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Orissa is a land of temples. The entire landscape of the
state is interspersed with temples which ricochet about its great
ancient past and a culture that is unmatched by any other
civilization of the past. If you take Orissa’s history into account,
you can easily see that how the civilization of Orissa evolved
around the temples of the state and how religion was blended in the
thought actions and mind of the people here. Much needs to be said
about the temples of Orissa. The Golden triangle of Orissa
comprising Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark attracts tourists from
around the world. There are hundreds of lesser known temples in
Orissa. The city of Bhubaneswar abounds in temples built over a
range of several centuries.
An Orissan temple (deul)
usually consists of a sanctum, one or several front porches
(jagamohana) usually with pyramidal roofs, a dancing hall (nata
mandir) and a hall of offerings (bhog mandir). The Lingaraj temple
at Bhubaneswar boasts of a 150 foot high deul while the Janannath
Temple at Puri is about 200 feet high and it dominates the skyline
of the town. Only a portion of the Sun Temple at Konark, the largest
of the temples of the Golden triangle exists today, and it is still
staggering in size. It stands out as a masterpiece in Orissan
architecture.
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Belonging to the 11th century and enjoying the honor of being
one of the 'char dhams', the pilgrimage that every Hindu intend to
visit; Jagannath Temple is the honor of Puri and Odisha (Orissa).
The holy sight of Lord Jagannath, accompanied by Subhadra and
Balabhadra raises loads of joy among the devotees. The two gods and
the goddess of the temple are ornamented in accordance with the
occasion and seasonal change. The structural design of the temple
can be found to be in pyramid shape.
Jagannath Temple in
Odisha (Orissa) consists of four entrance gates. They are named as
Singhadwara, Ashwadwara, Hathidwara and Vyaghradwara and these names
refer to lion, horse, elephant and tiger. Each day, the Lord at the
Jagannath Temple is offered 'bhoga' six times and it is dispensed
among the worshippers close to Ratnavedi.
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You would be excited to know that the Jagannath Temple of Puri has a
latent legend associated with it. It is believed that in the Krita
Yuga, the actual image of the lord had the power of granting
'moksha' to anyone who witnessed it. Yamaraja didn't find this
justice. So, he decided to keep the image in some distant and
unknown corner of the earth. However, as Dvapar Yuga arrived, the
idol that is worshipped today in Jagannath Puri was constructed by
Lord Vishnu with the help of wooden logs. And it doesn't make
difference in the Lord's power in spite of having the hands lacking.
You must be aspiring to know more about the temple and Jagannath
Puri. So, don't wait more to visiting this place.
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Konark Sun Temple is a 13th century Sun Temple (also known as
the Black Pagoda)[1], at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from
oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I
(1238-1250 CE) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is an
example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty . The temple is one
of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site.
It is one of the Seven Wonders of India (as per the poll collected
by NDTV). Legend has it that the temple was constructed by Samba,
the son of Lord Krishna. It is said that Samba was afflicted by
leprosy, brought about by his father’s curse on him. After 12 years
of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose honour he
built the magnificent Konark Sun Temple. One of the most stunning
monuments of religious significance, a true masterpiece of
architecture proudly stands in the form of Sun Temple at Konark. A
culmination of Oriya architecture, the temple is a wonderful place
as the language of stone defeats the human language here. Built in
13th century by King Narasimhadeva, the temple is designed in the
shape of a colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels,
carrying the sun god, Surya, across heavens. Located at a manageable
distance from the seat of Lord Jagannath, Puri at 35 kms; the temple
is around 65 kms from the capital city of Bhubaneswar.
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The name of Konark temple is an amalgamation of two
words--Kona meaning corner and Arka meaning the Sun. That is to say
that the Sun god worshipped in Ark Kshetra is called Konark. Legend
says that after killing the demon Gyasur, Lord Vishnu placed his
belongings at several places to commemorate the victory. With His
conch at Puri, Disc in Bhubaneshwar and Mace in Jajapur; He placed
the Lotus at Konark. The temple being an important landmark in the
coastal voyage of European sailors was named 'The Black Pagoda' by
them. The mythological reference states that Lord Krishna's son
Samba was smitten with leprosy due to his father's curse. The former
underwent severe penance for 12 years at Mitravana near the
confluence of Chandrabhaga River with the sea at Konark and
ultimately succeeded in pleasing the God Surya, the healer of all
skin diseases, and was cured of his illness. In gratitude, he
decided to erect a temple in the honor of Surya. While bathing in
the river on the following day, he found an image of God, fashioned
out of Surya's body by Viswakarma. Samba installed this image in a
temple built by him in Mitravana, where he propitiated the God.
Since then, this place has been regarded as sacred. In ancient times
worship of Sun god was in vogue and the people were accustomed with
the worship of two Supreme deities--one mother Earth as Dharitri
Maata and the other the Sun, the Dharam devata. Sun god is regarded
as the supreme lord of the universe and the prime object of life
giving energy, being the healer of diseases and bestower of desires.
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Set amidst the well maintained gardens, the 11th century
Rajarani Temple is famous for its sculpted figures and the
successive tiers of projections rising to form its 18 m tower. The
accentuating miniature replicas of itself decorate the spire,
reminiscent of the temples of Khajuraho. It has a square sanctuary
and its interior and exterior surfaces are so recessed that it
appears circular. The ornamental deul stands diagonal to the
severely plain jagamohana. The highlight of the temple is the fine
sculptures of dikpalas or guardians of the eight directions carved
around the shrine. Dressed in diaphanous drapery they stand on
lotuses, with their mounts below.
Starting from East we encounter successively-Indra (lord
of the East) holding a thunderbolt and an elephant goad, with the
elephant below; the potbellied and beared Agni (southeast), god of
fire, with the ram; Yama (South) holding a staff and a noose, with
his vehicle the buffalo; Nirriti (southwest), the god of misery,
holds a severed head and a sword above a prostrate figure; Varuna
(West) holding a noose in his left hand, his vehicle is makara or
the crocodile; Vayu (northwest) holding a banner and his vehicle is
deer; Kubera (North) placed above seven jars of gems, he has a horse
and Isana (northeast) shown with an erect phallus by the side of an
emaciated figure. Of these the Agni and the Varuna are particularly
impressive. The Rajarani temple is also famous for the tall and
slender nayikas (temple figures) carved in high relief on the
walls-figures in amorous dalliance and in such acts as fondling her
child, looking into the mirror, taking off her anklet, caressing the
bird, playing instrument, holding branches of trees etc.
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Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara,
another name for Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of
Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state
of Orissa, India. The temple of Lingaraja, the biggest of all at
Bhubaneswar, is located within a spacious compound wall of laterite
measuring 520 feet by 465 feet. The wall is 7 feet 6 inches thick and
surmounted by a plain slant coping. Alongside the inner face of the
boundary wall there runs a terrace probably meant to protect the
compound wall against outside aggression. As observed by Ramesh Prasad
Mohapatra, the temple of Lingaraja is by far the most notable monument
of Bhubaneswar. Rising to a height of about one hundred and eighty
feet and dominating the entire landscape it represents the
quintessence of the Kalinga type of architecture and the culminating
result of the architectural tradition at Bhubaneswar. There is also a
railway station named after it, called Lingaraj Temple Road.Lingaraaj
means The king of Lingam, the symbol of Shaivism.
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Shiva is here worshipped as Tribhuvaneshwara (Master of
three worlds, i.e. Heaven, Earth and Netherworld). His consort is
called Bhuvaneshvari. The temple is more than 1100 years old, dating
back in its present form to the last decade of the eleventh century,
though there is evidence that parts of the temple have been there
since sixth century CE as the temple has been emphasized in some of
the seventh century Sanskrit texts. This is testimony to its sanctity
and importance as a Shiva shrine. By the time the Lingaraj temple was
constructed, the Jagannath (form of Vishnu) cult had been growing,
which historians believe is evidenced by the co-existence of Vishnu
and Shiva worship at the temple. The temple is traditionally believed,
though without historical authentication, to be built by the
Somavanshi king Jajati Keshari, in 11th century CE. Jajati Keshari had
shifted his capital from Jajpur to Bhubaneswar which was referred to
as Ekamra Kshetra in the Brahma Purana, an ancient scripture. The
Lingaraj temple stands majestically as the largest temple in
Bhubaneswar. At 55 metres high, it dominates the landscape with 150
smaller shrines in its spacious courtyard and is surrounded by massive
walls lavishly decorated with beautiful sculptures.
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Architecturally, the temples of Bhubaneshwar can be resolved
into three broad styles as rekha, pidha and khakhara. Most of the
temples of the first two orders have two main components--the sanctum,
with a convex curvilinear spire, locally known as the deul, also
called bada deul (the big temple) or the rekha deul (temple of which
the spire gives the optical impression of one continuous line), which
towers over the sanctum having the deity image; and an entrance porch
or assembly hall called jagamohana, or pidha deul (a temple of which
the root is made up of horizontal platforms or pidhas), characterized
by a stepped pyramidal roof. The bigger temples may have two to three
of these porches--usually a nata-mandira (dance hall) and
bhoga-mandapa (hall of offering). A khakhara style is distinguished by
a barrel elongated roof, called khakhara--the local name of a variety
of pumpkin-guard. Over the khakhara are placed kalasas or amlas
flanked by lions.
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One among the imposing structures in the city, Singanatha
Temple is the oldest temple in Cuttack. This holy shrine is located in
a tranquil ambiance of Mahanadi river more particularly on a rocky
island in the river. An epitome of sacredness and tranquility, this
devout centre is a popular pilgrim centre in the entire city. Apart
from its devoutness, Singanatha temple presents stunning architectural
works that bears strong resemblance with the ancient temples of the
country. This might be the quickly reached destination since it is
easily accessible from Gopinathpur village. A visit to this sacred
shrine would definitely be a feast to your eyes and so do not spare a
chance in visiting this temple. It is situated in a rocky island in
the Mahanadi river and can be approached from the village Gopinathpur
in the Cuttack district. It is also one of the earliest standing
temples of Orissa and it shows close affinities both in art and
architecture with the earliest group of standing temples.
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The Vidala-Nrusimha Temple stands amidst the verdant beauty of
the picturesque Gandhamardan hills. Nrusinghanath is a popular and
attractive pilgrim point. Coupled with a series of beautiful
waterfalls and some sculptures, its location offers an air of serenity
and visual delight, making the trip worthwhile. It is only 165 km away
from Sambalpur. The present temple, situated at the source of the
'Papaharini' stream, is a 14th century structure built on a more very
old site. The four pillars within the 'Jagmohana' suggest that the
earlier temple was built in the 9th century. The beautiful doorframes
have been dated to the 11th century.The site of the temple is sole.
Stone steps wind up the hillside behind the temple, leading past a
waterfall, and eventually curving under the falls to a spot where some
beautiful and very well preserved relief sculptures are found. The
climb to the carvings and return journey will take about an hour.
Since shoes are not permitted on these sanctified pilgrimage steps,
those with tender feet should take along a pair of heavy socks for the
climb.On the reverse slope of the hill on which the temple is located,
is the "Harishankar Temple". Between the two temples there is a 16-km.
plateau, littered with Buddhist ruins that scholars feel may be the
remains of the ancient University of "Parimalagiri", referred to by
the 7th century Chinese traveler 'Hiuen T'sang' as "Po-lo-mo-lo-ki-li"
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