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Bhubaneshwar
| Puri |
Konark |
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Altitude : 45
mts above Sea level
Languages : Oriya, Hindi, English
Bhubaneshwar (Bhuban being world and Iswar meaning god i.e. (’The
lord of the universe’) is the capital of Orissa, chosen in 1948 in
place of Cuttack partly because it was the ancient capital of the
Kalinga empire. It is the architectural legacy of that period and it
is a walk down centuries of temple architecture. With 600 temples
still intact, the temples are to this ancient city as forts are to
Rajasthan. It is probably the only city in the world that enables an
authentic overview of the stages of development of Hindu religious
architecture.
Today these temples are gentle reminder of the splendour, the
heritage that was once India. Regular dances by the ‘Devadasis’ or
divine servant girls, rituals and rites recital of hymns were all an
integral part of its temple culture.
Temples in Bhubaneswar are built on a common plan as prescribed by
Hindu norms. The structure is divided into four distinct parts or
the outer chamber is the ‘Jagamohana’. The ‘Garbhagriha’ is the
inner sanctum of the presiding deity. There is also a conical
beehive shaped tower which forms the third part-the ‘Nata Mandap’,
and the fourth is the ‘Bhoga Mandap’. All visible parts of a temple
are sculpted with motifs of priests, kings, courtiers, pilgrims,
celestial dancers, couples in embrace, birds, animals or scenes from
religious epics and legends. With a juxtaposition of modern
buildings and ancient temples, Bhubaneswara is a reasonably pleasant
and manageable city, with enough to justify a stopover for a day or
two. It is also a useful base for day trips to Dhauli, Nandankanan
zoo and Cuttack.
Places of attraction :-
Temples
In Bhubaneshwar the orientalist is in for a delightful break. The
temples of Laxmaneswar Satrughaneswar and Bharateswar which were
built in the 6th century AD are relics of early religious shrines in
Orissa. The 500 temples of the original ‘7,000’ that once surrounded
Bindusagar Tank draw vast numbers of pilgrims and visitors to the
city.
Parasurameswara:
Just west of the Lewis Road is a cluster of about 20 smaller temples
including some of the most important in Bhubaneswar. The best
preserved of these early temples is Parasurameswar Mandir a small
single and ornate Shiva temple built in a about AD 650.It has lively
bas-reliefs of elephant and horse processions lattice windows and
Shiva images. This temple built in 650 AD is one of the earliest
temples of Bhubaneshwar. This temple is built in the Kalinga style
of temple architecture and was dedicated to Lord Vishnu, Yama, Surya
and seven Mother Goddesses. In typical fashion it is liberally
sculpted with amorous couples, animals and floral motifs. The 7th
century temple though small is highly decorated and is the best
preserved-though not oldest-of the early Bhubaneswar temples. The
rectangular (rather than square) porch and the stepped roof
indicates an early date.
Even so the porch was probably built after the sanctuary itself as
suggested by the rather crude junction between the two. In the
northwest corner of the temple compound is a ‘Lingam of one thousand
Lingas’.
Just south of Parasurameswara temple is the Swaranjaleswara temple.
Built in a similar style the motifs on the walls however differ
depicting scenes from the Ramayana.
Vaital Deul (800 AD):
This temple has a double-storey ‘wagoon roof’ influenced Buddhist
cave architecture. It dates from the 8th century and was a centre of
tantric worship. Vaital Deul or temple is the shrine of Chamunda (a
tantric form of the Goddess Kali) or Shakti. Seated on a corpse in a
dark inner sanctum is the Goddess Chamunda. She has a garland of
skulls around her neck and is flanked by a jackal and an owl. The
niches on the inner wall depict equally startling images along with
scenes of tantric and erotic sculptures. It is also unique in that
the outer surface of the vault is plain while the inside wall is
profusely embellished.Outside on the east face of the Deul the lower
of the two-chaitya windows has a beautifully carved figure of the
sun God Surya.
Mukteswara (950 AD):
Often referred to as the ‘Gem of Orissa Architecture’ this temple
has been built on the lines of the Kalinga School of temple
architecture.
Not far from the Parsurameswar is the small 10th century Mukteswar
Mandir one of the most ornate temples in the capital. The finely
detailed carvings show a mixture of Buddhist Jain and Hindu styles
but unfortunately some of the figures have been defaced. The ceiling
carvings are particularly striking and the stone arch is revered for
its architectural style. In front of the temple is a beautifully
arched torana clearly showing a Buddhist influence. This ‘Torana’ is
a unique feature of this temple. The temple is dedicated to Lord
Shiva-Mukteswara and is carved with figures of ascetics in various
poses of meditation. Scenes from the storehouse of Indian fables the
‘Panchatantra’ can also be seen on the walls.
A dip in a sacred well to the east of the temple is supposedly a
cure for infertility. In the same compound, Siddheswar Mandir was
built later than Mukteswar and is plainer, but has a fine standing
Ganesh figure. Across the path from Mukteswar, Kedargauri Mandir is
one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, although it has been
substantially rebuilt.
Rajarani Temple (1100 AD):
This temple, built circa AD 1100 and surrounded by relaxing gardens,
is famous for its ornate deul. The name of this temple is supposed
to be derived from the red gold sand stone used for its
construction. Rajarani is the local name for the stone. The deul is
intricately carved with figurines in various stages of daily chores.
The lower portion of the deul has the ‘Guardians of the eight
directions’ guarding the eight cardinal points of the temple. Around
the compass points there are pairs of statues representing the eight
dikpalas, who protect the temple. Between them, nymphs, embracing
couples, elephants and lions fill the niches and decorate the
pillars.
Brahmeswara Temple (1050 AD):
Standing in a courtyard flanked by four smaller structures, the 9th
century Brahmeswara Mandir is a smaller version of Lingaraj Mandir.
Brahmeswara temple depicts the mature Orissa style of temple
architecture.The deul and the Jagmohana are both intricately carved
and for the first time in temple architectural history, musicians
and dancers appear on the outer walls and iron beams find their
first use. In the western section Chamunda, Siva and other deities
are depicted. The sanctuary itself houses a Shiva linga. There are
minor shrines in each corner of the compound. It is notable for its
finely detailed sculptures with erotic and sometimes amusing
elements.
Lingaraja (11th Century AD):
This 54 mts. high temple is dedicated to Tribhuvaneswar (Lord of the
Three Worlds). also known as Bhubaneswar. It present form dates from
1090 to 1104, although parts of it are over 1400 years old. The
Lingaraja temple dominates the skyline of Bhubaneswar from as far
away as 15 kms. This temple was constructed in the 11th century AD
at the site of an old seventh century shrine. Alongwith the deul and
the Jagmohana the Lingaraja temple have two new structures, the
‘nata mandira’ (Dance hall) and the ‘bhoga mandapa’ (offering hall).
Dedicated to Lord Siva the ‘Lingam’ here is unique in that it is a
‘Hari Hara’ lingam-half Siva and Vishnu. There are around 150
subsidiary shrines within this giant temple. The granite block,
representing Tribhuvaneswar, is apparently bathed daily with water,
milk and bhang (marijuana). The temple compound is about 150 mts.
square, and more than 50 smallertemples and shrines crowd the
enclosure. In the northeast corner, the small temple to Parvati is
interesting.
The Orissa State Museum:
A visit to the museum provides an instant overview of the museum
(and landmark) on Lewis road is worth a visit. It boasts a
collection of rare palm-leaf manuscripts traditional and folk
musical instruments, Bronze-Age tools, an armoury and fascinating
display of Orissan tribal anthropology. A visit to the museum
provides an instant overview of Orissa as it was and still is. It
has a rich collection of sculptures, coins, copper plates, stone
inscriptions, lithic and bronze age tools, rare manuscripts written
on palm leaves, traditional and folk musical instruments. The
natural History collection is also impressive, and most exhibits
still remain their fur and feathers. The magnificent collection of
Buddhist and Jain sculptures, which are displayed in chronological
order, constitute the most important antiquities in the museum. It
also boasts a gallery displaying the works of contemporary Orissan
artists. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily, except Monday.
The Handicrafts Museum(Secretariat Road) :
This museum has a splendid collection of stone sculptures, patta
paintings, brass castings, horn toys and Orissa’s famous filigree
work.
Tribal Museum:
Northwest of the town. This museum provides an insight into the
tribal Culture of Orissa. Although this place is primarily an
anthropological research centre, visitors are welcome. The outdoor
display of indigenous Orissan housing was destroyed during the 1999
cyclone, but should be worth visiting when repaired. There is a
large collection of tribal dress, weapons and jewellery. |
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