International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 3, (2020), pp. 11466 - 11477 ` Kalinga Style Temple Art And Architecture Of Two Shaiva Temples Of The Coastal Belt Of Odisha In Eastern India Dr. Ratnakar Mohapatra1 and Baikuntha Majhi2 1. Assistant Professor, Department of History, KISS, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, PIN-751024, Odisha, India Emil: [email protected] Mobile No.+91 9938197334 2. NFST M.Phil. Scholar, Department of Tribal Culture, Philosophy and Eco-Spiritualism, KISS, Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, PIN-751024, Odisha, India E.Mail: [email protected] Mobile No. 9178728734 Abstract The temple of Hara-Ganeshvara is an important Shaiva shrine of the Praci Valley in the coastal belt of Odisha. It is located at the village Raisa in the Kakatpur Block of the Puri district of Odisha in Eastern India. The artistic technique and architectural features of the Hara-Ganeshvara temple of Raisa and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili of the coastal-belt of Odisha are the main aspects of the Kalinga style temple architecture of Eastern India. In fact, a few Shaiva temples of the coastal- belt of Odisha are very important considering their artistic techniques and religious significance. The earlier art historians had not dealt with the Hara-Ganeshvara temple of Raisa and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili in detail, for which, these two temples have been taken here for the scholarly work. The aim of the present article is to focus on artistic techniques and architectural features along with the religious significance of the Hara-Ganeshvara temple of Raisa and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili of the coastal-belt of Odisha in Eastern India. Methodologically, both the primary and secondary sources have been used for the writing of this article. Keywords: Kalinga, art and architecture, Hara-Ganeshvara, temple, coastal-belt, Odisha, Eastern India. I. INTRODUCTION The majority of Shaiva temples are noticed in different parts of the coastal-belt of Odisha in Eastern India. The region of coastal-belt of Odisha is well-known for its Kalinga style of temples in Eastern India. The Prachi valley is the chief centre of Shaivism in the coastal-belt of Odisha in Eastern India. It lies between the Devi river and the Kushabhadra river in the coastal-belt of Odisha. Prachi is an ancient river, which is regarded as most sacred by the people of Odisha (Das, 1958, p.5). Shaivism was the dominant religion in the coastal-belt of Odisha from the 7th century onwards and reached the peak of its glory during the Somavamsi period in the 10th-11th century A.D. In fact, Odisha is famous for its large numbers of Shiva temples for the purpose of worship. Each and every village of ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSC 11466 International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 3, (2020), pp. 11466 - 11477 ` the coastal belt of Odisha preserves a Shiva temple either at the centre or end of the village. Among all the extant Shaiva temples of the coastal belt of Odisha , Hara-Ganeshvara temple and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili have been taken here for the subject of discussion. Indian Shilpashastras recognize 3 major styles of temples such as Nagara, Dravida and Veshara (Ishana Shiva Gurudeva Paddhati and other Texts). Odishan temples architecture is suitably named as Kalinga Style after its ancient name ‘Kalinga’. In this connection, the Amruteshvara temple inscription of Holala of Karnataka records that the Kalinga style of temples is existed with other three major styles viz. Nagara, Dravida and Veshara as fourth category temple style of India (M. E. Report, 1914-15, p.90 and Kramisch, 1946, pp.286-295). In Odishan temple architecture, each temple type / order and its individual part has been given a distinctive name (Mohapatra, 1982, p.14). All the extant temples of coastal belt of Odisha including the Hara-Ganeshvara temple of Raisa possess the Kalinga style of temple architecture, which is an offshoot of the Nagara Style temple architecture of central India. Bhuban Pradipa, a treatise on temple architecture records that the Kalinga Style of temple architecture of Odisha is divided into four types such as rekha, pidha (bhadra), khakhara and Gauriya (Bose, 1932, p.78 and Mohapatra, 1982,p.14). All the extant Saiva temples including the Hara-Ganeshvara of Raisa in the coastal belt of Odisha represent both the rekha and pidha types of the Kalinga Style temple architecture of Odisha. The temples of Odisha form a class by themselves and these Hindu monuments can be conveniently labelled as “Kalinga style” (Behera, 1993, p.1). The Hara-Ganeshvara Shiva temple of Raisa and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili represent the Kalinga style temple architecture of Odisha. It is known from the practical field study that the earlier dilapidated Hara-Ganeshvara temple and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili have been repaired in the 20th century. These temples have not been dealt by the earlier art historians in detail as yet. Hence, a modest attempt has been made in this article to highlight the detailed art and architecture along with the religious significance of the temple of Hara-Ganeshvara of Raisa and Grameshvara temple of Ghodatikili of the Coastal belt of Odisha in Eastern India. II. METHODOLOGY Both the primary and secondary sources have been utilized in the writing of this article. The primary data have been collected through, Texts, unpublished thesis, the practical observation, public opinions, hearsay accounts and interview methods during the period of experimental field survey. The collected data with regard to the art, architecture and religious significance of the Hara Ganeshvara temple of the coastal-belt of Odisha is mainly based on practical observations. The secondary data are Books, Journals, Periodicals, Manuscripts, Antiquities, Records, Reports, etc. The data collected from both the primary and secondary sources are analytically examined and discussed in the present article. III. DISCUSSION AND RESULT ANALYSIS 3.1. Hara-Ganeshvara Temple of Raisa in Odisha ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSC 11467 International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 3, (2020), pp. 11466 - 11477 ` A good number of Shaiva temples are found in various sites of the coastal-belt of Odisha in Eastern India. The temple of Hara-Ganeshvara is one of the Shaiva shrines of the coastal belt of Odisha in Eastern India. It is located at Raisa in the Kakatpur Block of the Puri district. This temple is situated about 5 kms from Kakatpur and 3 Kms from the river Praci. It is completely a renovated temple of that area. The local people say that the temple has been renovated in 1930’s by the effort of the villagers (Mohapatra,2017, p.240). The renovation work of the temple complex was also being carried on at the time of survey conducted by the present author. Although the temple is dedicated to Lord Hara-Ganeshvara Shiva still its complex also preserves some minor shrines of the different gods and goddesses of Hinduism of the modern period. A few unidentified old eroded images are also found preserved in the temple premise. In fact, the site of the temple is a coordinating place of Vashnavism, Shaktism, Shaivism, Saura, etc. So, the Hara-Ganeshvara temple is very popular in that locality considering its religious significance. The temple of Hara- Ganeshvara comprises of vimana, jagamohana and natamandapa. It is built in laterite blocks, sand stones and bricks. This temple faces to east. The vimana of the temple is a saptaratha ( Donldson, Vol.3, 1985/86, p. 1187) pidha deula and its height is about 30 feet from the surface of the temple complex (Mohapatra, 2017, p.241). It has four fold vertical parts such as pista, bada, gandi and mastaka. The pista is about 1 foot high and it is devoid of decorative elements. The bada is panchanga type i.e. having five component parts such as pabhaga, tala jangha, bandhana, upper jangha and baranda (Behera, 1993, p.4). The base of the bada measures 19 feet 10 inches in the eastern and western sides and 17 feet 10 inches in the northern and southern sides respectively. All the component parts of the bada are devoid of decorative elements. The two sides central niches of the bada of vimana are accommodated with the parshvadevatas of Ganesha and Kartikeya. The northern side central niche is remained blank. Ganesha is the southern side parshvadevata of the temple. The image of Ganesha is engraved in standing pose on the podium. The image Ganesha is made of soft sand stone and it is eroded by nature. The attributes in hands are not clearly visible. Mouse is found on the right of the pedestal. The slab of deity is partly damaged and it measures 7 x 12 inches (Mohapatra, 2017, p.241). Besides the original image of Ganesha, there is an additional figure of Ganesha made of modern cement also found housed in the pidha mundi niche of the southern side. The image Ganesha is about 4 feet in height. He holds pasha, broken tusk, gada and a stalk of the lotus bud in his four hands. Mouse, the mount of deity is depicted at the right of the pedestal. The deity Ganesha is accommodated in the nisha-shrine of the pidha order. Kartikeya is the western side parshvadevata of the temple. There is no original stone image of Kartikeya in the central niche of the western side. Recently, an image of ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST Copyright ⓒ 2020 SERSC 11468 International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 3, (2020), pp. 11466 - 11477 ` Kartikeya made of modern cement is relieved in the central niche of the western side.