Chintamanisvara Siva Temple
Encyclopedia
Chintamanisvara Siva Temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Lord Siva locted in Bhubaneswar
, the capital of Orissa
, India
. It is situated at the end of the Chintamanisvara road branching from Cuttack - Puri road near the Old Station Bazar. The temple faces towards west and the enshrined deity is a Siva lingam with a yonipitha.
Eastern niche enshrines a four armed Kartikeya image. His major left is in varadamudra and right hand holds a mace. His uplifted back left hand holds a cock and his right hand is held over the head of the peacock. Southern niche houses a four armed Ganesa
image who is holding rosary in his major right hand and modaka patra in his left hand. His uplifted back right hand holds an ankusa while his left hand holds a broken tooth(tusk).The northern raha niche houses goddess Parvati
.
in the right side of the doorjamb. The deity is holding a Parasu and rosary in his lower left and right arms and modakapatra in upper left and a broken tooth(tusk) in lower left arm.
located within the precinct of temple. According to local people the tank was dug by the Kesharis. Festivals like Kartika purnima and Sravana purnima are observed here. The tank is rectangular in shape made of laterite measuring 22.40 m in length and 11.20 m in breadth with a depth of 3.00 m. The tank is fed by a natural spring with waters from underground. As a result of which water level is always constant through out the year. There is an outlet in the eastern wall to discharge the excess water.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
dedicated to Lord Siva locted in 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...
, 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...
. It is situated at the end of the Chintamanisvara road branching from Cuttack - Puri road near the Old Station Bazar. The temple faces towards west and the enshrined deity is a Siva lingam with a yonipitha.
The Temple
The temple dates back to 14th century A.D. According to local legend the temple was built by the Kesharis (Somavamsis). Various religious sacraments like Sivaratri, Siva vivaha, jalasaya, rudrabhisekha are performed here. Marriage and thread ceremonies are held here.Architectural features
On plan, the temple has a square sanctum, the vimana is of rekha order. From bottom to the top the temple has a bada, gandi and mastaka. There are fivefold divisions the panchanga bada and at the base the pabhaga has a set of five mouldings i.e. khura, kumbha, pata, kani and basanta. Khura portion of the temple has partly been buried. Jangha is segmented into tala jangha and upara jangha by a set of three mouldings of the bandhana, baranda with seven mouldings. The gandi is devoid of any decoration and the mastaka as with Orissan temples has components like beki, amalaka, khapuri and kalasa.Eastern niche enshrines a four armed Kartikeya image. His major left is in varadamudra and right hand holds a mace. His uplifted back left hand holds a cock and his right hand is held over the head of the peacock. 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....
image who is holding rosary in his major right hand and modaka patra in his left hand. His uplifted back right hand holds an ankusa while his left hand holds a broken tooth(tusk).The northern raha niche houses goddess Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
.
Decorative features
The tala jangha and the upara jangha of the bada are carved with a series of khakhara mundis and pidha mundis respectively. In the beki recess above the kanika paga there is a deula charini where as above the raha paga at the center there are four armed divinities. The base of the doorjamb is carved with two khakhara mundis on either side. Temple is enclosed by a modern compound wall measuring 40.00 square m, 1.80 m in height with a thickness of 0.20 m. There is a four armed GanesaGanesa
Ganesa can be:* Ganesa, alternate spelling of Ganesha, the Hindu god.* Ganesa , a genus of marine snails in the family Turbinidae....
in the right side of the doorjamb. The deity is holding a Parasu and rosary in his lower left and right arms and modakapatra in upper left and a broken tooth(tusk) in lower left arm.
Chintamanisvara Tank
It is a temple tankTemple tank
Temple tanks are wells or reservoirs built as part of the temple complex in Indian temples. Bathing in the sacred waters of these tanks is thought to cure disease and maladies...
located within the precinct of temple. According to local people the tank was dug by the Kesharis. Festivals like Kartika purnima and Sravana purnima are observed here. The tank is rectangular in shape made of laterite measuring 22.40 m in length and 11.20 m in breadth with a depth of 3.00 m. The tank is fed by a natural spring with waters from underground. As a result of which water level is always constant through out the year. There is an outlet in the eastern wall to discharge the excess water.
Reference notes
- K.C. Panigrahi, Archaeological Remains at Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, 1961. P. 16.
- Lesser Known Monuments of Bhubaneswar by Dr. Sadasiba Pradhan (ISBN 81-7375-164-1)