(From left) A detail on the wall of Subarneswara temple; a sculpture in Kapileswara temple; a carving on the wall of Kapileswara temple; a sculpture in Subarneswara temple; Subarneswara temple and Kapileswara temple. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 1: Svenja, a tourist from Germany, was overwhelmed by the beautiful architecture of temples in the old town area of the city.

She is not the only one. These quaint temples attract tourists from closer home too. Tourists gather details about their history from the local residents and priests.

“It is wonderful to see these ancient temples. I was working with an NGO in Pune for the past six months. After finishing up with that, I wanted to get acquainted with Indian traditions. I was also told about small and lesser-known temples here and I wanted to see some of them. As my trip is short, I will not be able to see all the temples, but I definitely come back to see these beautiful structures again,” she said. Svenja added that she could not believe her eyes when she saw figures carved in stone.

Kapileswara Temple, for example, has a lingam with two holes that serve as the air outlets. This structure can be better understood if you hold a diya close to it. Priests Sibaram and Trinatha Maliha said that according to the Kapila Purana that during his self-imposed exile, Lord Ramachandra visited this temple and prayed to the deities. The deity is also regarded as an uncle of Lord Lingaraj and it is said that he goes to enjoy water sports in Bindusagar during Chandan Yatra in summer just before Ashokastami.

According to archaeologist Bijay Kumar Rath, the Kapileswara Temple was built in the 15th century and was constructed by Gajapati Kapilendra Dev. It has been built following the Kalingan style of architecture.

“Earlier, traditional rituals like Devdasi and Mahari were performed in this temple. These rituals were later discontinued. Inside its premises, there are various objects from the 7th century, proving that the temple was built on an ancient pitha or place of worship,” Rath added.

The archaeologist said that there are several references regarding lesser-known temples and their traditions in the Ekamra Purana and Ekamra Chandrika. “Regarding the structure of the lingam in the temples, one can also refer to the Linga Purana and the Siva Purana to know more. Students should develop more interest in these places and visit them,” Rath added.

Sibaram and Trinatha Maliha also said that more research should be done to know the historical importance of these places, as many schol ars link them with Buddhist history.

Prof. Sadasiba Pradhan, head of the post-graduate department of ancient Indian history, culture and archaeology, at Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, who has documented 199 lesser-known monuments in a book published by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), has mentioned the interesting legends connected with old Bhubaneswar and its outskirts.

According to legend, Lord Siva had once unknowingly killed a calf. In order to get rid of the sin, he had to take a bath in Gosagareswara pond and worship Lord Gosagareswara. In keeping with the tradition, people who have killed cows take a ritual bath in the tank and worship Lord Gosagareswara. The 13th century Gosagareswara temple is one kilometre west of Lingaraj temple.

Legend links the 15th century Dakshina Kali temple to Kapilendra Dev and an inscription in Oriya is found there. According to cultural practice, the bhoga (offering to gods) is first served to Lord Kapileswara, as in the Jagannath temple in Puri, where the bhoga is first offered to Vimala and then to Lord Jagannath.

The temple is located on the premises of Kapileswara temple. The enshrined deity is a four-armed Mahishasuramardini image.

The historic significance of the Hazara Mandapa is that on the first Saturday of every Sivaratri, Lord Lingaraj comes to visit Lord Saniswara whose temple is beside the mandapa. After paying his respects to Lord Saniswara, Lord Lingaraj rests for a moment on the mandapa and marches towards the Kapileswara temple to meet God Kapila.

This event is famously known as “Kasia-Kapila Bheta” (reunion of Kasia and Kapila). This 13th century structure is shaped like an almond.

One can enter the Subarneswara temple, located on the left bank of Lingaraj West Canal, through the Kottitirtheswar lane.

The 10th century shrine is so named due to its association with the goldsmiths near the temple. Its walls have beautiful carvings.

IN GOOD FAITH

● Place: Old town, Bhubaneswar
● Distance from Bhubaneswar railway station: 5km
● Distance from Biju Patnaik airport: 4km
● How to get there: Rented cars, autorickshaws
● Where to stay: OTDC Pantha Nivas, Jatri Nivas, hotels
● Help: Hire guides for information on historical background