ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review

Narasimhanath Temple at Nuasasan : A Study on Art and Architecture

Dr. Ratnakar Mohapatra

Introduction The temple of Narasimhanath is situated at Nuasasana, a small village 7 kms far away from Pipili of Puri district. This temple is built in sandstones, locally called as Kandapatharas. It consists of three structures such as vimana, jagamohana and natamandapa. All the structures of the temple are erected on a plinth of 3 feet high and aligned in same axis. This temple faces to east. There is a raised platform of 2½ feet high erected in front of the natamandapa. surface of the temple complex. It has four vertical According to the local tradition, the original or parts such as pistha or plinth, bada, gandi and earlier temple of Lord Narasimha was mastaka. The pistha is about 3 feet in height and constructed by Langula Narasimha Deva of it is devoid of decorative ornamentation. The base Ganga dynasty. But Kalapahada, the converted of the bada is square of 15 feet. The bada is Muslim invader, destroyed the earlier temple, panchanga type i.e. having five fold divisions viz. which lies in ruined condition near about 300 pabhaga, talajangha, bandhana, upper jangha meters distance from the present temple site. and baranda. All the elements of the bada are Thereafter the local landlord had constructed the completely plain. present temple of Lord Narasimhanatha for public worship. This article attempts to highlight Parsvadevatas: the detailed art and architecture of the temple of The central niches of the three sides of Narasimhanath. the bada of vimana are housed with the Art And Architecture of the Temple: parsvadevata images of Varaha, Narasimha and Trivikrama. The image of Varaha is the Vimana: parsvadevata of the southern side. The four The vimana of the temple is a pidha handed deity Varaha has been installed on the plain deula and its height is about 32 feet from the pedestal. He wears a long garland of beads, which

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lies up to his knees. He holds a chakra in upper The gandi of the vimana is a pyramidal right hand, a hand of a female figure (possibly superstructure and it consists of three flat shaped Lakshmi) in his lower right hand, conch in lower pidhas. Small dopichha lions are fixed in the left hand and the uplifted upper left arm bears the corner of the recesses or kanthis between the image of Goddess Prithvi respectively. Garuda, pidhas. Small stones carved with amorous the conventional mount of the deity is installed on couples are also fixed in the kanthis between the the left side of the pedestal. A female figure is pidhas. From the sculptural point of view, these carved in standing posture on the right of the figures do not attract visitors. The middle portion pedestal. of the second pidha is projected with jhapasimhas in all sides. Dopichha lions are finely The image of Narasimha is the fixed on the top of the kanika pagas of the gandi. parsvadevata of the western side. The four Garuda figures are inserted in the four cardinal handed image of Narasimha has been installed directions of the beki above rahas. on the plain pedestal. He holds chakra in upper The mastaka of the vimana consists of right hand, conch in upper left hand and the lower beki , ghanta (bell shaped member) above which two hands of the deity are engaged to take out there is another beki , amalakasila, khapuri, the entrails of Hiranya Kashyapu, the demon king. kalasa, ayudha (chakra) and dhvaja. Garuda, the conventional mount of deity is installed on the right of the pedestal. A diminutive The sanctum preserves the image of female figure is noticed in the left side of the Narasimha as the presiding deity of the temple. pedestal. The deity wears a rosary which lies up Besides the presiding deity, other images of Radha-Krishna, Siva, Salagrama, Durga are also to his knees. The neck of the deity is adorned worshipped in the sanctum. All the deities are with garland of beads. installed on the simhasana of 2 feet high. The Trivikrama is the parsvadevata of the simhasana of the presiding deity is relieved with northern side. The four handed image of flower medallions, scroll works, full blown lotus Trivikrama has been installed on the plain devices, etc. The floor of the sanctum is covered pedestal. His right leg is firmly set on the pedestal with marbles. and the left uplifted leg is touching the image of The sanctum has one doorway towards Brahma. He holds chakra in upper right hand, the jagamohana. The base of the doorjamb is padma in lower right hand, conch in upper left decorated with khakhara mundis. There is a hand and gada (mace) in lower left hand painting of Vasudeva carrying child Krishna on respectively. Diminutive figures of king Bali, his head finely depicted on the middle portion of Sukracharya and Vamana are depicted beneath the doorway lintel. Paintings of Jaya and Vijaya the uplifted leg of deity. are depicted on either side of the doorway wall.

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Jagamohana Lord Krishna to return their dresses. The figure The jagamohana of the of Narasimha is painted in the ugra posture. The Narasimhanath temple is a pidha deula and its left side western inner wall is depicted with the height is about 25 feet from the surface of the paintings of Radha-Krishna yugala figures and temple complex. It is also erected on the plinth of Lakshmi-Narayan on Garuda. The southern side 3 feet high. The base of the bada is rectangular inner wall of the jagamohana is excellently and it measures approximately 35 feet in length depicted with the Dasavatara figures of Lord and 20 feet in width respectively. The bada of Vishnu. They are such as Matsya, Kurma, the jagamohana is panchanga type like the bada Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana or Trivikrama, of the vimana. All the component parts of the Parsurama, Rama, Balarama, Budhha and Kalki. bada are also devoid of decorative The Gaja-udharana scene of Lord Krishna is ornamentations. also depicted in the southern side inner wall of the jagamohana. The corner side of the western The pyramidal superstructure is inner wall is depicted with the scene of surmounted on the bada of the jagamohana. It Anantasayee Vishnu, who is surrounded by consists of three flat shaped pidhas. The centre Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Brahma figures in their of the middle pidha is projected with japasimhas respective places. These pictures are executed in in the both northern and southern sides. But the the traditional Patta-style paintings of Odisha. centre of the middle pidha of the eastern side is projected with gajakranta motif (lion on There is a Garuda pillar of 5 feet high crouchant elephant) noticed at the centre of the floor of the jagamohana. The figure of Garuda is installed in The top of the upper pidha is crowned kneeling posture on the top of the circular pillar. by a mastaka, which consists of kalasa, ayudha The jagamohana has three doorways, which are (chakra) and dhvaja. devoid of decorative ornamentations. Inner walls of the jagamohana are Natamandapa: depicted with some paintings. The right side western wall is depicted with the paintings of The natamandapa of the temple is a Mahavira Hanumana, bastraharana scene of pidha deula and its height is about 25 feet from Lord Krishna and Narasimha figure. The the surface of the temple complex. The structure Mahavira-Hanumana figure is depicted in the of the natamandapa is also erected on the plinth posture of carrying the Gandhamardana mountain. of 3 feet high. The bada wall of the natamandapa In the bastraharana scene, Krishna is depicted is panchanga type i.e. having five fold divisions in seated posture among the branches of the such as pabhaga, talajangha, bandhana, upper Kadamba tree while the Gopis in folded hands in jangha and baranda. All the elements of the bada the water (of the river Yamuna) are requesting are completely plain.

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Entrance Porch: The main entrance porch of the eastern side is a pidha order structure and its height is about 24 feet from the road level. This porch hall has usual elements of the Odishan pidha deula. The bada of the porch hall is panchanga type like the bada of vimana. All the components of the bada are plain. The pyramidal roof of the porch hall consists of five pidhas and each is decorated with tankus in all sides. The mastaka The gandi of the natamandapa is a of the porch hall consists of usual elements of the pyramidal superstructure. It consists of 5 pidhas Odishan pidha deula. and each pidha is decorated with tankus in all The doorway of the entrance porch is sides. The centre of the middle pidha is projected mostly undecorated. The navagraha figures are with a jhapasimha on each side. carved on the architrave about the doorway lintel. They are all in padmasana posture with usual The mastaka of the natamandapa attributes in hands. consists of almalakasila, kalasa, ayudha Two huge jhapasimhas are installed on (chakra) and dhvaja. the both sides of the main entrance gate. They The natamandapa has four doorways; are acting as the gatekeepers of the temple. All one on each side. All the doorways of the the structures of the temple including entrance natamandapa are devoid of decorative porch are thickly plastered with lime mortar. ornamentations. The architrave of the eastern side Date of the Temple: is carved with chakras and flower medallions. On the basis of the architectural style and There is a raised platform of 2½ feet high erected iconographic features of the sculptures, the in front of the natamandapa. construction period of the Narasimhanath temple can be tentatively assigned to the first half of the Boundary Wall: 17th century A.D. Now this temple is being The temple complex is enclosed by a managed by a Committee of that village. boundary wall of 9 feet high. It measures approximately 120 feet in length and 100 feet in width respectively. The boundary wall is entirely Dr. Ratnakar Mohapatra, D. Litt. Fellow, Utkal made of laterite. University of Culture, Unit-II, Bhubaneswar-751009.

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