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The temple of Rama-Candi is situated at the Rama-Candi sahi near the Laksmi Talkies of Puri town. It is a small temple, which has been remodelled by the local people. The temple consists of three structures such as vimana, jagamohana and natamandapa. This temple is built in both laterite and sand stones. It faces to east. Vimana.The vimana of the Rama-Candi temple is a pidha deula and its height is about 25 feet from the surface of the temple complex. It has three parts viz bada,gandi and mastaka. The base of the bada is square of 20 feet. The bada is pancanga type i.e. having five fold divisions such as pabhaga, tala-jangha, bandhana, upper jangha and baranda. All the component parts of the bada are completely plain. The parsvadevatas are completely absent in the central portions of the bada. The entire structure is thickly plastered with lime mortar. The bada of the vimana is surmounted by the pyramidal superstructure and it consists of three pidhas. Dopichha lions and Deula Carini figures are completely absent in their respective places. The mastaka of the vimana consists of

beki, ghanta above which there is another beki, amalakasila, khapuri, kalasa and ayudha. Here the ayudha is cakra. The sanctum of vimana preserves the image of goddess Rama Candi as the presiding deity of the temple. The ten armed image of presiding deity is carved in standing posture on the simhasana of 1 1/2 feet high. One of her legs puts on the lion and another leg is on the Mahimsasura. The presiding deity (Rama Candi) is 2 feet high.45 Here the image of Rama Candi is in the form of Mahisamardini Durga. She displays naga pasa, khadga, shield, sankha, bow, trident, cakra, arrow, ankusa and hairs of Mahisasura. 46 There is another ten armed devi image kept on the right side of the presiding deity. It is the replica of the Rama Candi image. There is an image of Kartikeya noticed from the right side of the presiding deity. Ganesa image and Sivalinga are also found on the left side of the presiding deity of the sanctum. Inner walls of the sanctum are covered with China plates. The floor of the sanctum is recently remodelled by marbles. The sanctum has one doorway towards the jagamohana. Now the doorjambs are fully covered with glazed tiles. Gaja Laksmi image and navagrahas are not found in their respective places of the doorway. An image of Ganesa is installed in a niche of the left side top of the doorjamb. The image is made of black chlorite and its height is about one foot.He holds broken tusk in right upper hand, roasary in right lower hand, a pot of ladus in left upper hand and kuthara (hatchet) in left lower hand respectively. The images of Nrsimhi and Varahi are inserted in the right and left upper parts of the doorway wall of the sanctum respectively. An image of devi Parvati (Mahesvari) is also inserted in a niche of the right upper doorway wall of the sanctum. She is carved in seated posture on the prostrait body of Siva. Here devi Parvati is in the form of Candi (ferocious). She. displays khadga in right hand, trident in right lower hand, pana patra in left upper hand and a diminutive female figure in left lower hand respectively. Two Varahi images are depicted on the both side walls of the doorway. Two standing female attendant figures holding cauri and fly-whisk are also depicted on either side of the doorway wall. They are acting as the dvarapalas of the main doorway of the sanctum. 278

Jagamohana:The jagamohana of the temple is a flat roof structure and its height is about 12 feet. The base of the structure is rectangular and measures approximately 30 feet in length and 15 feet in width. It has four plain doorways; one on each side. This structure is built in the last quarter of the twentieth century. There is a huge image of Mahavira (Hanumana) noticed in the north-east corner of the jagamohana. The slab of Mahavira image is about 8 feet in height. The image of Mahavira is carved in seated posture. One of his legs is in pendant and another leg is in seated posture. The left hand of Mahavira possesses mace (gada) and the right hand lies upon the knee with holding rosary. The top of the right side corner of the slab is relieved with a figure of female devotee. Two series of diminutive Mahavira figures are carved on the base of the pedestal. There is also another slab, which contains an image of Mahavira. This small Mahavir image is the replica of the huge Mahavir image (earlier).From the artistic point of view, these Mahavira images are very important. All the doorways of the jagamohana are mostly undecorated. Ganga and Yamuna figures are depicted on either side of the eastern doorway. Navagraha figures are carved on the architrave above the doorway lintel. The figures of Garuda and Hanumana are flanked on either side of navagraha slab. Doorjambs and lintel of the eastern side doorway are completely plain. Two huge lions are projected on the both sides of the eastern doorways of the jagamohana. NatamandapaThe natamandapa of the temple is a flatroofed structure and it is built in 1980's by the cooperation of local people. The inner wall of the eastern side of natamandapa is decorated with figures of Dasamahavidya s. They are such as Kali, Tara, Sodasi, Bhubanesvari, Bhairavi,Chinna masta, Dhumavati, Bagala, Matangi and Kamala. Dasamahavidya figures are housed in the pidha mundi niches and they possess as usual attributes in hands. These figures are also finely painted by local artists of Puri. The inner wall of the northern side of natamandapa coantain images of Nrsimhi, Kali and Ganesa in its niches. The upper wall of the western side is decorated with images of the ten incarnations of Lord Visnu. They are housed in the niches, which decorated with trefoil archs. The left wall of the western side contains images of Nrsimhi and devi Sarasvati. While the inner right 279

wall of the western side contains an image of Santosi ma. All the images of the western wall are housed in the pidha mundi niches. Lion on croachant elephant is noticed in the floor of the natamandapa. The entrance wall of the left side of the temple complex is decorated with figures of Sapta-matrkas of modern period. They are all in seated postures on their respective mounts. All the mother goddesses hold a baby in their left laps. Each matrka is housed in a separate niche in a row. Siva and Parvati are also housed in a separate niche and display usual attributes in hands. Another separate niche of the inner entrance wall contains standing figures of Visnu, Siva and Parvati. They are all in standing posture on lotus pedestal. Gateway:There is a main entrance gate erected in the southern side of the temple complex. The gate is surmounted by the pentafoil arch, which is decorated in both sides (Pl.No-34). The inner part of the arch is relieved with elephant heads at the base and lotus shaped vase or kalasa flanked by inverted kakatuas (birds) at the apex. Bears are leaning on both sides of arch. While the outer side of arch is decorated with makara heads at the base and inverted parrots at the apex. From the artistic point of view, it is a peculiar gateway in the ksetra of Purusottama. Both animal figures (tiger and bear) are made in a single body. They exhibit on one side as tiger and on another side as bear. Both kakatuas and parrots are also made in a single body. One side depicts as parrot and another side exhibits as kakatua respectively. It is really a splendid work of the modern artists of Puri. Two huge lions are projected on the both sides of the gateway. There is a boundary wall of 8 feet erected around the temple complex. In the western (back) side of the vimana, there is a pond.All the sculptures within the temple premises are built in modern period. Date of the temple:According to old priests of the temple, this shrine was built during the contemporary period of the Rama-Candi temple of Konarka. B. K. Ratha has mentioned that the temple of Rama-Candi was constructed in the 17th century AD.47 Dipti Sinha refers that the temple of Rama Candi was built by Madhava Mohapatra of Puri.48 On the basis of the architectural style of the vimana and iconography of the presiding deity, the construction period of the temple can be 280

tentatively assigned to the 1st half of the 17th century AD. It was built by the king of Puri. Both the structures of jagamohana and natamandapa are erected in the last quarter of the twentieth century.