Brahmani temple is a Hindu and Buddhist temple located in Avana, Baleswar, Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 built in the 10th – 11th centuries A.D. It is a living temple and the presiding deity is an eight armed three faced Chamunda

Chamunda

Chamunda , also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas . She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga...

 image. It is a protected monument of Orissa State Archaeology.

Location

It is located on the left bank of the river Son and is about 6 km north of Ajodhya. It is also 21 km from the Baleswar town, Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

.

Construction

It is a pidha temple followed by a flat roofed open mandapa. The presiding deity of the temple is an eight armed Chamunda

Chamunda

Chamunda , also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas . She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga...

 image and iconographically it can be dated to the 10th – 11th centuries A.D. The temple is a modern one but it houses a few important specimen of Buddhist and Saviate sculptures, datable to the 10th – 11th centuries A.D.

Quantification

• Area Dimension ( L x B x H) : 4.20 m x 4.00 m x 6.50 m
• Number of Blocks : Two, vimana followed by a mandapa

Spatial Organization

• Orientation : Facing towards west
• Plan : The vimana is square on plan whereas mandapa is rectangular on plan
• Allocation of Spaces : 10 mtrs x 4.50 mtrs in length and width respectively

Ornamentation

• Exteriors : Plain
• Interiors : Plain
• Movable Collections : Four armed Avaloketesvara, eight armed and three faced Chamunda
  Chamunda
  Chamunda , also known as Chamundi, Chamundeshwari and Charchika, is a fearsome aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother and one of the seven Matrikas . She is also one of the chief Yoginis, a group of sixty-four or eighty-one Tantric goddesses, who are attendants of the warrior goddess Durga...
  
  .
• It is a recently built shrine but have pancharatha on plan and panchanga bada in elevation.

Construction Technology

• Structural System : It has a pidha vimana fronted by a flat jagamohana. The vimana is pancharata on plan and panchaga bada in elevation.
• Building Techniques : Ashlar Masonry
• Material of Construction : Laterite used for the temple but the images are made of chlorite stone.

Vermilion and oil is regularly applied over the images by the priest, which may be harmful for the stone carvings in long run.

Reference

• Sahoo. Ashis Ranjan, Pradhan. Dr. S. Report on Bramhani Temple. Indira Gandhi National Centre For The Arts
• R. P. Mohapatra, 1986, Archaeology in Orissa, Vol. II, New Delhi

External links

• Various images of Brahmani temple