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Essay name: Temples of Purushottama Kshetra Puri

Author: Ratnakar Mohapatra
Affiliation: Sambalpur University / Department of History

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.

Chapter 3 - Lord Jagannatha Temple

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5 (of 45)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


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to the strength and dignity of the entire scheme. The khurā is shaped like a horse-hoof and decorated with vanalatā designs and scroll works in its bottom part. The khurās have niches in the central facets capped by vajra mundis. In each paga, it has a kirita design and figures of royal personnel. The kumbha is designed like pitcher. The kani is plain but patta and basanta are richly carved. The sculptural friezes of the patta depict procession of various animals mostly war animals intervened by procession of foot soldiers with general seating on a palanquin and giving certain directions. The pattā portion of pābhāga displays a sculptured panel containing episodes from the life of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Some noteworthy scenes among these are Sakaṭ� bhǹga, KāṬiya daḷana, lifting of Govardhan Mountain, fighting with Kesin, Kubalayā and Ariṣṭa etc. The vertical bands are relieved with rich scroll works and two female figures one above the other. The lower jangha of baḍa is decorated with khākharā mundis (miniatures temples of khākharā order) in the kanika and anuratha pagas. The khākharā mundi niches of the kanika paga are housed with seated figures of aṣta-dikpālas (guardian deities) while the khākharā mundi niches of the anuratha paga are housed with seated ācāryas (teachers) who are teaching their disciples. The intervening recesses between the pagas of taḷa jängha are filled with various types of vidaḷas i.e. lion on elephant, lion with elephant trunk rampant on warrior. The bandhana of the bāḍa consists of three horizontal mouldings joined by vertical bands, which are relieved with standing figures of aḷasakanyās (maidens). The upper jāngha is decorated with piḍhā munḍis (miniature temples of piḍhā order), which contain various deities mostly Vaiṣṇavite in character including the ten incarnations of Lord Visṇu such as Matsya, Kurma, Varāha, Narasimha, Vāmana, Paraśurāma, Rāma, Baḷarāma, Buddha and Kalki. Lord Kṛṣṇa is playing on his flute and other manifestations of Lord Visṇu are the theme of the other mundis. The consorts of the asta-dikpāḷas, which are generally seen in the piḍdhā mundis of the 13th century temples, are not found in the pidhā mundis of the upper jangha of Jagannātha temple. The intervening recesses between the pagas in upper jāngha are relieved with figures of aḷasakanyās in different postures like holding a lotus, removing anklet, holding cāmara, fondling child etc. It is interesting to know that all the sixteen 86

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