Bharateswara Shiva Temple is a 6th-century

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

dedicated to

Lord Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

located in

Bhubaneswar Bhubaneswar (; ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. The region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as ''Ekamra Kshetra'' (area (''kshetra'') adorned with mango trees (''ekamra'')). Bhubaneswar is ...

, the capital of

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The enshrined deity is a

Shivalinga A lingam ( sa, लिङ्ग , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. It is typically the primary ''murti'' or devotional ...

within a circular yonipitha (basement). Rituals like

Shivratri Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava. In every month of the luni-solar Hindu ca ...

, is observed here. Located on the left side of the road leading from Kalpana chowk to

Lingaraja temple Lingaraja Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha, India. The temple is the most prominent landmark of Bhubaneswar city and one of the major tourist ...

and just opposite to the Ramesvara temple. The temple has a rekha vimana of early Kalingan order. It is one of the earliest existing temple of Odisha.

History

The temple was constructed in the later half of 6th century CE during the Sailodbhava rule. The Odisha State Archaeology has renovated parts of the temple.

Architecture

The temple is constructed in the rekha

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...

of early Kalingan order architecture style using sandstone. The sandstones are carved with very ancient design by the workers. The entrance of the temple is very short that hardly people can enter straight. The entrance were short as it was believed that the devotees should lean down against God.On the basis of architectural scheme and an inscription in the lintel of Laxmanesvara temple, which is adjacent to it, the temple can be assigned to 6th century AD. The temple is triratha on plan and triangabada in elevation (the outer wall divided into three sections).

Notes

References

# Debala Mitra, 1985, Bhubaneswar, New Delhi. # T. E. Donaldson, 1985, Hindu Temple Art of Orissa, Vol. - I, Leiden. # R. P. Mohapatra, 1986, Archaeology in Orissa, Vol. - I, New Delhi. Hindu temples in Bhubaneswar Shiva temples in Odisha {{Odisha-hindu-temple-stub

History

Architecture

See also

Notes

References