Mangalesvara Shiva Temple is located at Latitude 20◦ 14’ 38 N and at Longitude 85◦ 50’ 38’ E. This Shiva temple is located in the precincts of the famed Papanasini tank and on the southern embankment of the tank. Bhubaneshwar is essentially a famed place for tanks and temples and the Papanasini tank is a huge tank constructed in 11th century. It is protected as a heritage site by the archaeological survey of India.
The temple faces east and the enshrined deity should have been a linga within a circular yonipitha (In Hindu philosophy, according to Tantra, yoni is the origin of life. The yoni is also considered to be an abstract representation of Shakti and Devi, the creative force that moves through the entire universe). But unfortunately vandalism has taken toll and the lingam is missing. Due to the numerous changes conducted by the Bhubaneshwar municipality the level of the road has increased in height as a result the temple is 1.60 metres below the present road level. The temple is used for various cultural functions like Sankranti, Sivaratri and Jalabhiseka.
Architectural features of the temple:-It is a Precinct and the typology is rekha and pidha. It is surrounded by the Papanasini tank to the north, a compound wall of Papnasini tank to the west and south while the temple faces east.
the temple has the following features:
A square vimana measuring 3.30 square metres and a square jagamohana measuring 4.50 square metres.
The temple has a bada gandi (the rear portion of the temple) and a mastaka (the top portion of the temple). At the bottom the pabhaga (the foot of the temple) has five base mouldings of khura, kumbha, pata, kani and basanta (the five vertical bands in each divisional layer of the temple)
The gandi of the vimana has a central raha or a central hall and pairs of anuratha (curvilinear pilaster like structures) and kanika pagas on either sides of the raha.
The pabhaga has five base mouldings of khura, kumbha, pata, kani and basanta with a talajangha, a bandhana, a upara jangha and a baranda.
The vimana has a curvilinear spire, while the jagamohana that has a pyramidal gandi has two potalas separated by a recess kanthi. The lower potala has three tiers where as the upper potalahas two tiers. There are two balustrared windows in the bada of northern and southern walls of jagamohana.
Raha niche & parsva devatas: The parsvadevata niches are located on the raha paga of the talajangha on the three sides of north, west and south measure 0.60 metres in height x 0.30 metres in width x 0.15 metres in depth. All are empty.
Decorative features of the temple that need to be mentioned here are:
Though the doorjambs of the sanctum are three plain vertical bands the base of the doorjambs has dvarapala niches (the small alcoves meant to hold deities) with pidhamundis holding tridents. At the front of the sanctum or the lalatabimba as it is called, there is a deity of Laxmi in Padmasana holding lotus in her both hands.
The doorjamb of the Jagamohana has three plain vertical bands in each side and at the base of the doorjamb there are Saivite dvarapalas. The dvarapalas hold tridents in their left hand and their right hand is in varada mudra.
Lintel: The architrave above the doorjambs are carved with navagraha panel in which the navagraha Ravi is holding a lotus in his hands, while Rahu is holding bow or half moon in his both hands and Ketu is detailed with a serpent tail.
The temple faces east and the enshrined deity should have been a linga within a circular yonipitha (In Hindu philosophy, according to Tantra, yoni is the origin of life. The yoni is also considered to be an abstract representation of Shakti and Devi, the creative force that moves through the entire universe). But unfortunately vandalism has taken toll and the lingam is missing. Due to the numerous changes conducted by the Bhubaneshwar municipality the level of the road has increased in height as a result the temple is 1.60 metres below the present road level. The temple is used for various cultural functions like Sankranti, Sivaratri and Jalabhiseka.
Architectural features of the temple:-It is a Precinct and the typology is rekha and pidha. It is surrounded by the Papanasini tank to the north, a compound wall of Papnasini tank to the west and south while the temple faces east.
the temple has the following features:
A square vimana measuring 3.30 square metres and a square jagamohana measuring 4.50 square metres.
The temple has a bada gandi (the rear portion of the temple) and a mastaka (the top portion of the temple). At the bottom the pabhaga (the foot of the temple) has five base mouldings of khura, kumbha, pata, kani and basanta (the five vertical bands in each divisional layer of the temple)
The gandi of the vimana has a central raha or a central hall and pairs of anuratha (curvilinear pilaster like structures) and kanika pagas on either sides of the raha.
The pabhaga has five base mouldings of khura, kumbha, pata, kani and basanta with a talajangha, a bandhana, a upara jangha and a baranda.
The vimana has a curvilinear spire, while the jagamohana that has a pyramidal gandi has two potalas separated by a recess kanthi. The lower potala has three tiers where as the upper potalahas two tiers. There are two balustrared windows in the bada of northern and southern walls of jagamohana.
Raha niche & parsva devatas: The parsvadevata niches are located on the raha paga of the talajangha on the three sides of north, west and south measure 0.60 metres in height x 0.30 metres in width x 0.15 metres in depth. All are empty.
Decorative features of the temple that need to be mentioned here are:
Though the doorjambs of the sanctum are three plain vertical bands the base of the doorjambs has dvarapala niches (the small alcoves meant to hold deities) with pidhamundis holding tridents. At the front of the sanctum or the lalatabimba as it is called, there is a deity of Laxmi in Padmasana holding lotus in her both hands.
The doorjamb of the Jagamohana has three plain vertical bands in each side and at the base of the doorjamb there are Saivite dvarapalas. The dvarapalas hold tridents in their left hand and their right hand is in varada mudra.
Lintel: The architrave above the doorjambs are carved with navagraha panel in which the navagraha Ravi is holding a lotus in his hands, while Rahu is holding bow or half moon in his both hands and Ketu is detailed with a serpent tail.
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