Temple architecture of Orissa

Kalinga style
• Orissa temples constitued a sub- style of Nagara
style of north Indian temples.
• It is also called as Kalinga style.
• The Kaḷinga architectural style is a style which
flourished in the ancient Kalinga region or
present eastern Indian state of Orissa and
northern Andhra Pradesh.
• The building activity in this region continued for
nearly thousand years from the 6th- 7th century
AD to 16th century AD in unbroken continuity.
• The style consists of three distinct types of
temples:
• Rekha Deula,
• Pidha Deula and
• Khakhara Deula.
• The former two are associated with Vishnu,
Surya and Shiva temples while the third is
mainly with Chamunda and Durga temples.
• The Rekha Deula and Khakhara Deula houses
the sanctum while the Pidha Deula constitutes
outer dancing and offering halls
plan

•Rekha deul is represented by sanctum with curvilinear spire

and later by the frontal porch having pyramidal roof of receding
tiers known as Pidhas.
•In the earlier phase, there was no Pidha deul and Jagmohan or
front hall is having flat roof.
•In the course of time, to meet the growing need of rituals, two
more structures added- Natamandapa, and Bhogmandapa
•All four components are arranged in one axial alignment.
• The Orissan temple is remarkable for its plan
and elevation. The interior ground plan of
temple is square. Rarely the temple has star
shaped layout or circular plan.
• Generally speaking the Orissan temples are
distinguished by vertical offset projections
called Rathas ( on plan) or Pagas ( on
elevation).
• Depending on the number of rathas, the
temples are classified into triratha,
panchratha, sapratha, and navaratha.
• Earlier temples are characterized by triratha
plan.
• On the elevation, the temples show interesting
features, both sanctum, and porch can be divided
into three parts along vertical plan. i.e.-
• BADA
• GANDI
• MASTAKA
• From bottom to top, each part of the temple has
a special name corresponding to that of parts of
human body.
• Bada ( body) stands on platform called as “pista”,
which was not compulsory element in early
temples and is generally found in later temples.
• The baranda, forming the top most part of the
bada has a set of mouldings, starting with one
moulding in early phase progressing into seven
and ten mouldings in the later phase.
• The gandi of deul has curvilinear shape, in early
temples, gandi is devoid of and sculptural
embellishments. Fully developed temples have
ornamental bhumis, and miniature shikharas.
• Gandi of jagmohana is of pyramidal shape.
• Mastaka consists of amalaka ( a ribbed stone),
resembling to holy fruit amala and Kalasha.
• Mastaka of pidha deul has same features except
for the addition of ghanta ( bell).
 Evolution through different
examples
• Parsurameswar temple- AD 800.
• Mukteshwar Temple- AD 975.
• Lingraj temple - AD 1000.
• Anant Vasudev temple
• Sun Temple at Konark
• Temple of Jagganath, Puri
 Parsurameswar Temple
• Parsurameswar Temple, located in the east
Indian city of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of
Orissa, is considered the best preserved
specimen of an early Orissan Hindu temple.
dated to the Sailodbhava period between the 7th
and 8th centuries AD.
• The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva
and is one of the oldest existing temples in the
state. It is believed to have been built around 650
AD in Nagara style.
• Basic plan with Garbha Griha, with Jagmohana in the same
axis but joined with poor junction.
• Typical curvilinear with rudimentary shikhara and crowned
with amalaka.
• Jagmohana having double sloping roof with forming clear
story in central nave.
• The sanctum of the temple measures 9.88 × 9.75 ft
(3.0 × 3.0 m) from the inside, 19.75 × 21 ft (6.0 × 6.4 m) from
the outside and has a height of 40.25 ft (12.3 m). Amalaka, a
stone disk with ridges on the rim, is placed over the bada of
the temple.
• The jagamohana is rectangular in shape and has a two-
element sloping roof with clerestory windows between them.
The jagamohana measures 24.94 × 18.33 ft (7.6 × 5.6 m) from
the inside and 29.33 × 28.58 ft (8.9 × 8.7 m) from the outside.
The latticed windows are classified as pata jali where
perforations are square or rectangular in shape.
• The temple contains the
earliest representation of a
six-armed Mahisamardini
Durga image
• There are grotesque figures
of vetalas (ghosts) on the
pilasters of jaga mohan and
on the faces of Garbha griha
of the temple. The figures of
nagas (snake-man) and their
female counterparts nagins
and other females show
many graceful poses.
 Mukteshwar Temple
• Muktesvara deula is a 10th-century Hindu temple
dedicated to Shiva located in Bhubaneshwar, temple dates
back to 970 CE and is a monument of importance in the
study of the development of Hindu temples in Orissa.
• This architecture is one of the basic reasons why
Mukteswar Temple is also known as the "Gem of Odisha
architecture". The temple faces west and is constructed in a
lower basement amidst a group of temples.
• The pyramidal roof to the jagamohana present in the
temple was the first of its kind over the conventional two
tier structure
• Porch
• The most important feature of the Mukteswar Temple is the torana,
or the arched gateway, showing the influence of Buddhist
architecture. The arched gateway has thick pillars that have strings of
beads and other ornaments carved on statues of smiling women in
languorous repose. The porch is a walled chamber with a low, massive
roof and internal pillars. The combination of vertical and horizontal
lines is skillfully arranged so as to give dignity of buildings of
moderate height.
Garbha- griha
The garbha griha is square in plan and is built in a raised platform with
pilasters in each facade. The shikara is small compared to other
temples; it has four Natarajas on and four kirthimukhas on the four
faces. The top portion of the shikara has the kalasa.
•Garbha griha and jagmohana developed into neatly resolved one plan.
•A low plinth with five mouldings was introduced.
•Fully developed Shikhara over garbha griha having vertical ribs
forming typical orissan type shikhara.
The jagamohana
It is decorated with intricate carvings by the Vishwakarma Moharana
sculptors.
Except for the rectangular plan of its jaganmohana, it is the earliest
example of what may be termed proper Odisha temple type; a Rekha
Deul with a curvelinear spire and a jaganmohana with a stepped
pyramidal roof.
Plan of Mukteshwar temple.
 Lingaraj temple
• Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to
Harihara and is one of the oldest temples in
Bhubaneswar.
• The Lingaraja temple faces east and is built of
sandstone and laterite. The main entrance is located in
the east, while there are small entrances in the north
and south. The temple is built in the Deula style.
• Addition of two more halls, nat mandir( dance hall),
and bhog mandap, ( offering hall), were added next to
jagmohana on the same axis. Thus linearly connected.
• Shikhara made more taller as compared to mukteshwar
temple.
• Replicas of shikhara and lions were introduced over
shikhara as ornamental element.
• The bhogamandapa (Hall of offering) measures 42 ft (13 m)*42 ft (13 m) from the
inside, 56.25 ft (17.15 m)*56.25 ft (17.15 m) from the outside. It has four doors in
each of the sides. The exterior walls of the hall has decorative sculptures of men
and beast. The hall has a pyramidal roof made of up several horizontal layers
arranged in sets of two with intervening platform. It bears an inverted bell and a
kalasa in the top.
• The natamandira (festival hall) measures 38 ft (12 m)*38 ft (12 m) from the inside,
50 ft (15 m)*50 ft (15 m) from the outside, has one main entrance and two side
entrances. The side walls of the hall has decortive sculptures displaying women
and couples. It has a flat roof sloping in stages.
• The jagamohana (assembly hall) measures 35 ft (11 m)*30 ft (9.1 m) from the
inside, 55 ft (17 m)*50 ft (15 m) from the outside, entrances from south and north
and has a 30 metres (98 ft) tall roof. The hall has a pyramidal roof made of up
several horizontal layers arranged in sets of two with intervening platform as in the
Hall of offering. The facade to the entrances are decorated with perforated
windows with lion sitting. The inverted bell above second unit is adorned by kalasa
and lions.
• The rekha deula has a 60 m (200 ft) tall pyramidal tower over the sanctum and
measures 22 ft (6.7 m)*22 ft (6.7 m) from the inside, 52 ft (16 m)*52 ft (16 m)
from the outside over the sanctum. It is covered with decorative design and seated
lion projecting from the walls. The sanctum is square in shape from the inside. The
tower walls are sculpted with female figures in different poses.
 Anant Vasudev temple
• Ananta Vasudeva Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to
Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu located in
Bhubaneswar
• In form, the temple resembles the Lingaraj temple, but
includes vaishnavite (Lord Vishnu related) sculptures. The
temple has longitudinal bands of miniature sikharas
(shrines), exactly like those in Lingaraj temple, with the
minor difference that the number of the sikharas forming
one longitudinal band in its case is only three. The
sculpture in the exterior walls varies in character in each
temple in Bhubaneswar.
• The jagmohana , natmandir, and bhog mandir have stepped
pyramidal roof in descending order.
 Sun temple at Konark
• Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as
the Black Pagoda)
• The temple is in the shape of a gigantic chariot with elaborately
carved stone wheels, pillars and walls. A major part of the structure
is now in ruins.
• The temple was originally built at the mouth of the river
Chandrabhaga, but the waterline has receded since then. The
temple has been built in the form of a giant ornamented chariot of
the Sun god, Surya. It has twelve pairs of elaborately carved stone
wheels which are 3 meters wide and is pulled by a set of seven
horses (4 on the right and 3 on the left). The temple follows the
traditional style of Kalinga architecture. It is carefully oriented
towards the east so that the first rays of sunrise strikes the principal
entrance
• The original temple had a maingarbha griha with
rekha deul, which was supposedly 229 feet (70
m) tall. Due to the weight of the super structure
(70m tall) and weak soil of the area the main
shikhara fell in 1837.
• The audience hall (Jagamohana), which is about
128 feet (30 m) tall, still stands and is the
principal structure in the surviving ruins. Among
the structures, which have survived to the current
day, are the dance hall (Nata mandira) and dining
hall (Bhoga mandapa).
• Marks the finale of temple style.
• Natmandir is now detached from the main shrine
but built on the same axis and same plinth.
• It had tallest shikhara, same as Anant Vasudev
temple with band of three miniature
shikharas at corner and lions.
• Stepped pyramidal roof of jagmohana is now
piled into three tiers. Natmandir continues the
same stepped pyramidal roof.