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 6 - Shakta Temples of Purushottama Kshetra
4 (of 54)
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female counterparts of the aṣṭadikpāḷas have been comfortably accommodated in the pidhā mundi niches of the upper jängha. They are all in seated postures with their respective mounts and directions. Different incarnations of devī Durgā are also depicted in the niches of the upper jangha. The central niches of the three sides of bäḍa are housed with devī images as side deities of the temple. The baranda portion of the bāḍa consists of ten horizontal decorative mouldings, which are relieved with scroll works, lotus petals, flower medallions, kirtimukha designs and stylish geese. The baḍa of the vimāna is surmounted by the curvilinear spire, which continues the pancaratha plan of the baḍa. The base of the gandi is decorated with a series of angaśikharas. The kanika pagas of the gandi contains seven bhūmi amaḷās in its surface. Two vajra mastakas are super-imposed one above another at the base of the kanika pagas of gandi. The rāhā paga of the gaṇḍi contains four angaśikharas on each side. The base of the rāhā paga contains three angasikharas, one slightly big at the centre and other two small angasikhara are flanked on either side of the central angasikhara. There is another angaśikhara superimposed on the central angasikhara of the rāhā paga. The middle portion of the western side rāhā paga is finely projected with the sārduḷa headed motif. The jhapā -siṃha motif is projected on the middle portion of the eastern side of the rāhā paga. Deuḷa Cāriṇ� figures are inserted in the four cardinal directions of the beki above rāhās. They are the supporting elements of the amalakasiḷ� of the mastaka. The mastaka of the vimāna consists of beki, amaḷakaśilā, khapurī, kaḷasa and ayudha (cakra). Here the finial or dhvaja of the mastaka is not found from the top of ayudha. The sanctum of the vimāna preserves the image of goddess Vimaḷ� as the presiding deity of the temple. Devī Purāṇa gives the iconographic features of goddess Vimaḷ�. The image of Vimaḷ� enshrined in the temple bears some typical iconographic characteristics leading one to assign it to the Bhauma art phase." The four armed image of goddess Vimaḷ� is in standing posture on a lotus pedestal. The image of goddess Vimaḷ� is carved in black-chlorite and it measures approximately five feet in height.5 She holds akṣamāḷ� in upper right hand, phāsa (noose) in upper left hand (or a human figure), an amṛtakaḷasa (śudhakaḷasa) in left lower hand and varada mudra in the lower right hand(Pl.No-43). According to Lokanātha Pujā Panda, the lower left hand possesses a drinking vessel. There is a 241
