Lingaraj Temple, the Legend, History, & the Architecture Behind

The City Behind

Bhubaneshwar the capital of Orissa is a city of temples, several of which are important from an architectural point of view. The Lingaraj temple - the largest among these is an outstanding specimen of the Orissa style of temple building. It is about a thousand years old. This temple is also known as the Bhubaneswar temple. Bhubaneshwar, Konark and Puri constitute the Golden triangle of Orissa, visited in large numbers by pilgrims and tourists. These three cities combined have got more than a few hundred temples.

Bhubaneshwar is also a revered pilgrimage center, referred to in the Brahma Purana. The Brahma Purana refers to Bhubaneshwar as the Ekamra Kshetra enshrining a crore Shiva Lingas.

As said in the history, Lingaraj temple was built first by the ruler Yajati Keshari in the 7th century who shifted his capital from Jaipur to Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar remained as the Kesari capital, till Nripati Kesari founded Cuttack in the 10th century. Inscriptions from the period of the Kalinga King Anangabhima III from the 13th century are seen here.

Structurally, the Parasurameswara temple at Bhubaneshwar is the oldest, dating back to the middle of the 8th century, and the Lingaraj is temple is assigned to the 10th century. The nata mandir and the bhog mandir of the Lingaraj temple are of later origin.

The legend behind the temple is that Shiva revealed to Parvati that Bhubaneshwar - or Ekamra thirtha was a resort favored by him over Banaras. Parvati in the guise of a cowherd woman, decided to look at the city herself. Two demons Kritti and Vasa desired to marry her. She requested them to carry her upon their shoulders, and crushed them under her weight. Shiva, then created the Bindu Sagar lake to quench her thirst, and took abode here as Krittivasas or Lingaraj.

The Bindusagar lake around which a lot of temples are centered, has a history of its own. Lingaraj temple which is located in a spacious courtyard covering over 2,50,000 sq feet is bounded by fortified walls. The outer walls of Lingaraj temple exhibit exemplary carvings. The beautifully carved images of various Gods & Goddesses are unmatched with anything else. The tower of the temple is 180 ft high and is again elaborately carved. Architecture of the tower is again one of the best examples of architectural excellence in the history. The temple has got three different parts & each part has got one  temple each.  Towards south of the entrance to main temple is image of Lord Ganesha, at the back is the image of Goddess Parvati and to north is Lord Kartikeya.

A total of 22 worship services are offered each day. Once a year, an image of Lingaraj is taken to the Jalamandir in the center of the Bindu Sagar lake.

Situated in the ancient capital of the Kalinga empire, Bhubaneswar's, the Lingaraj Temple is probably one of India's most remarkable ancient, architectural achievements, with a 54-meter tower dominating the landscape. Encapsuled by high walls on all sides, the Lingaraj temple or the Bhubaneshwar is one of the most well known temples in Orissa. It is one of the best and splendoured examples of the architectural excellence which the artists had achieved during the 11th century.

The outer walls of the temple exhibit unparalled carvings. The beautifully carved and sculpted images of various God and Goddess are unrivalled. The temple complex has three compartments and each one has a temple each. Towards south of the entrance to main temple is image of Lord Ganesha, at the back is the image of Goddess Parvati and to north is Lord Kartikya. The Lingaraj temple has got various pillars and halls which add to its beauty.

The Lingaraj temple has got various pillars and halls, which add to its beauty. At the main gate is the temple of Lord Ganesha followed by Nandi pillar. Its towering spire-like beauty dominates the Bhubaneswar skyline. It represents the peak of Kalinga style of architecture spanning over 25 centuries of progressive history. This 11th century temple is the culmination of architectural beauty and sculpted elegance. The temple is dedicated to "Tri Bhubaneshwar", or Lord of the three worlds also known as Bhubaneshwar. The granite block representing "Tri Bhubaneshwar" is bathed daily with water, milk and Bhang (Marijuana). It is enclosed and has four features - a sanctuary, a dancing hall, an assembly hall and a hall of offerings. There are many smaller shrines around the temple in the enclosed area.

The bada of the deul is five-divisioned (Panchnga). The pabhaga is of five elaborate mouldings, in the niches of the Khakhara-mundis, on the corner rathas of the tala jangha are the seated images of the eight dikpalas. While those of the intermediate rathas feature divers-themes the worship of the linga, a preceptor discoursing to a rapt assembly and a music party, the hollows between the rathas are taken up with different types of rampant lions (viralas), some sporting the trunks of elephants, the bandhana and baranda are of three and ten exquisitely sculptured mouldings. The niches of the Pidha-mundis of the upar jangha are adorned, among others, by the divinities, Surya, Ganesa, Kartikeya, Siva, Ardha-narisvara, Parvati and Brahma and aloft the recesses of the rathas are positioned captivating alasa-kanyas in various sensuous postures, fetched from the repertoire of classical poetry. The plastic adornment of the temple, for all its richness and meticulous execution, does not overwhelm the fluency of its basic architecture, and its majestic contours are sustained without impairment, the supreme dignity of the portraiture and its essential character are not obscured by any cloying detail, the sculpture coalesces with dominant architectural formulation in a compelling unity of effect.

The gandi is the Orissan name of the sikhara or high tower of the rekha deul. In the Lingaraj temple it rises 45 meters height almost straight in the beginning, then bending gradually, forming a convex curve. This inward curving is obtained by corbelling, a system where each successive block of stone extends a little bit beyond the previous one, until the four sides come so near to each other that the opening can be closed with one stone slab. Vertically, the surface of the gandi is enriched by the projections continuing upwards from the bada. The central projection on each sides is called raha-paga, those at the corners Konaka paga (Kanika paga) and the projection in between the raha-paga and the Konaka paga is called the anuraha paga.

The majesty of the temple inheres in its soaring gandi, in its sweep of deep vertical lines curving only at the Summit, the towering effect of the spire is assisted by the division of the Kanika-paga into ten (increased) bhumis by bhumi-amlas, rounded at the ends and rectangular on its faces, the thrust of the Kanika at the extremities is also rounded off, in keeping with the curvature of the bhumi-amlas, and the anuratha, which carries an ascending series of four lessening duplicates of the rekha-deul, accentuates the effect. The rahas are each set off by a projecting lion pouncing on a crouching elephant, topped by a succession of superficial chaitya-arches. The massive amalaka-sila is propped at the corners by lions with two hind parts at right angles (dopichcha) and four-armed figures seated over the rahas. A circular canopy of a Khapuri, surmounted by the Kalasa and the trident, emblematic of the presiding Tribhuvanesvara, make up the crowing elements. The dikapalas are featured, with their appropriate mounts, on the walls of the sanctuary, and in niches on its southern, western and northern faces, the parsva devatas- Ganesa, Kartikeya and Parvati, sculptured life like (not in situ but out of blocks of black chlorite), in a meticulous representation of their habiliments are located, with two storeyed pyramidal porches in front of them, become subsidiary temples, approached by flights of steps.

The pidha deul or jagamohana has a pishta and bada similar to that of rekha deul. The bada of the jagamohana shows the usual five elements. The pabhaga represents the characteristic features of Pada, Kumbha, Pata, Kani and Basanta. It differs much in the gandi, which is pyramidal in shape. It is formed of several horizontal slaps, diminishing in size in a step-like manner. These are divided into two or three levels (Potalas) by the beki, a recessed wall, and a lion over a bho device surmounts each tier. The nine pidhas of the lower tier are embelished by bands of infantry, horsemen and elephants in procession. The mastaka has at the bottom the cylindrical beki, and enormous bell shaped member, the ghanta, followed by the amla beki, the ribbed but smaller amla, and finally the Khapuri, the Kalsa and the ayudha.

The Lingaraj presents significant affinities with the Brahmesvara, not only in the architectural designing but also in its ornamental details. Both are remarkable in the absence of a plinth, the temples rising sheer from the ground, the pidha deuls are full fledged, their janghas are divided by a bandhana of mouldings, and the anurahas carry a vertical succession of anga-Sikharas, in an accentuation of height, ther is a sameness in the gajasimhas and the viralas in the recesses of their pilaster and on the rahas of their Sikharas, the deities are sculptured out of single blocks of stone and the style and configutation of the alasa-kanyas, the accessory deities, Ganesa and Karti-Keya, in the niches, the navagrahas on the architraves over the doorways, the dikpalas, with their mounts and attributes, on the sanctums and the jagamohanas are identical.

The face of the natamandapa is not in the same vertical plane as that of the jagamohana, which recedes back from the former, owing to this, the width of the ledge infront of it is narrower than that of the jagamohana. The slopping roof of the natamandapa formed by tiers of pidhas ends in a flat terrace surrounded by battlemented tiles or crest tiles presenting a graceful appearance. The roof of the naramandapa is supported by four-nine foiled arches formed by corbelling and resting on four rectangular columns. All the walls except the eastern one are provided with three doors, the two side ones being of less dimension than the central one. The eastern door leads to the bhogamandapa and the corresponding one on the west wall leads to the jagamohana.

The bhogamandapa is coeval with the natamandapa. There are four columns in the middle of the bhogamandapa which support its ceiling. The base of these columns is nearly square. The flat roof of the bhogamandapa is crowned by Kalasa, Khapuri, Sree and beki. The eastern face of the bhogamandapa is provided with two plain windows on each side of the central doorway, the left and right hand ones consisting of two and three plain balusters respectively. Each of the northern and southern faces of the bhogamandapa is provided with two windows consisting of three plain balusters and one central doorway. The doorway of the northern side has been blocked by a projecting wall. A little of the south of the centre of the bhogamandapa and infront of it, stands a monolithic cylindrical pillar capped by the figure of a bull and Garuda.

In the elegance of its proportions and the richness of its surface treatment the temple of Lingaraj is one of the most finished and refined manifestations of temple architecture in India. The treatment of its different elements displays the consumate skill of its master designers, all its constituent parts are effectively integrated into compact unity of supreme dignity. The crowning achievement of the architect is the design of the graceful contour of its towering gandi, its soaring height and grandeur are almost a marvel. The plastic embelishment of the temple is of equally exquisite workmanship, all the panoply of Orissan decorative motifs is mustered here with a rare aesthetic sence, every piece of carving serves its appointed role, and enhances the majesty of the edifice as a whole. With all the features fully evolved, it is the culmination in every respect of the architectural movement at Bhubaneswar and sets the norm for the later temples, according to Devala Mitra.

There are many temples within the compound of the temple of Lingaraj, some of them are in a bad state of preservation while others are in a ggod order. The temple of Parvati locally known as Bhagavati is situated at the north-west corner of the compound of Lingaraj. It consists of the shrine, Jagamohana, Natamandapa and Bhogamandapa. Although comparatively small in size, the temple contains carvings so nice and varied that they excite the admiration of the most fastidious critics of art, the finest workmanship is noticed on the outer walls of the jagamohana built on a platform of three carved mouldings with a narrow ledge around the base of the deula, the sanctuary has three divisions in the bada in which the pabhaga consists of five mouldings. The temple is pancharatha on plan with central projections containing parsvadevata niches. Of the three parsvadevatas only Parvati is found at present. The facets of the corner rathas are treated with minute scroll work, arabesque and jali, the central facets being further distinguished by female figures or couples. The anuratha pagas are relieved with three vertical rows of chaitya-windows and the recesses flanking on either side here have insets of vertical row of Khakhara-mundis each containing a figure. The spire more or less resemple to that of the Lingaraj temple. Over the bisama come the usual crowning components culminating in a trident. The jagamohana has two balustrated originally but one of them has been converted to a doorway probably during the addition of the natamandapa and bhogamandapa. The pyramidal roof of the jagamohana, made of eleven pidhas in two tiers of six and five each, is crowned by the usual finials.

Clustering round the Lingaraj temple are two shrines, one on the north of the Jagamohana known as Gopalini or Bhubaneswari and the other on the south of the main shrine known as Savitri are built in Khakhara order. The Parsvadevtas in them are different forms of Parvati. In some of the other Subsidiary shrines can be seen images of Parvati, Kartikeya, Ganesh, Surya, Balarama, Subhadra, Krishna and Trivikrama. They bear iconographical and artistic features of a latter date. Abutting on the north of the Jagamohana of the Lingaraj temple stands a small pidha structure containing a huge monolithic figure of squatting bull. A small door of the Natamandapa leads to this shrine. The eastern and western walls of it are provided with plain windows. Its eastern face shows the five characteristic elements of a bada. On the right hand of the windows of the eastern face is the representation of a sun god with four horses and Aruna, the charioteer. On the Raha paga of the northern face of this minor shrine are seen panels containing figures of Vishnu. The pilasters on the two sides of the window on the western face contain two panels on each side representing two four handed figures of Kartikeya.

The Anantesvara temple is situated to the south of the Lingaraj temple also within the same compound. It is a small shrine built of Laterite blocks. The presiding deities of this shrine are Balarama, Subhadra and Krishna. The deities appear to have been installed by Anangabhimadeva of the Ganga dynasty who dedicated the whole empire at the feet of Lord Purushottama.

The small temple of Laksmi-Narasimha within an enclosure is located to the south of the Bhogamandapa of the Lingaraj temple. The temple has been assigned to the 13th century AD.

The image of Lakshmi-Narayana has been preserved against the northern entrance door of the bhogamandapa. The pedestal of the image contains an inscription of the time of Narasimhadeva-I.

The image of four armed Narayana locally called Madhava is found installed in a small shrine to the east of the Parvati temple which too, is assigned a date in the Ganga period.

The little known Ekambatesvara temple is also situated within the spacious compound of the Lingaraj temple. The temple is pancharatha in design though virtually devoid of decorative details except for its paga divisions. Angasikharas placed at the base of its gandi serve as crowning members for the kanika and anuratha pagas. There are also crowning angasikharas on the flanking pilasters of the raha paga. Kanika pagas are divided into four bhumis. Projecting lions are set against the flattened angasikhara of the central paga division. Beki-Bhairavas are placed, above the raha and dopichha-simhas at the corners to help support the amalaka.

Each of these miniature shrine noted above is a work of art but the mind and eye of the spectator always turn towards the enormous Lingaraj with its majestic proportions, its extra-ordinary means of construction and its elegant carvings. The god enshrined within the Lingaraj temple is sive, the Lord of the three worlds (Tribhuvanesvara or Bhubaneswar) from which the township derived its name.

Copyright 2005. Orissaa.com, || Best Visible in 1024 x 768 Resolution  || Last Updated on : November 16, 2005 21:22:26 . || Site hosted @ Suryanandan.net

No part of this site should be used in any other media without prior permission