Brahmeswara Temple (Bhubaneswar)
The Brahmeswara Temple in the east Indian city of Bhubaneswar in the state of Odisha is one of the most important historical buildings in the country. It stands about 1500 m east of the Lingaraja temple in the area of the old town of Bhubaneswar. He is consecrated to the Hindu god Shiva as Brahmeshwara, "Lord Brahmas ".
history
According to a - no longer preserved - inscription, the temple was built in the 18th year of the reign of King Udyotakesari from the Somavamsi dynasty by his mother Kolavati Devi , which corresponds to the year 1058. The temple has hardly changed over the course of its almost thousand years of existence and thus almost offers an ideal image of a temple in the style of the region around Bhubaneswar.
architecture
The main temple, which consists of two components ( cella and assembly hall) and is oriented in an east-west direction, is accompanied by four smaller shrines, resulting in a panchayatana scheme. It does not stand on a raised platform ( jagati ), but on a base substructure within a walled, level area. The most striking external feature is the over 18 m high tower structure ( rekha-deul ) with an almost floating-looking end consisting of an Amalaka ring stone and a Kalasha vase above the cella ( garbhagriha ), inside which a stone lingam is located in the center of a yoni - Stone slab is located; in the assembly hall ( jagamohana ) in front of it a Nandi bull rests on a pedestal. The roof structure of the main temple is repeated in a reduced form on the four accompanying shrines, the entrances of which face west or east.
sculpture
Similar to the Lingaraja Temple about 40 years later , the Brahmeswara Temple is richly decorated with sculptures inside and out, but neither in number nor in their artistic quality and expressiveness can match those of Khajuraho . The gajalakshmi motif , which is so popular in India, is located in the lintel . On the outer walls there are Brahma , Ardhanarishvara , Parvati , Chamunda , Ganesha , a Vina playing Shiva and various accompanying figures ( dikpalas , nayikas , mithunas, etc.). Ornamental decor is also abundant and gives the building an overall representative character.
literature
- Debala Mitra: Bhubaneswar. Archaeological Survey of India , New Delhi 1984
- TE Donaldson: Hindu Temple Art of Orissa. Volume 1, Leiden 1985
Web links
- Brahmeswara Temple - Photo + Info (English)
- Brahmeswara Temple - floor plan, section + information
- Brahmeswara temple, sculptures - photos
Coordinates: 20 ° 14 ′ 23 ″ N , 85 ° 51 ′ 6 ″ E