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Temples / Pilgrimages / Places of Worship in Orissa |
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Sun Temple - Konark
Konark is one of the well
known tourist attractions of Orissa. Konark, Konark houses a colossal
temple dedicated to the Sun God. Even in its ruined state it is a
magnificient temple reflecting the genius of the architects that
envisioned and built it. Bhubaneshwar, Konark and Puri constitute the
Golden triangle of Orissa, visited in large numbers by pilgrims and
tourists.
Konark is also known as Konaditya. The name Konark is derived form the
words Kona - Corner and Arka - Sun; it is situated on the north eastern
corner of Puri or the Chakrakshetra. Konark is also known as Arkakshetra.
This temple built in 1278 CE by the Ganga King Narasimha Deva is one of
the grandest temples of India and was referred to as the Black Pagoda. The
ruins of this temple were excavated in late 19th century. The tower over
the Garbagriha is missing, however the Jagmohana is intact, and even in
this state, it is awe inspiring.
The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural grandeur
but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire
temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each
about 10 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings.
Seven horses drag the temple. Two lions guard the entrance, crushing
elephants. A flight of steps lead to the main entrance.
The nata mandir in front of the Jagamohana is also intricately carved.
Around the base of the temple, and up the walls and roof, are carvings in
the erotic style. There are images of animals, foliage, men, warriors on
horses and other interesting patterns. There are three images of the Sun
God, positioned to catch the rays of the sun at dawn, noon and sunset.
Jagannath Temple - Puri
Puri, on the east coast of India, in the state of Orissa is a hoary
pilgrimage center, enshrining Jagannath, in a colossal temple. Puri is
well connected by rail and road with Calcutta and with Bhubaneshwar.
Bhubaneshwar, Konarak and Puri constitute the Golden triangle of Orissa,
visited in large numbers by pilgrims and tourists.
Puri is the forerunner of the Jagannath cult in Orissa, which saw the
flowering of several temples dedicated to Jagannath all over the state.
Puri is an ancient shrine, enshrining Krishna - Jagannath in the form of a
wooden image. Also enshrined are wooden images of Balabhadra (Balarama)
and Subhadra brother and sister of Krishna respectively. Interestingly,
the Rig Veda refers to Purushottama in the form of a wooden image,
prepared from a log of wood floating on the ocean. Puri is also referred
to in the Bhrama purana.
The vast temple complex occupies an area of over 400000 square feet, and
is bounded by a 20 feet high fortified wall. This complex contains about
120 temples and shrines. The shikhara of the Jagannath temple towers to a
height of 192 feet.
Structurally the temple has four chambers. The outermost is the Bhogmandir,
the next is the Nata-mandir pillared hall for music and dance, the next is
the Jagamohana - or the mandapa where devotees gather for worship and the
last is the sanctum or the Deul enshrining the deities.
The temple was originally built by the Kalinga ruler Anantavarman
Chodaganga (1078 - 1148 CE). Much of the present structure was built by
King Ananga Bhima Deva in the year 1174 CE. It took 14 years to complete
and was consecrated in 1198 CE. It is believed that the image of Jagannath
was buried thrice in the Chilka lake for protection from invaders.
built in the form of a chariot during the age of
Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120), is the earliest of this kind, and is still
in a well preserved state. It is believed that this temple set the pace
for the ratha (chariot) vimana temples in India, as a distant descendant
of Kulottunga I on the female line, and thefamous Eastern Ganga ruler
Narasimha Deva, built the Sun Temple at Konark in the form of a chariot in
the 13th century. Kulottunga Chola is also credited with having built the
Suryanaar temple near Kumbhakonam. Temples dedicated to the Sun are not a
common feature in the Tamil speaking region of the Indian subcontinent. Lingaraj Temple - Bhubaneshwar
Bhubaneshwar the capital of Orissa is a city of temples, several of which
are important from an architectural standpoint. The Lingaraj temple - the
largest of these is an outstanding specimen of the Orissa style of temple
building. It is about a thousand years old.
The Lingaraja temple is said to have been built first by the ruler Yayati
Kesari in the 7th century who shifted his capital from Jaipur to
Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar remained as the Kesari capital, till Nripati
Kesari founded Cuttck 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 Lingaraja is temple
is assigned to the 10th century. The nata mandir and the bhog mandir of
the Lingaraja temple are of later origin.
The vast Bindu Sagar lake is the center around which are located the
multitude of temples of Bhubaneshwar. The Lingaraja temple is located in a
spacious courtyard covering over 250000 sq feet and is bounded by
fortified walls. Its tower rises up to 180 feet and is elaborately carved.
The Shivalingam in the sanctum of the Lingaraja temple rises to a height
of 8 inches above the floor level, and is 8 feet in diameter. The
Bhagawati temple is located in the northwest corner of the courtyard.
There are several other shrines and temples in this vast courtyard.
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