TEMPLE OF ORISSA Bishnu Prasad Panda* ABSTRACT The fundamental purpose of the building art of India is to represent the concrete form of religious consciousness of the people. The highest achievement of Indian architecture is seen in the temple. In the temple of India the ritual dominates the material. The temples of Odisha is known as Kalinga style of architecture. Architectonically, the temple of Odisha resolves themselves into three broad orders known to local terminology as Rekha, Pidha and Khakara. The builders of the temples of Odisha are several canonical texts to guide them in planning and execution of a temple. Key words: Indian architecture, Greek architecture, Kalinga style of architecture, Nagara, Veesara, Dravida, Mastaka, rekha, Pidha, Khakara, Sikhara, Jagamohana, Jangha, Sandstone. INTRODCTION Architecture has played the most important role in the socio-religious life of mankind from time immemorial. In each of the major historical development of architecture, there is one basic principle underlying its conception, which is supremely distinctive. For example, Greek architecture is famous for its defined perfection, Roman buildings are famous for their scientific construction, and Frech Gothic reveals a condition of passionate energy, while Italian renaissance reflects the Scholarship of its time. Similarly, Indian architecture attracts the attention of the whole world due to it extra outstanding quality. The fundamental purpose of the building art of India is to represent the concrete form of the prevailing religious consciousness of the people. Of the different expressions of India architecture, the highest achievement is seen in the temples. Its majestic height and dignified proportion, varied forms of exquisite wealth of varying has made the Indian temples ranking height among the outstanding productions of world architecture. The India temples were designed for congregation worship. They are considered as the most sacred monument and an object for devotion in itself. In the language of common people Indian temple are a ‘dwelling place of Gods”. Besides the presiding deity, the temples are * Professor, Department of History, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Orissa. 2 Bishnu Prasad Panda provided with numerous niches, recesses, alcoves and altars, all of them contain sacred images of the presiding deity. This makes the whole structure into a place of assembly of the Devas or Gods. From this, it becomes clear that in India temple architecture, religious, philosophical and metaphysical qualities dominated the artistic character, in other words, it is the Indian temples where the spiritual dominates the material. The temples of Orissa which is known as Kalinga style of temple architecture in Indian context received a special attention by scholars in this article we have made a humble attempt to focus on architecture of temples of Orissa in detail and also discuss in brief the motives behind the decorative motifs of temple of Orissa. However, the Indian Silpashastras grouped the India temples under three categories according to their style. They are the Nagara, the Dravida, and the Vesara (Saraswati, 1989). The text also agree that different style came to exist due to the regional development in architecture whereas some texts also mention that all types may be found in all regions (Ibid.). According to Silpashastras, Nagara style was present in the region, between, Himalayas and Vindhyas; the Dravida style confined to the region lying between river Krishna and Kanyakumari and the Vesara style to the region between the Vendhyas and river Krishna (Ibid.). The Nagara type of temple is characterized by horizontal tiers in exterior and a circular plan of the sanctuary (Vimana). The pointed surmounting portion is known as sikkhara. The essential plan includes an inner chamber (garbhagriha) for the divine image, a mandapa or a pavilion for the assembly of devotees, and the anatarala of a vestibule connecting the vimana and the mandapa and the paradakshina patha or the circumnutating passage round the sanctuary. The Dravida type of temple has a polygonal and often octagonal Sikhara and pyramidal vimana or sanctuary. This type of temple has a polygonal and often octagonal sikkhara and pyramidal vimana or sanctuary. This type of temple is notable for its towering gopurams or gate towers. And the Vesara temple has the apsidal type of vimana. According to the silpashastras, the geographical extent of the Nagara style coincided with northern India i.e. the region between Himalayas and Vindhyas. But actually, the style transcends the canonical limit far to the South. The Nagara style of temples can be seen from Himalayas in the North to Bijapur District in the South, from Punjab in the West to Bengal in the east (Ibid.: 534). with such a vast geographical extend naturally occur local variations and ramification. Of all regional development of style, the Orissan temples were erected in India, for which S.K.Saraswati has truly observed “there are perhaps more temples now in Orissa than in all the rest of Hindustan put together” (Ibid.: 535.). The Orissan temple are “one of the most compact and homogeneous architectural group in India (Fergusson, 1910). Like the temple of other regions of India, there occurred elaborations and modifications in case of Orissan temple. The innumerable temples now exist in Orissa, which enable one to study their evolution as they have maintained continuity and gradual architectural evolution. It become possible because of certain reasons (Panigrahy, 1981). Firstly, the Muslim rule in India started in the last part of 12th Century A.D., but Orissa continued to be Hindu kingdom up to 1568 A.D. In the same year, it was occupied by the Muslims. Orissa thus gained a period about 375 year to continue her temple- building activities without any disturbance. Vol. 1, No. 1, January 2016 Temple of Orissa 3 Secondly, Orissa came under Muslims in 1568 A.D. and that too for a short period i.e., from 1568 A.D. to 1751 A.D. and in this period no large scale destruction could be made by the Muslims to the Hindu monument of Orissa. Thirdly, from 6th Century A.D., to 13th A.D., Orissa was ruled by different dynasties. Each of them patronized the temple building activities not making any interference. Resultantly number of temples began to enhance. All these reasons become responsible for the survival of enormous ancient monuments in this eastern part of India. And the most important characteristics of Orissan temple architecture is that in spite of passing through unbroken architectural processes it remained nearest to the original archetype. But its distinct features create an impression as if it is a different group of temples, which is evident from an inscription on the capital of a pillar in the Mukhamandapa of Amartesvara temple at Holal dated 1235 A.D., mentioned Kalinga type along with Nagara, Dravida and Vesara as one of the four categories of the temples in India (Das, 1994). The architectural journey culminated with the Sun Temple at Konark, one of the architectural wonders of the world is worthy of observation and discussion. ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF ORISSA TEMPLES Architectonically, the temple of Orissa resolves themselves into three broad orders, known to local terminology as rekha, pidha, and khakhara. In a typical Orissan temple the first two i.e, rekha and pidha go almost side by side and form for the glimpse of deity and ritual worship, the pidha deula is meant for congregations, where the visitor may wait, meditate, or read. Two more pidha deulas were added in the fully developed form, known as natamandira (festive hall) and bhogamandapa (hall of offering). The khakhara order is coffined with mother Goddess and Shakti cult. However, the builders of temples of Orissa are several canonical texts to guide them in planning and execution of a temple. Some of these texts which have come to limelight are Bhubanapradipa, bhuvanapravesa, silpipothi, sipasastra, sudhikagama, Vastu sutra upanisad, Silpa Ratna Kosa, silpa Sasrini, Baya Chakada, Silpa prakasa, Deula-mapagunagara etc. Indicating the standard achieved by our ancestors in the field of temple architecture. Without these silpasastras, it would have been impossible to encore the standardization in the temple architecture. The different sections of each part are known by a particular name. These names indicate the different architectural features of a temple. As the first Orissa temple appeared in a fully form, there is on opportunity to trace the origin of the sikhara type of temple in Orissa. Hence, it is very difficult to explain whether the temples were constructed first, then the silpasatra were written, or silpasastras were written first then the temples were constructed. The study is totally based on the temples in situ. An attempt has been made in this study to discuss temple architecture of Orissa as referred in Orissa silpasastras. As such, the study encompasses, in its scope, a study of number of temple architecture as evinced from the Orissan from the temple culture, with special emphasis on their unique and varied architectural peculiarities. Not only the evolution temple architecture, but also the peculiarities of decorative motifs, technique of construction of the temples and their lineage gave been discussed. Global Journal of Indian History and Culture 4 Bishnu Prasad Panda Rekha Deula The rekha style is represented by the main temple called vimana in which enshrines the deity in the sanctum. Surmounting the curvilinear spire combinely is known as redha deula also known as badadeula. The body of all the Orissan temples can be divided into the vertical axis into four principal parts, namely the pista or the pedestal, the bada or the wall, the gandi or the body and the mastaka or the crown. The temple symbolically compared with body of a man or purusha with such parts. Pista The pista does not form an essential part of the temple proper.