Study on Architecture of Two Minor Hindu Temples of the Puri District of Odisha in India

Authors

  • Ratnakar Mohapatra

Abstract

Puri is not only famous as a holy place of India but its surrounding is also treated as grand and splendid in the whole of world due to the existence of Hindu monuments. The earlier art historians had documented the art and architecture of some notable Hindu temples of Odisha, but some minor Hindu temples of the Puri district have not been dealt by them in their scholarly works in detail. Among the extant Hindu temples of Puri district, two temples have been taken here for the scholarly discussion. These two Hindu temples are such as 1. Narasimhanath temple of Nuasasana and 2. Kosalesvara temple of Badakanjia. These two Hindu temples are the representative of the Kalinga style architecture of Odisha. Old sculptures of the medieval period are also found noticed in these temples and these were made by the artists of the Kalingan school of art. The artistic features and architectural outline of the Hindu temples of Puri district are the vital parts of the temple art of Odisha in India. Vaishnavism might have existed in Odisha from the early medieval period of Indian history. Really, Vaishnavism had deeply influenced the religious life of the people of the coastal belt of Odisha. Narasimhanath temple of Nuasasana was possibly built in the late medieval period. The architectural pattern of Kosalesvara temple of Badakanjia indicates that the temple belongs to the Ganga period of Odishan history. These two Hindu temples represent the Kalinga style architecture of Odisha in Eastern India. The aim of this article is to bring to light the detailed architectural features along with the religious significance of two Hindu temples of the Puri district of Odisha in India. Methodologically, both the primary and secondary sources are examined and utilized in this article.

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Published

2019-11-22

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Articles