Lingraj Temple, Bhubaneshwar
Introduction
Bhuvaneshwar, the present-day capital city of Odisha, has
its name derived from Tribhuvaneshwar , the lord of three worlds.
This city on the banks of Daya River, which is one of distributors of mighty
Mahanadi, is revered as city of 1000 temples.
And Lingaraj temple is the seat of Tribhuvaneshwar, the
glorious, magnificent king of temples and crown jewel of the city of Bhuvaneshwar! Situated on the banks of Bindu Sarovar, the
skyline is dominated by the 150 feet high temple pinnacle of Lingraj.
Lingraaj temple is a walled
complex of almost 50 temples in various sizes, ornamentations and orientations.
A living tradition indeed, Lingraj as name suggests is a huge Shivlinga,
circular in shape and carved in black stone. Here the Lingraj represents
Harihar, implying Shiv and Vishnu both together in one form. Temple dedicated
to Parvati is also in the same complex.
The opulence of Lingaraj temple premise is extraordinary.
Each temple is a beautiful rendition of Kalinga architectural style.
History
Odra, Pundra and Kalinga are the ancient names of Odisha. This land is also
known as Ekamra Kshetra as per Kapil Puran and Ekamra Puran.
From the known history, King Ashoka of Magadha, conquered
Kalinga in Third century BCE. The next
prominent king who rules this region is Chetraj Kharvel, a follower of Jain religion,
around the start of first millennium. Although History of further few centuries
is unclear, after 6’the century CE, string of powerful dynasties and kings like
Shailodbhav, Gaud King Shashank, Somvanshi kings also known as Kesari,
followed by Ganga rulers and Gajpati kings ruled Kalinga region until the it fell to
Islamic conquest in 16’th century CE.
Ancient texts talk about a temple of Tribhuvaneshwar built
by Gaud king Shashank who ruled parts of Bengal and Orissa in sixth century CE.
Other sources indicate that King Yayati and his son Udyot Kesari built the
Jagmohan mandap of great Lingaraj shrine. As per experts, present structure of
Lingraj temple which is the largest temple in city and the presiding deity of
the city, is dated to 11’th century. The
oldest preserved temple is Parashurameshwar temple in the vicinity, dated at
seventh century CE.
Architecture
The sub-style of
Nagar temple architecture is the ‘Kalinga Temple’ style! Lingaraj Temple is the
most spectacular, largest and most magnificent temple of Kalinga Nagar
architecture.
Situated in
Bhubaneswar and built in the 10th-11th century, this temple is about 55 meters
high. This temple shows the pinnacle of Bhubaneswar’s architecture. This temple
has halls like the Garbhagriha, the closed Sabha Mandapa, the Nritya Griha and
the Arpan Griha. In the Kalinga architectural style, all the parts of the
temple have separate names and they use their own terminology. Here, the
Garbhagriha and the upper spire are
called 'Deul'. The Sabha Mandapa is 'Jagmohan' while the Bhog Mandapa is the
Arpan Griha.
The Nritya
mandapa and the Bhoga mandapa are the
latter creations. However, all these structures are at least thousand years
old.
Nagar shikharas
are also classified according to the carvings. The shikhara of the Lingaraj
temple is carved with fine vertical lines, which looks like a creeper and is
called ‘Latin’ Nagar. The vertical sections of the carvings are called ‘Rekha’
while the horizontal sections are called ‘Baad’. The design of the temple here
is in the ‘ Pancha Ratha ‘ style. That is, carvings, idols, and various
sculptures on the wall are arranged in five vertical sections.
The upper parts
of the walls are marked with beautiful decorations of Khakhar Mundi and Pidha
Mundi. Khakhar means a structure that is round like the back of an
elephant and Pidha means a structure
that looks like a pyramid. As our gaze gradually moves upwards, looking at the
beautiful sculptures on the walls, we see this part of the canopy, which is
round like the back of an elephant and looks like a pyramid, before the
shikhara begins. The sculpture has been designed in such a way that there is no
obstacle anywhere to break the vertical line, the grandeur of the temple and
the impression of greater height.
On the vertical
strips at the corners of the wall there are figures of Ashta Dikpalas in the
Khakhar-Mundi decoration. While the Pidha-Mundi decoration has images of
various gods and goddesses. The lower half of the walls are adorned with
various beautiful paintings of Vyala and Gaj Singh. Vyala is a figure of a
composite animal while Lion attacking an elephant is called ‘Gajasimha‘.
The upper half
also has sculptures of beautiful women and heroines. The images of Ganesha,
Parvati and Kartikeya, as deities in the family of Shiva, are prominently
displayed in the decorative niches and are striking in their size and
linearity. The majestic height of the temple and its spaciousness leave an
impression of dominance over the
surrounding area. The carved vertical lines or the Rathas only add to the
effect. The central vertical band - on the two Rath on either side of the Rath,
is a decorative pattern, with four, smaller replicas of the main Shikhara. The
number of stories of the spire has increased to 10. The carvings on the corners
and the arrangement of Bhumi and the Amlasara motifs are innovative. Their sides are square and
the corners are round. The characteristic figure of a lion leaping on an
elephant sitting with its trunk raised is found on the middle Ratha.
A circular disc with vertical lines like an
‘amla’ is seen on the top. It is called
‘Amalak’. In Kalinga architecture, it is called ‘Amalsar’. There is a slightly
recessed part on the top of the kalsa before placing this amla-like stone. It
is called Skandha, which means shoulder. Here, lion and chaurbhuja icons of gods and goddesses have
been placed. Their placement on the skandha to support the wide, heavy Amalsara
stone on top indicates the innovative creativity of the artists. Both the
objectives of supporting the heavy structure and enhancing the architectural
beauty have been achieved.
The vast size and beautiful decorative design
of the 29-meter-high pavilion - Jagmohana - is comparable to that of the
Garbhagriha. The ornate facade panels on the roof feature infantry, cavalry,
procession of elephants and some other scenes, and they are divided into two
groups. Each of these groups has semicircular windows resembling 'Bho', i.e. a
horseshoe. Lions are depicted in them.
Considering the magnificent appearance of the
spire and the architectural features and neat construction that give it such a
grand appearance, this temple holds an important place in the field of Indian
architecture.
The festivals
celebrated here are an attraction for
devotees. We find mention of special festivals filled with faith and enthusiasm
and their description being directly narrated by Lord Shiva in the
scripture Ekamra Purana. This thirteenth
century Purana is a complete document that provides us with information about
Lingaraj.
एकाम्रवृक्षः तत्र आसीत् पुरा कल्पे
द्विजोत्तमः।नाम्ना तस्यैव तत् क्षेत्रं एकाम्रं इति श्रुतम् ।।६१.२
वितनोति स्वयंभूति भूर्भुवस्वः
प्रकाशित।लिड्गमूर्ति स्वयं भूत्वा भुवनानि चतुर्दशा।।६१.३
एकाम्रविपिने विप्राः लिंड्गं साक्षात् सनातनम्
नैवेद्यं यस्य वाञ्छति शक्राद्यास्रिदिवौकसः।। 13.33
तस्य श्रीलिंड्गराजस्य ध्वजारोपणमुत्तमम् ।
यः करोति नरःश्रेष्ठः स शिवत्वं च गच्छति।। 13.37
Lingaraj Temple,
its architectural style, festival and worship traditions, and its place in the
overall cultural life are unparalleled.
The Lingaraj Temple ,
where the influence of Vishnu's devotion is felt in the Shiva temple! It is
because of the 12th century Ganga kings'
dynasty, who respected both the Gods Shiva and Vishnu at the same time!
Therefore, during the festive season, Shiva is also
worshipped with Tulsi flowers. The festivals celebrated in the temple at
Jagannathpuri are also celebrated in the Lingaraj temple, and devotees get to
experience the worship of the same consciousness manifested in two different
forms.
Description of the
Festivals as per Ekamra Puran-
पौर्णिमास्याममावास्या द्वादश्या हरिवासरे।
चतुर्दश्या च संक्रान्त्या छायायात्रा समाचरेत्
।।६५.४
मार्गशीर्षे शुभे मासे आदौ च प्रथमाष्टमी ।
तत्रैक मासे षष्ट्या तु मम प्रावरणोत्सवम्
।।६५.२३
स्नपन पुष्य पौर्णिम्यां तथा वन्दापना नृप।
ततो मकरसंक्रांतौ मल्लिड्गो घृतकम्बलम् ।।६५.२४
यात्रा मे माघ सप्तम्यां भास्करेश्वर सन्निधौ।
माघ कृष्णचतुर्दश्यांशिवरात्रिव्रत मम।।६५.२५
आषाढ शुक्लाष्ट्म्या तु पर्शुर्रामस्य सन्निधौ
नय मां तत्र यत्नेन शिबिकास्थ त्रिलोचनम् ।।६५.२६
Mahashivratri
Mahashivratri is a
major festival here. On this day, Shiva is worshipped with Bilva patra that is
a bael leaf. In the evening, a large lamp is lit in the courtyard during aarti.
Devotees enjoy the festival all night long to the sound of Bam Bam Bhole.
On the day of the
festival, the daily routine of the deity is seen to be arranged in a special
manner in the Lingaraj Temple. Various treatments like Dwarpeeth, Mangalarati,
Avkash, Mahasnan, Vesha, Surya Puja, Dwarpal Puja, Sakal Dhup, Bhog,
Birakeshari Bhog, Deepgrih Dhup, Pahuda, Sandhya Dhup, Bada Shringar, and
Shayan are offered to Shiva. During the festival, costumes in the form of Jogi,
Chandrashekhar, and Damodar are offered to Shiva.
Suniyan
The feudal and
zamindari system was prevalent in all these regions. At that time, rent was
collected for land and water.Even today, descendants of the landlords' families
perform special pujas at the Jagannath Temple and Lingaraj Temple to
commemorate this custom. This puja is organized on the day of Vaman Jayanti.
The new year of wealthy families begins on this day. This is called Suniyan.
The eighth day of
Chaitra Shukla is called Prathamashtami. On this day, the movable idol of
Chandrashekhar, the idol that comes out of the temple during the festival, is
taken in a palanquin to bathe in the Papanasini Kunda. After that, a special
Mahanaivedya is shown to the God.
Rath Yatra
Apart from this, the
Rath Yatra, a specialty of Orissa, can also be seen here. This procession is
called Rukuna Rath Yatra in which devotees pull the chariot.
Chandan Yatra
The Chandan Yatra
festival, which begins on Akshaya Tritiya, is a treatment to cool the deity
during the summer. This festival continues for 22 days. During this period, it
is a practice to bring the idol of Shiva
for sailing in a boat at the Bindusara lake to get
coolness. The temple servants also bathe in the lake during this period.
Shayan Chaturdashi and Uthapan Chaturdashi
Just as we consider
Vishnu's Chaturmasya sleep, Shiva's spiritual
sleep also seems to be prevalent in this region. The fourteenth day of
Ashadh is called Shayan Chaturdashi because on that day Lord Shiva goes to
sleep. The fourteenth day of Kartik is
called Uthapan Chaturdashi because on that day Shiva wakes up from sleep.
Guru Panchami
On the day of Guru
Panchami, the marriage ceremony ( Vivah
Samskar) of Shiva-Parvati is celebrated in the Rameshwaram temple. Devotees are
present for this purpose. After the marriage is completed, Shiva-Parvati
returns to the original temple on the day of Sheetlashti. Shiva's presence is
incomplete without the companionship of Shakti!
Pravarana Shashti
Margashirsha Shashti
is called Pravarana Shashti. On this day, new woolen warm clothes are offered
to Shiva, and special worship is performed with flowers.
Handi Bhang Jatra
Handi Bhang Jatra is a slightly different festival in which
Lord Lingaraj goes to the Kapilnath temple with his family deities. The
practice is that devotees cook in new earthen pots on that day in the temple
premises, offer offerings and then break the new pots.
* In this temple, which is full of festivals and
pilgrimages, special days like Pavitraropana and Yama Dvitiya are also celebrated with enthusiasm.
After reading all this, you will definitely feel as if you
are enjoying these festivals in person!
Legends and Anecdotes
- 14 Festivals are celebrated in Lingaraj temple complex annually
- Rameshwar Temple Bhubaneswar also known as the #MausiMaa temple of Lingaraj (aunt of god Lingraj), built in 9th century, located 2 km away from Lingaraj shrine. Bhagvan Lingraj visits this temple during Rukuna Rathyatra, one day before Ram Navami
Epilogue
Lingraj temple at Bhubaneshwar along with Shri Jagannath
Temple at Puri and Surya Narayan Temple at Konark are the three tallest pillars
of Kalinga architecture, Utkal Art and centuries old living tradition of
Sanatan devotion .
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