Photos of the Natamandir in front of the Sun Temple. Continue reading
Category Archives: Odisha
Odisha Style, Konark: Temple Superstructure
Photos of the temple mandap and remains of the sanctum. Continue reading
Odisha Style, Konark: Temple Platform
The Sun Temple was imagined as the chariot of Surya the Sun God, and the high platform on which the temple sanctum and mandap are built has on its walls the famous sculpted stone spoked wheels of the chariot. The wheels and platform walls are covered with the beautiful sculpture work that this temple is known for. Continue reading
Odisha Style, Konark: General Layout
I visited the Sun Temple at Konark around the Christmas break in 2017, and it seemed like half the world had decided to visit at that same time! The Konark temple (13th c) is the third in line of the large Odia temples after Lingaraja (late-11th c) in Bhubaneswar and Jagannath (12th c) at Puri. If the sanctum tower of this huge temple had not collapsed, it would also have been the largest of the three. Continue reading
Roaming Around Puri
Since they don’t allow photography inside the Jagannath Puri temple, I had to make do just with photos of the main spire from the outside, along with photos of some of the buildings along Grand Road. Continue reading
Odisha Style: Varahi Temple at Chaurasi
Chaurasi is a village close to Konark, with a Varahi temple from the late-10th c. The temple is contemporaneous with Mukteshwar in Bhubneswar, which marked the transition from the earlier style of Odia temples to the later style, but this temple follows the early style, with rectangular mandap. Continue reading
Odisha Style: Simhanath Temple
Simhanath is an island on the Mahanadi River, about 50km upstream of Cuttack as the crow flies. The villages of Gopinathpur and Baideswar are located near the island on the left and right banks of the river respectively. Simhanath temple on the island is an 8th c temple, built just after Parashurameshwar and very similar in style. Continue reading
Odisha Style: Bhimeshwar & Someshwar Temples at Mukhalingam
Bhimeshwar temple is ostensibly from the 8th c, like the larger Madhukeshwar, and the basic layout of the two temples is the same, except Bhimeshwar seems to have a sort of antralay between the mandap and sanctum. The sanctum towers are in the same style. The mandap has an entrance from the front (east) and side (south) just like Madhukeshwar, but the Bhimeshwar mandap is almost completely devoid of ornamentation, with plain stone walls. Continue reading
Odisha Style: Madhukeshwar Temple at Mukhalingam
Near the northern tip of Andhra Pradesh is the small town of Mukhalingam, which once was the location of Kalinganagara, the capital of the early Eastern Ganga rulers. What remains of this capital are two temples from the 8th c and one from the 10th c, all built in the early Odia style. The Madhukeshwar Temple, one of the 8th c temples, is the largest of the three. Continue reading
Old Town Bhubaneswar
Old Town Bhubaneswar is one of those urban areas that is crying out to become a heritage zone, with special regulations and guidelines on construction, development, activities etc. Not only is there a plethora of important ancient temples in the area, there are also dharamshalas (rest-houses), maths (monasteries) and residential buildings from the early 20th c and possibly even 19th c. Continue reading
Sarson ke Khet 