A sculpture on the wall of Sundareswara temple, the water tank near the shrine and (below) the temple encircled by residential buildings at Sundarpada. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 6: The 13th century Sundareswar temple at Sundarpada is surrounded by multi-storey buildings and commercial structures.

The temple is situated on the right of the road from Lingaraj temple to Sundarpada. Legends about the temple are rooted in traditions of Sundarpada village, now a part of urban Bhubaneswar. It is believed to be related to the history of Lingaraj temple since it is built in the name of the royal preceptor of Lord Lingaraj. Local residents attribute the building to the Keshari dynasty and it is said that Jajati Keshari, who built Lingaraj temple, might have constructed this one as well.

The sanctum of the Shiva temple lies more than a metre below the road level. The temple's boundary walls are surrounded by modern constructions on almost two entire sides. The other two sides have the temple's connecting road and the Sundareswar tank.

The sandstone monument was repaired and renovated by the endowment department a few years ago. At present, a group of local residents look after it. Though the whitewashing has hidden the original look of the temple, it has been maintained well.

“We try our best to keep the temple surroundings clean and even get it painted on special festive occasions. But, waterlogging persists during the rains because the level of the sanctum is much lower than the road,” said chief priest of the temple.

The architectural features of the temple and the sculptures of deities around the sanctum still make it a symbol of the dexterity of ancient Odia craftsmanship. Also, archaeologists and experts believe that the massive Sundareswar tank near the temple may have been built earlier or along with the temple.

“This monument is definitely important when it comes to heritage value. There are a number of detached sculptures inside the temple and they must be taken care of,” said S.K.B. Narayan, convenor of the Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage, Bhubaneswar chapter. “We have taken initiatives to spread awareness among people to value heritage monuments. Youngsters need to know about these ancient structures,” he said.

Archaeologist B.K. Rath said: “Until our education department includes the history of Odisha in the syllabus of schools and colleges, creating awareness will be difficult. Also, authorities should keep a check on new constructions around these heritage spots,” he said.