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
5 (of 54)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
lot of controversy over her attributes in the upper left hand. It is differently stated as a human figure, a naga woman, a naga phāsa (noose) and some other. She (Vimaḷ�) has the synthesis form of Mahākāḷ�, Mahā-Lakṣmī and Mahāsaraśvatī, which is described in Śrī Candi.' She holds kālapāsa, which is the ayudha (weapon) of Mahākāḷ�, amṛtakaḷasa, the ayudha of Mahā-Lakṣmī and akṣamāḷ� (ayudha of Sarasvati) as a result of which,she represents three rahasyas (qualities of devi). The goddess is installed on the siṃhāsana of 2 feet high. Here devi is three-eyed, like Śiva and she wears a crown. Two nude and fierce looking female attendants are flanked on either side of the presiding deity.³ Characteristics of this cult image, are purely Sakta-Tantric. The backside head of the deity is decorated with trafoil makara headed arch. The inner walls of the sanctum are devoid of decorative ornamentations. Jagamohana:- The jagamohana or mukhaśāḷ� of the Vimaḷ� temple is a piḍhā deuḷa and its height is about 35 feet from the surface of the temple complex. It has also four vertical divisions like the vimāna. The structure of the jagamohana stands on a low platform or pista of 2 feet high. The base of the bāḍa is square and it measures 25 feet on each side. The piṣta portion of the jagamohana is decorated with scroll works and flower designs. The bāḍa consists of five-fold divisions such as pābhaga, taḷa jāngha, bandhanā, upara jāṃgha and baraṇḍa. The pābhāga is made of the conventional mouldings of khurā, kumbha, pattā, kāni and basanta. The pagas of the pābhāga are relieved with khākharā muṇḍis. The intervening recesses between the pagas of the pābhāga are filled with naga pilasters, amorous couples, erotic scenes, scroll works, flower designs and jäli works. The erotic scenes and the amorous couples are finely housed in the khäkharā mundi niches of the pābhāga. The pagas of the taḷa jāngha are relieved with khākharā muṇḍis. The intervening recesses between the pagas of tala jangha are filled with simha vidaḷas, gaja-vidaḷas, śikṣadāna scene of saints, scroll works and jäli works. The aṣṭadikpāḷa figures are housed in the khākharā mundi niches of the tala jangha. They are all in seated postures with their respective mounts and directions. The bandhana of the bāḍa consists of three decorative horizontal mouldings. The pagas of the upper jangha are decorated with pidha mundis. The recesses between the pagas of upper jängha are relieved with erotic scenes, scroll works, kirtimukha motifs and jāli 242
