Temples of Purushottama Kshetra Puri
by Ratnakar Mohapatra | 2007 | 135,363 words
This essay studies the Temples of Purushottama Kshetra (Puri) which is renowned for its historic and religious significance, situated in Orissa (Odisha) by the Bay of Bengal. Purusottama-ksetra is famous for the Lord Jagannatha temple and numerous smaller temples, it showcases the distinctive Kalinga architectural style. The region serves as a key ...
2. Jagannatha Temple architecture (6): The Aruna pillar
In front of the main entrance to the eastern gateway, there is the beautiful Aruna pillar, which was originally installed before the Sun temple of Konarka and was shifted to the present place by the Marathas in the early part of 98
99 99 the 18th century AD.54 It is a monolithic pillar of chlorite with sixteen sides and set on an exquisite pedestal of the same material (Pl.No-3). The pedestal of pillar consists of pada, kani, basanta and padma or cyma showing representations of lotus leaves. The plinth of pillar is 7 feet 9 inches square and 6 feet high. The pillar or sthambha is 25 feet 2 inches in height, 2 feet in diameter and has a capital on the top 2 1/2 feet high, over which squats the praying Aruna, the conventional mount of the Sun god. The capital is formed of two rings. surmounted by a series of lotus petals. The total height of the Aruna pillar is 33 feet 8 inches from the ground to the top of the capital.55 The installation of the pillar in front of the Lion's gate is about two hundred years old but it was executed in the early part of the 13th century AD.56