Sanisvara Siva Temple is located in the Gosagaresvara precinct. It is situated south of Paradaresvara Siva temple

Paradaresvara Siva Temple

Paradaresvara Siva TempleParadaresvara Siva Temple is a 13th century AD temple in Bhubaneswar in the state of Orissa, India. The time period of its construction is estimated from its architectural features and it suggests that the temple must belong to the ganga period...

 at a distance of 4.00 metres. The enshrined deity is a circular yoni pitha at the center of sanctum. The Sanctum measures 1.00 square metres. The temple is facing towards east. It is a living temple.

According to the local legend once Lord Siva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

 killed a calf inadvertently. In order to cleanse the sin of killing the calf he had to take a bath in the Gosagaresvara pond and worship the lord Gosagaresvara. In keeping with the tradition even today people suffering from the sin of killing cows, take ritual bath in the tank and worship Gosagaresvara to cleanse the sin.

Property Type

i) Precinct/ Building/ Structure/Landscape/Site/Tank: Precinct.

ii) Subtype: Temple.

iii) Typology: Pidha deul

Property Use

i) Abandoned/ in use: In use.

ii) Present use: Living Temple

iii) Past use: Worshipped.

Significance

i) Cultural significance:Shivratri, Sankranti are observed. Most important event is the visit of Lord Lingaraj in Durga Puja.

ii> Social Significance: Marriage ceremony, Thread Ceremony, etc.

iii> Associational Significance: Public meetings are also held.

Description

i) Surrounding:The temple is surrounded by Paradaresvara Siva temple
in north, Gosagaresvara tank on west, minor temple V in the east and entrance gate in south.

ii) Orientation: Facing towards east.

iii) Architectural features
(Plan and Elevation): The temple stands on a low pista that measures 3.95 metres in length, 2.50 metres in width and 0.33 metres height. On plan, temple is pancharatha with a square vimana and a frontal porch. The vimana measures 2.40 square metres with a porch of 0.30 metres. On elevation, temple is in pidha order with usual bada, gandi and mastaka that measures 2.60 metres in height from bottom to top. The bada has five vertical divisions namely pabhaga(0.31 metres),talajangha(0.25 metres),bandhana(0.19 metres), upara jangha(0.23 metres) and baranda(0.36 metres) in height which is plain. The gandi measures 0.76 metres and the mastaka 0.50 metres.

iv) Rahaniche & parsva devatas: The parasvadevata niches located on the raha paga of tala jangha on three sides of north, west and south uniformly measures 0.34 metres in
129 height, 0.20 metres in width and 0.05 metres in depth and enshrined images of Parvati

Parvati

Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...

 , Kartikeya and Ganesa

Ganesa

Ganesa can be:* Ganesa, alternate spelling of Ganesha, the Hindu god.* Ganesa , a genus of marine snails in the family Turbinidae....

which are of recent dates.

v) Decorative features: —
Door Jambs: The doorjambs measure 1.25 metres height x 0.85 metres
width are also recent addition.

vi) Building material: Sand stone.

vii) Construction techniques: Dry masonry

viii) Style: Kalingan

ix)Ornamentation


Exteriors : The temple is devoid of any decoration except in the western wall above the door jamb there is a pilaster at the centre of which is an unidentified female figure with
splayed out legs.

Interiors : Plain

Movable Collections : Nil

Grade (A/B/C)

i) Architecture:C
ii) Historic:C
iii) Associational:C
iv) Social/Cultural:C
v) Others: