Ekamra is said to come from an inscription dated around 600 CE, which shows the name has been in use for well over a thousand years. 🏛️
Conclusion
From a single mango tree to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and the ancient kingdom of Kalinga, every old name of Bhubaneswar tells a bit of the city’s story. 🛕
So the next time someone asks why it’s called Ekamra Kshetra, you’ll know it started with a mango tree, and that it was only the beginning!
Sources:-
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “Ekamra Kshetra – The Temple City,” Tentative Lists: https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5916
- Orissa Review, April 2021, Government of Odisha: https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2021/April/engpdf/60-66.pdf
- Puratattva, “Bhubaneswar – A Temple Cosmopolis”: https://www.puratattva.in/bhubaneswar-the-real-heritage-city-of-india/
- Wikipedia, “Lingaraja Temple”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingaraja_Temple
- Wikipedia, “Bhubaneswar”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhubaneswar
- Sambad English, “Bhubaneswar & Its Name Game”: https://sambadenglish.com/bhubaneswar-its-name-game/
- Sanskriti Magazine, on the Purushottama Mahatmya: https://sanskritimagazine.com/?p=15175
- So Many Travel Tales, “Ekamra Kshetra Bhubaneshwar Old City Walk: Travel Guide”: https://somanytraveltales.com/ekamra-kshetra-bhubaneshwar-old-city-walk-travel-guide/
- eBhubaneswar, “How Bhubaneswar got its Name as Ekamra Kshetra?”: https://ebhubaneswar.com/explore-city/how-bhubaneswar-got-its-name-as-ekamra-kshetra/
- Tripoto: https://www.tripoto.com/bhubaneshwar
- Hindu Blog: https://www.hindu-blog.com/2025/02/why-bhubaneshwar-is-known-as-ekamra.html
- Vajiram & Ravi: https://vajiramandravi.com/current-affairs/unesco-tentative-list-of-india/ and UNESCO’s page: https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5916
