Parasurameswara

Temple,
Bhubhaneswar

DEVAKI AMMA'S GURUVAYURAPPAN COLLEGE OF ARCHITECUTRE

BatchS1S2(2012-2017)
Subject.History of Architecture / Module 4
Staff in charge Ar. Rinny Prem
February 2013 1
 Contents
Introduction
Significance
The Temple
Jagmohan
Deul

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[DGCOAR/S1S2(2012-2017)/HOA/Module 4] Parasurameswara Temple / Contents
 Introduction
Building : Parasurameswara
Temple
Location : Bubhaneswar,
Orissa
Built in : 7th Century AD
Built by :
Deity : Shiva
Significance : Attaching a
mandapa or covered hall to
single roomed shrines wherein
worshippers could congregate
and sing devotional hymns.
Beginning of the Jagmohan.

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 The Temple
Small but lavishly decorated.
Enclosed within a compound wall
Has no platform
Triratha in plan
The walls are made of cumbersome,
almost cyclopean blocks of stone, the
opening within being more appropriate
for pygmies.
In structural techniques the entire effort
is not much advanced from the rather
primitive achievements of he seventh
century temple builders of Aihole.
The Sahasralingam, in the far corner of
the courtyard, decorated with a
thousand miniature versions of itself.
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 Jagmohan
The Jagmohana ,an extremely low slung
structure was attached to the Sri mandir
of an earlier period.
Rectangular in plan.
Jagmohana instead of being a stepped
pyramid, is a rectangular structure with a
terraced roof, sloping in two stages.
The central aisle of the mandapa along
its longer side is flat roofed.
The side aisles are covered with massive
stone slabs laid to slope, leaving
between the two roofs a narrow
horizontal opening forming a sort of
clerestorey lighting of the interior.

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 The side aisles
are covered
with massive
stone slabs laid
to slope, leaving
between the
two roofs a
narrow
horizontal
opening forming
a sort of
clerestorey
lighting of the
interior.

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 Jagmohan
The verandah has projecting
moulding topped by a
recessed frieze, demarcating
bada from the gandi, a feature
not found in later temples.

The frieze has mostly

amorous couples, separated
by paneled jalis vidalas (a
rampant lion, with head swung
backwards, springing over a
crouching elephant) at
corners, a very typical symbol
the beleaguered Buddhist
faith.

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 Jagmohana (contd)
The jagamohana has :
a) An additional doorway on the South
b) Four latticed windows, one each on the
North and South and two on the West,
the last, decorated with wonderfully
animated bands of dancers and
musicians.
c) The recurring motif is this highly-ornate
chaitya-window, very often filled with
animal, human and divine figures, the
last including busts of Shiva.
The main entrance to jagamohana has a
fine carving of domestic elephants
capturing wild ones, to the left of the
lintel.

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 Jagmohana (contd)
Among the notable friezes that line the North wall of the
jagamohana are-
a) sapta matrikas (seven mother goddesses),
b) with Chamunda (Shiva's consort goddess Durga in her
terrifying aspect);
c) Ganesha having a human visage face with a trunk
growing from his chin;
d) and several deities of the Brahmanical pantheon.

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 The Deul
Deul faces west
Square towered
The deul is
about 13m high.
The temple is
dedicated to
Shiva, only two
of the three
original deities
survive.

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 The Deul
Set into the outer walls of the shrine,
sculptures are scenes from
mythological narratives, forming a
repertoire of Saiva myths
Among them the highlights are-on the
South of the sanctuary, at eye level in
the middle of tower,
a) a superb four armed pot bellied
Ganesha seated on a simhasana, with
his trunk touching a bowl of laddus
held in his lower left hand, while his
upper left holds a parasu (hatchet);
b) Karttikeya in the Southern niche is
with a peacock, holding a spear in his
left hand and a fruit in his right;
c) the lintel above this niche illustrates
the marriage of Shiva and Parvati;
d) to their right are Agni (fire),
e) the kneeling figure of Brahma
f) and next to Brahma is Surya.
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 Bibliography

The great ages of World Architecture G.K. Hiraskar

Buddhist and hindu Architecture in India Satish grover
www.wikipedia.com

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