Astasambhu temples
Encyclopedia
Astasambhu Siva Temples is a collection of 8 Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Siva located in Bhubaneswar
, the capital of Orissa
, India
.
precinct there are eight temples of identical size and dimension locally known as Astasambhu. Ashta means eight and Sambhu refers to another name of Lord Shiva. Five of them are arranged in one alignment are also known as Panchu Pandava. The temple is under the private ownership and is maintained by the Ratnakara Gargabatu and family. According to architectural features like bada division and pabhaga mouldings, this temple was built around 10th Century A.D. This is a building made up of stones and its typology is Rekha Deul. The temple is surrounded by Godavari tank in the east, Uttaresvara Siva Temple
compound wall in west, and Bindusagar tank in south beyond the compound wall. The temple has a east facing shrine.
The parsvadevata niches are located on the raha paga of the jangha on the three sides of north, west and south measuring 0.50 metres x 0.32 metres and with a depth of 0.20 metres. Except the southern niche the rest two are empty. The niches are decorated with talagarbhika and urdhagarbhika of khakhara order. The southern niche houses a four armed Ganesa
holding a parasu in his lower left, a rosary with varadamudra pose in lower right hand. His upper hands are broken. The deity is flanked on the top by two flying vidyadharas holding garlands in their hands. This temple is made up of coarse grey sand stone, construction technique is dry masonary type and construction type is Kalingan.
Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
, the capital of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The Temple
In the Uttaresvara Siva TempleUttaresvara Siva Temple
Uttaresvara Siva Temple is a 12th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva located in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India.- Location :Uttaresvara Siva temple is located within a precinct in the northern embankment of Bindusagar tank in the Nalamuhana Sahi, Kedara-Gouri Chowk, Old Town, Bhubaneswar...
precinct there are eight temples of identical size and dimension locally known as Astasambhu. Ashta means eight and Sambhu refers to another name of Lord Shiva. Five of them are arranged in one alignment are also known as Panchu Pandava. The temple is under the private ownership and is maintained by the Ratnakara Gargabatu and family. According to architectural features like bada division and pabhaga mouldings, this temple was built around 10th Century A.D. This is a building made up of stones and its typology is Rekha Deul. The temple is surrounded by Godavari tank in the east, Uttaresvara Siva Temple
Uttaresvara Siva Temple
Uttaresvara Siva Temple is a 12th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva located in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India.- Location :Uttaresvara Siva temple is located within a precinct in the northern embankment of Bindusagar tank in the Nalamuhana Sahi, Kedara-Gouri Chowk, Old Town, Bhubaneswar...
compound wall in west, and Bindusagar tank in south beyond the compound wall. The temple has a east facing shrine.
Architecture
The temple has a square vimanam(shrine) measuring 2.45 metres with a frontal porch of 0.53 metres. Its pancharatha(five chariots) as distinguished by a central raha and a pair of anuratha and kanika pagas on either sides of the raha. On elevation, he vimana is of rekha order that measures 5.72 metres in height from pabhaga to kalasa. From bottom to the top the temple has a bada, gandi and mastaka. With three fold divisions of the bada the temple has a trianga bada measuring 1.72 metres. At the bottom the pabhaga has four base mouldings of khura, kumha, pata, basanta that measures 0.47 metres. Jangha measures 0.90 metres and baranda measuring 0.35 metres thick has three mouldings. The gandi measuring 3.00 metres in height is devoid of any decoration and mastaka measures 1.00 metres with components like beki, amlaka, khapuri and kalasa.The parsvadevata niches are located on the raha paga of the jangha on the three sides of north, west and south measuring 0.50 metres x 0.32 metres and with a depth of 0.20 metres. Except the southern niche the rest two are empty. The niches are decorated with talagarbhika and urdhagarbhika of khakhara order. The southern niche houses a four armed Ganesa
Ganesa
Ganesa can be:* Ganesa, alternate spelling of Ganesha, the Hindu god.* Ganesa , a genus of marine snails in the family Turbinidae....
holding a parasu in his lower left, a rosary with varadamudra pose in lower right hand. His upper hands are broken. The deity is flanked on the top by two flying vidyadharas holding garlands in their hands. This temple is made up of coarse grey sand stone, construction technique is dry masonary type and construction type is Kalingan.