Famous Temples in India

Architecture

The temple is facing in West direction and built in Kalingan style of architecture. Bhaskareswar Temple is a double storied temple. The bada that is built in two tiers is a unique feature. It has a Pidha Vimana. The temple is built on a pancharatha (five projecting piers) style and the “Deula” (sanctum sanctorum) follows the “Pidha” (steeped pyramid) pattern locally called as “Pidhadeula” (steeped pyramidal sanctum). Scholars believe that the nine foot tall Shivalingam is actually the remains of an Ashokan pillar. The remnants of the pillars and railings and artefacts found at the site proves the prophecy.

The temple has a very peculiar shape from outside and the main reason of this is to enshrine a rather very high Shivalinga. To achieve this, first a platform of about 11 feet high was erected. The platform is a 48 feet square with doorways on all the four sides providing passage to the base of linga. Above this platform is erected the deul. Its bada is consisted of a low rising pitha, pabhaga, two storey jangha and baranda. Bada is pancha-ratha in plan except at west where it is tri-ratha. Pabhaga is built with five mouldings. Jangha is divided into two equal height storeys separated by a Madhya-bandhana. Baranda on the top consists of five mouldings. Unlike to other contemporary temples, the raha contains two niches instead of a single niche. The upper niches on raha extends till the top of baranda thus we do not see baranda mouldings at raha. The only ornamentation on the walls are the parshvadevatas, Kartikeya, Parvati and Ganesha. The gandi (tower) is built in pidha-style consisting of 9 storeys. The gandi progresses in rather curvilinear manner than the pyramidal style of regular pidha-order. Also on top of the gandi, presence of beki, amalaka, khapuri and kalasa are the components of a Rekha-order rather than that of pidha-order.