The Pataleswara temple is in dire need of restoration. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, May 24: Cruising along the Kedar Gouri road, one gets delighted to see repair and conservation work on at the Taleswar temple precinct.

However, going little further, one cannot escape a shock to see a centuries old temple locked within the precinct of a private residential building. The Pataleswara temple is a 13th century monument, which may see its end soon.

Situated on the left side of the Kedar Gouri road, the Pataleswara temple is a Shaivite monument that lies just behind the gate of a private building.

Built by imperial rulers ages ago, it has today become private property. Local residents do not seem to have any idea about the temple or its history.

“The family that owns the temple has been here since a long time. We have no knowledge about the age of the temple,” said Prasant Behera, a local resident.

The lower half of the temple is buried while the dome adorns some sculptures such as udyota simha (a roaring lion) on all sides of the upper half.

Some of the captivating carvings include the Navagrahas that have been placed in miniature houses with beautiful borders.

The Gajalaxmi idol shown sitting over a lotus with elephants and guards surrounding the image on both sides is also impressive.

The most fascinating, however, is a later insertion of a Nataraja, which has been placed below the idol of the lion on the dome above the entrance door. However, most portions of this idol is broken.

The age-old monument was repaired by the present owner of the plot where the temple stands.

It has been plastered completely with a cement layer that covers the decorative features of the temple. A new doorjamb has been added by the landowners.

The monument is surrounded by buildings on three sides of the road.

A number of trees growing around the temple also threaten the foundation of the structure since they could cause cracks at the base.

Officials at Orissa State Archaeology say the preservation of the temple in the technically correct way is possible if the landowners give permission for conducting archaeological work.

“Many such plots that house temples or monuments are ancestral property of local people of the Old Town area and many have sold off their lands.

“This makes it impossible for us to interfere in maintenance of these monuments since they are not declared protected and thus are owned by the landlords,” said an official.