“To the artist or the architect the group of caves situated on the Udayagiri hills in Orissa is perhaps even more interesting than those in Behar just described, but to the archaeologist they are less so, from the difficulty of…
Author: Saurabh Saxena
Udayagiri Complex – Cave 1: Rani-Gumpha
Cave 1: Rani-gumpha This is the largest and the finest cave in the complex. Facing west and built in two storeys, around three sides of a quadrangle, it is lavishly decorated with sculptures, friezes and motifs. The pillared hall of…
Markandesvara Temple
Markandesvara Temple is one of the earliest temples of Bhauma-Kara period. A main feature observed in the temples of this period is their jagamohana was designed coevally with deul which is evident from the joining between the two. This joining…
Early Bhauma-Kara Period Temples
The temples described and illustrated in this article are dated in the late Shailodbhava or early Bhauma-Kara period, corresponding to late seventh century CE and early eighth century CE. This period of Odisha history is very obscure as it is…
Parasuramesvara Temple – A Gem of Odishan Architecture
Parasuramesvara Temple is the most distinguished temple among the early monuments of Odisha. It has survived in its full glory and is consisted of a deul (vimana) and jagamohana (mandapa). The temple was thoroughly repaired by PWD in 19031. The…
Svarna-Jaleswara Temple
Svarna-Jaleswar temple is one among the earliest temples of Orissa. The temple was in complete dilapidated state and restored by the Department of Archaeology1. Where all other early temples, the Shatrughneswara group & Parasurameswara temple, face west, Svarna Jaleswara faces…
Shatrughneswara Group of Temples
This group represents the earliest extant temples in Bhubaneswar. The antiquity of the area is also attested by a bell-capital assignable to the Maurya period. As the oldest site in the town, its sanctity is still celebrated, and lord Lingaraja…
Nagamangala – With Serpent’s Blessings
Introduction – Nagamangala is situated in Mandya district of Karnataka. Its earlier name was Phani-pura (city of snakes) which later got changed to Nagamangala, blessed with serpents1. However, in the inscriptions, the place is referred as Vira-Ballala-chaturvedi-bhattaratnakara, the name adopted…
Kambadahalli – The Pillar, the Namesake
Introduction – Kambadahalli is a village situated in Mandya district of Karnataka. It is a medium size village with population of around 900 as per the 2011 census. The village was named after the famous Mana-stambha pillar standing near its…
Padhavali – Where Gods Come to Play
Introduction – This otherwise nondescript village is famous for its only surviving architectural marvel, a Shiva temple fortified inside a fortress, locally known as Garhi. The old name of the village seems to be Dharon1. As per a legend, it…