According to legend, Bhubaneswar once housed a thousand temples. Sadly, many of these have crumbled to dust and many more have been remade into modern structures. But, few have survived the test of time and one such cluster of temples stand around the manmade lake of Bindusagar. If you have only a few hours in hand and want to explore the history of Bhubaneswar’s temples, the cluster on the eastern side of the lake are worth a visit and will take only two to three hours to explore.
Brahma Temple: According to legend, Shiva created the Bindusagar Sarovar (lake) with his trident, so that Parvati could quench her thirst. Historical records suggest the lake was dug out in the seventh or eighth century, and is as old as the earliest temples of the city. The tank is lined with laterite stones and has steps on all four sides leading to the water. At the centre of the lake stands a Brahma Temple, also known as Jagati Temple, which is only accessible during the Chandan Yatra festival in late April or early May. During the celebrations, idols from the nearby Lingaraj temple are ferried to the Brahma Temple in decorative boats.
Ananta Vasudeva Temple: Located on the banks of the sarovar is the mighty Ananta Vasudeva Temple, an example of the later phase of Odiya temple architecture. It has four parts — the bhog mandap, where prasad or bhog is distributed; the nat mandir or performance stage; jogamohan or assembly area for devotees; and the biman that houses the garbhagriha or inner sanctum. Built in 1278 AD, its architectural style matches the nearby, and more famous, Lingaraja Temple, except that the Ananta Vasudeva is a Vaishnava temple. It is an active temple. and houses one of the largest kitchens in the city, where food is prepared every day in earthen pots over wood fire to feed the many devotees visiting the temple.
Sampoornajaleswara Temple: A little away from the back of the Ananta Vasudeva Temple, which is now accessible after the clearing of encroachment around it, stands the small but ornate Sampoornajaleswara Temple, made of sandstone and dating back to the ninth or 10th century.
Subaranajaleswara Temple: Opposite the Sampoornajaleswara Temple, across a narrow but swift stream, stands the Subaranajaleswara Temple. A concrete path over the stream acts as a bridge connecting both temples. Both temples belong to the same time period and follow a similar architectural plan, only the Subarnajaleswar is not as ornate.
Kotiteertheswara Temple: A meandering path passing by modern houses, leads from Subarnajaleswara to the Kotiteertheswara Temple complex. Unlike the other temples, this one is a complex complete with its own water tank and two shrines. The belief is that a single dip in the tank is equivalent to attending a million pilgrimages. Built in the 11th century by members of the Somavansi dynasty, this is still an active temple, and several new structures have been added to the complex through the years.
Swarnajaleswara Temple: Opposite the Kotiteertheswara complex is the seventh-century Swarnajaleswar Temple, built by members of the Sailodbhava dynasty. It follows the early style of Odiya temple architecture and consists of only a biman and no jagamohan. Today, the simple structure has heavy encroachment, but some of the elaborate ornamentation on the facade, including a panel depicting Shiva’s marriage still survives.
Champakeswara Temple: North of the Swarnajaleswar Temple is the Champakeswara complex, which stands in the middle of a residential area with apartment blocks sharing a common boundary wall with the temple. It is one of the newer temples of Bhubaneswar and the central shrine consists of biman and jagamohan. Dating back to the 13th century, the Shiva temple was built by members of the Ganga dynasty and has two smaller shrines in the northeast and southeast corners, along with the statue of Nandi facing the temple. It is believed that the temple got its name from Champa nagas (snakes), and according to legend, it still houses snakes.
Parasurameswara Temple: This seventh-century temple stands at the end of the path leading to the Kotiteertheswara complex, past modern residential areas. Considered the oldest temple in Bhubeswar, it is believed to be the seed for the mighty Kalinga temples of Lingaraj, Puri, and Konark. The temple has a biman and a jagamohan, which was constructed later, and unique ornamentation on its walls with panels depicting various religious and social scenes.
Mukteswara and Siddheswara Temples: East of the Parasurameswara, is a single complex housing the (above) Mukteswara and Siddheswara Temples. Considered a gem of Odiya architecture, it is a bridge between the early- and later-stage historic temples of Bhubaneswar. The path to the 10th-century Mukteswara Temple passes under a giant decorated stone archway. The arch has figurines of elephant heads projecting both sides, and sculpted floral and nature inspired motifs, female figurines and mythological scenes like the gajasingha, which show a lion trampling an elephant. The temple also shows similar ornamentation on its facade and consists of a biman and jagamohan.
The complex houses several other temples and structures, including (above) the Siddheswara Temple, which was built after the Mukteswara, which has similar architecture but is larger in size and lacks the ornamentation
Kedar Gouri Temple: Located in front of the Mukteswara and Siddheswara complex, this dates back to the 12th century. It is an active temple visited by hundreds of devotees, and over the years the temple complex has undergone a complete makeover, with several modern structures standing beside the ancient ones within the complex. In picture: The sculptures and ornamentation on the temples in the cluster east of Bindusagar