Kapilesvara Siva Temple
Encyclopedia
The Kapilesvara Siva temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Lord Siva located in the south western outskirt of the village Kapilesvara, Old Town, Bhubaneswar
, Orissa
, India
. It is located at the end of Kapilesvara road leading from Lingaraj temple
to Kapilesvara Village. The presiding deity is a Siva
-lingam
at the center of a circular yonipitha inside the sanctum
. It is a living temple, facing towards east and maintained by Kapilesvara Temple Trust Board. The temple is situated within the precinct along with 33 other monuments. The precinct is located on the northern embankment of Manikarnika tank over an area of 44.00 square metres.
. He is also considered as the brain child of Brahma
, an incarnation of Vishnu
and lord Siva
himself. Hence it is a sacred place where the shrine
is dedicated to Lord Kapilesvara Siva.
, the Lingaraj temple
. Both these temples, like other temples in India
are centres of social, political, and educatioal activities. Until the middle of the 20th century, the temple dominated the economic, political and ritual life of the place. The temple was built during 14th Century A.D. during Suryavamsi rule of Kapilendra Deva. Inscription of Kapilendra deva and other architectural sculptural fragments suggest the original temple could be earlier than 11th Century A.D.
(shrine), jagamohana, nata-mandira and bhoga-Mandapa. The vimana is in rekha order, jagamohana is pidha and nata-mandira and bhoga mandapa(hall) are flat roofed and of later constructions. The vimana
(shrine) measuring 11.40 metres in heigt has usual bada, gandi and mastaka. The lower potala has five tiers and the upper poatala has four tiers in pyramidal elevation.
The parsvadevata(other deities) niches located on the raha paga of the tala jangha on the three sides of north, west and south and enshrine Parvati
, Kartikeya and Ganesa
respectively. The Talagarvika below the niche is decorated with a series of Khakhara mundis flanked by naga nagi pilasters. The niche is flanked by two pilasters that are carved with Kirtimukha at the center of the pilaster and the niche is crowned by Urdhagarvika. The western raha niche houses four armed Kartikeya standing in tribhanga over a lotus pedestal with his upper left hand is holding a cattle drum, the upper right hand is holding a trident and while the major left hand is holding a cock and right hand is in varadamudra. The image is crowned by jatamukuta and at the corners there are flying Vidyadharas and diminutive male worshipers at the base
of pedestal. The northern raha niche houses a four armed Parvati standing over a lotus pedestal. The image is partly damaged. She is holding lotus in her major left hand and naga pasa in the uplifted left hand, major right hand is in varada mudra and the uplifted right hand is broken. Flanked by two diminitive female attendants holding sakti, the image has jatamukuta. The southern raha niche enshrines a four armed Ganesa
standing in tribhanga over a pedestal. His right hand is holding an akhyamala (rosary), left hand a Parasu while the uplifted left hand is holding a Modaka patra the uplifted right hand holds a tusk. The image has a Jatamukuta.
At the Lalatabimba there is a Gajalakshmi
seated in lalitasana over a lotus pedestal. She holds lotus in her both hands, above the lotus two elephants are pouring water over the deity. At the base of the doorjambs and beneath the
dvara sakhas there are two pidha mundi niches that houses Saivate dvarapalas along with river godesess of Ganga and Yamuna mounted over their respective mounts.
(shrine) depicting pancha ratha(five chariots) and a frontal porch. The gandi of the temple has set in three receding tiers. The mastaka consists of beki, ghanta, amlaka, khapuri, kalasa and ayudha.
. The inscription has seven lines and paleographically it can be ascribed to the 18th century A.D.
(hall) is provided with steps in the east and was built around 18th Century A.D. The ceiling that is made of wood is carved with various decorations like elephant, makara, and a series of lotus scroll work.
and Siva
. These deities are taken on procession on various festive occasions for public viewing.
in pidha order with a triratha(three chariots) on plan. The gandi has three tiers.
lingam within a circular yoni pitha(basement) at the center of the sanctum. The temple was built in 14th -15th Century A.D.
has four arms holding conch in his upper right hand, a lotus in upper left hand and lower left hand is holding a mace. Laxmi is seated on his left lap. Both the images are crowned with Kirita mukuta. The temple has a vimana(shrine) in pidha order.
is made of sandstone and totally renovated one.
Temple is located within the Kapilesvara temple precinct built in the 15th century A.D. The temple faces east and the presiding deities of this temple are two Vishnu
images, and the image of Jagannatha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Buddha.
in pidha order and it is triratha on plan s buried upto the baranda.
Hindu temple
A Mandir, Devalayam, Devasthanam, or a Hindu temple is a place of worship for followers of Hinduism...
dedicated to Lord Siva located in the south western outskirt of the village Kapilesvara, 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...
, 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 located at the end of Kapilesvara road leading from Lingaraj temple
Lingaraj Temple
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, another name for Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Orissa, India....
to Kapilesvara Village. The presiding deity is a Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
-lingam
Lingam
The Lingam is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples....
at the center of a circular yonipitha inside the sanctum
Sanctum
For the 2011 indie game, see Sanctum .Sanctum was a two-player computer collectible card game, played online against human opponents. Players would log into a "Game Lobby" to find other players to challenge to a match. It ran on the Windows operating system...
. It is a living temple, facing towards east and maintained by Kapilesvara Temple Trust Board. The temple is situated within the precinct along with 33 other monuments. The precinct is located on the northern embankment of Manikarnika tank over an area of 44.00 square metres.
Tradition & legends
According to the local legend this is the birth place of sage Kapila, who is considered as the father of Sankhya PhilosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He is also considered as the brain child of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, an incarnation of Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and lord Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
himself. Hence it is a sacred place where the shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
is dedicated to Lord Kapilesvara Siva.
The Temple
The dominant feature of the temple is the 60 foot high temple and its adjacent pond, surrounded by stone steps. The temple is a satellite of the main temple in BhubaneswarBhubaneswar
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 Lingaraj temple
Lingaraj Temple
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Harihara, another name for Shiva and is one of the oldest temples of Bhubaneswar, a revered pilgrimage center and the capital of the state of Orissa, India....
. Both these temples, like other temples in 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...
are centres of social, political, and educatioal activities. Until the middle of the 20th century, the temple dominated the economic, political and ritual life of the place. The temple was built during 14th Century A.D. during Suryavamsi rule of Kapilendra Deva. Inscription of Kapilendra deva and other architectural sculptural fragments suggest the original temple could be earlier than 11th Century A.D.
Architectural features
The entire temple was renovated at a later date with the building materials of the original one. The temple has a vimanaVimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
(shrine), jagamohana, nata-mandira and bhoga-Mandapa. The vimana is in rekha order, jagamohana is pidha and nata-mandira and bhoga mandapa(hall) are flat roofed and of later constructions. The vimana
Vimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
(shrine) measuring 11.40 metres in heigt has usual bada, gandi and mastaka. The lower potala has five tiers and the upper poatala has four tiers in pyramidal elevation.
The parsvadevata(other deities) niches located on the raha paga of the tala jangha on the three sides of north, west and south and enshrine Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, Kartikeya and Ganesa
Ganesa
Ganesa can be:* Ganesa, alternate spelling of Ganesha, the Hindu god.* Ganesa , a genus of marine snails in the family Turbinidae....
respectively. The Talagarvika below the niche is decorated with a series of Khakhara mundis flanked by naga nagi pilasters. The niche is flanked by two pilasters that are carved with Kirtimukha at the center of the pilaster and the niche is crowned by Urdhagarvika. The western raha niche houses four armed Kartikeya standing in tribhanga over a lotus pedestal with his upper left hand is holding a cattle drum, the upper right hand is holding a trident and while the major left hand is holding a cock and right hand is in varadamudra. The image is crowned by jatamukuta and at the corners there are flying Vidyadharas and diminutive male worshipers at the base
of pedestal. The northern raha niche houses a four armed Parvati standing over a lotus pedestal. The image is partly damaged. She is holding lotus in her major left hand and naga pasa in the uplifted left hand, major right hand is in varada mudra and the uplifted right hand is broken. Flanked by two diminitive female attendants holding sakti, the image has jatamukuta. The southern raha niche enshrines 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....
standing in tribhanga over a pedestal. His right hand is holding an akhyamala (rosary), left hand a Parasu while the uplifted left hand is holding a Modaka patra the uplifted right hand holds a tusk. The image has a Jatamukuta.
At the Lalatabimba there is a Gajalakshmi
Gajalakshmi
Gajalakshmi, that is Lakshmi with elephants, is one of the most significant Ashtalakshmi aspects of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. In this aspect, the goddess is depicted seated on a lotus, flanked on both side by an elephant . She is shown as seated in Padmasana yogic posture, and has four arms...
seated in lalitasana over a lotus pedestal. She holds lotus in her both hands, above the lotus two elephants are pouring water over the deity. At the base of the doorjambs and beneath the
dvara sakhas there are two pidha mundi niches that houses Saivate dvarapalas along with river godesess of Ganga and Yamuna mounted over their respective mounts.
Adi Kapilesvara Shrine
Adi kapilesvara Siva Temple is located in the Kapileswara temple precinct and it is a living temple and facing west. The enshrined deity is a Siva lingam within a circular yonipitha(basement) made of black chlorite. The temple is surrounded by the precinct compound wall in east, Ghanteswar temple in west and Baidyanath temple in south. The temple has a vimanaVimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
(shrine) depicting pancha ratha(five chariots) and a frontal porch. The gandi of the temple has set in three receding tiers. The mastaka consists of beki, ghanta, amlaka, khapuri, kalasa and ayudha.
Baidyanatha Siva Temple
The Baidyanatha Siva temple is located in Kapilesvara temple precinct and the enshrined deity is a Siva lingam over a circular yonipitha(basement) made in sand stone. According to local legend Lord Baidyanath is the god for curing ailments and diseases. So ailing people offer special prayer and surrender before the Lord when suffering from diseases. It was built around 18th Century A.D. The temple is facing towards west. There is an inscription on the lintel in the western wall written in Oriya scriptOriya script
The Oriya script or Utkala Lipi or Utkalakshara is used to write the Oriya language, and can be used for several other Indian languages, for example, Sanskrit.- History :...
. The inscription has seven lines and paleographically it can be ascribed to the 18th century A.D.
Beharana Mandapa / Baa-khia Mandapa
Beharana Mandapa or Baa khia Mandapa is located inside the Kapilesvara temple precinct. The MandapaMandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
(hall) is provided with steps in the east and was built around 18th Century A.D. The ceiling that is made of wood is carved with various decorations like elephant, makara, and a series of lotus scroll work.
Bhandara Ghara Shrine
Bhandara Ghara Shrine is located in the Kapilesvara temple precinct and it is a living temple built during the 16th century A.D. It enshrines the chalanti pratima(movable deities) of VishnuVishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and Siva
Siva
Siva may refer to:*Shiva, a major Hindu God*Živa , a Slavic goddess*A pro-apoptotic signaling protein*1170 Siva, asteroid named after the god*Siva , name of several rural localities in Russia...
. These deities are taken on procession on various festive occasions for public viewing.
Ghanteswara Siva Temple
This temple is located in the Kapileswara precinct and the enshrined deity is a Siva lingam over a square yonipitha(basement) made of laterite. The temple has a vimanaVimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
in pidha order with a triratha(three chariots) on plan. The gandi has three tiers.
Guptesvara Siva temple
Guptesvara Siva temple is located within the Kapilesvara temple precinct and the enshrined deity is a ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
lingam within a circular yoni pitha(basement) at the center of the sanctum. The temple was built in 14th -15th Century A.D.
Bakresvara / Kalika Siva Temple / Tirthesvara Temple
The Kalika Siva Temple is located beyond the southern compound wall of Kapilesvara siva temple and close to the northern embankment of Manikarnika tank. The temple faces west and the presiding deity of the temple is Siva lingam within a circular yonipitha(basement). The temple is made of sandstone and was built around 10th / 11th Century A.D.Laxmi Narayan Temple
The enshrined deity is Laxmi- Narayana seated in padmasana(lotus seat) over a lotus pedestal. The deity, NarayanaNarayana
Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
has four arms holding conch in his upper right hand, a lotus in upper left hand and lower left hand is holding a mace. Laxmi is seated on his left lap. Both the images are crowned with Kirita mukuta. The temple has a vimana(shrine) in pidha order.
Siddhesvara Siva temple
It is located inside the Kapilesvara temple precinct and was built in the 15th century A.D. The temple faces east and the presiding deity of the temple is Siva lingam within a circular yonipitha(basement), which is made of laterite. The cella of vimanaVimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
is made of sandstone and totally renovated one.
Sombara Mandapa
The VishnuVishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
Temple is located within the Kapilesvara temple precinct built in the 15th century A.D. The temple faces east and the presiding deities of this temple are two Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
images, and the image of Jagannatha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Buddha.
Somabaresvara Siva Temple
The temple is located in the Kapilesvara temple precinct and the enshrined deity is a Sivalingam over a square yonipitha(basement) made of sand stone. The temple has a vimanaVimana
Vimāna is a word with several meanings ranging from temple or palace to mythological flying machines described in Sanskrit epics.-Etymology and usage:Sanskrit vi-māna literally means "measuring out, traversing" or "having been measured out"...
in pidha order and it is triratha on plan s buried upto the baranda.
External links
- http://ignca.nic.in/asi_reports/orkhurda077.pdf
- http://ignca.nic.in/asi_reports/orkhurda080.pdf
- http://ignca.nic.in/img_0002_as_or_khurda.htm
- http://ignca.nic.in/asp/showbig.asp?projid=orctk0360001