'Bharati Matha Burial Temple – IX' is located in the South–western corner of Bharati Matha in Badheibanka Chowk, Old Town, Bhubaneswar

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...

( Lat. 200 14’ 43”N, Long. 850 49’ 93”E, Elev.,86 ft.)in the state 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...

. There are multiple owners of the temple and is a public property. It is a burial temple with precinct structure and have a Pidha Deul typology. The temple is graded 'B' in architecture and associations and 'C' in historic and cultural perspective.

It was recognized as a place for worship in earlier years and currently the temple is abandoned.

Physical description

These nine burial-temples are surrounded by the Bharati Matha building in east, Talesvara temple in west, compound wall of the burials in north and south. The temple faces towards north.

Architectural features

The temple stands on a platform that measures 2.17 metres x 2.44 metres in x 0.20 metres in height. On plan, the temple has a square vimana measuring 2.08 square metres. On elevation, the vimana is of pidha order that measures 3.35 metres in height from pabhaga to ghanta. With threefold division of the bada the temple has a trianga bada measuring 1.42 metres in height (pabhaga 0.44 metres, jangha 0.70 metres, and baranda 0.28 metres). The gandi with three receding tiers measure 1.63 metres and mastaka 0.30 metres (only beki & ghanta) in height. The decorative features include the door jambs of the temple measures 1.02 metres in height x 0.63 metres in width.34 The building material include Laterite. The construction techniques include Ashlar masonry and cement plaster. The style includes of Kalingan.

Current State

Currently the temple is abandoned and is in a bad state of preservation. The structural dimensions of the temple are deteriorating in a rapid process. Wild vegetation growing all over the structure and cracks in roofs and walls are some of the major sturcural problems the temple is facing currently.For conserving the temple a second compound wall measures 8.40 metres in length x 7.50 metres breadth x 10.46 metres in height with a thickness 0.75 metres enclosed four burial temples should be constructed.. The wall is made of laterite blocks with an entrance in the north.