Suka Sari Temple, Bhubaneswar
– The Temple
The west facing Suka Sari temple
shares the compound wall with the beautiful Sari temple. Compared to Sari
temple, this temple is smaller and has lesser architectural features. The
temple is not in use but sculptural embellishments on the exterior walls of the
temple suggest that the temple was originally dedicated to Lord Siva. The
temple is small but architecturally beautiful. The sanctum sanctorum has rekha
type vimana and there is no Jagmohana. The temple is devoted to saptaratha and
the presence of female counterparts of the Dikpalas in the upara jangha.
The exterior walls do not have
big sculptures and the niches are also empty. The decorative motifs, the
mythological Gaja Vyala images and scroll works are found on the walls. Though
the temple is architecturally and sculpturally sound, it is abandoned and not
in use. The temple is 1.80 metres below the present ground level. On plan, the
temple has a vimana and
a renovated frontal porch. The vimana is saptaratha having a central raha which
is flanked by pairs of anuraha, anuratha and kanika pagas on either sides.
The vimana measures 5.80 square
metres and the frontal porch measures 0.90 metres in length. The cella measures
2.40 square metres. On elevation, the vimana is in rekha order that measures 11
metres in height from bottom to the top. With fivefold divisions, the bada
measures 3.50 metres. At the base the pabhaga, measuring 0.87 metres in height
has five base mouldings of khura, kumbha, pata, kani and basanta.
Tala jangha and upara jangha
measure 0.72 metres each is being separated by three moulded bandhana measuring
0.32 metres. The baranda comprising ten mouldings measures 0.87 metres. The
gandi and mastaka measures 5.00 metres and 2.50 meters respectively. As usual
in the temples of mature phase, raha niches are located in the tala jangha on
three sides, which are now empty. The empty niches measure 0.90 metres in
height x 0.45 metres in width and 0.23 metres in depth.
At the base of the gandi, there
is a bigger rekha angasikhara whose mastaka is almost touching to the udyota
Simha in the raha paga. The gandi is decorated with chaitya motifs and scroll
designs. In conjunction between Raha and anuratha paga, lotus designs are found
in succession from baranda to beki. The temple is ten storied as distinguished
by the ten bhumi-amlas in the kanika paga. Each bhumi has four bhumi barandis.
Khura is decorated with stylized chaitya motifs and the other four mouldings of
pabhaga are carved with scroll works. Beneath the raha niche tala garbhika of
khakhara design are found which is flanked by naga-nagi pilasters on either
sides.
The raha niches are decorated
with floral designs and two female figures on either sides of the niche. In the
lintel niche, Gaja Lakshmi is seated in lalitasana. Architrave of the niche is
decorated with a series of ducks. The raha niche is surmounted by a khakahra
mundi which is decorated with series of elephants and scroll works. Kalasa
above the khakhara mundi is crowned by a Gajakranta. Gandi is decorated with
tiers and scroll work design. Tala jangha and upara jangha are decorated in the
mundi niches.
Bandhana has three mouldings and
is decorated with scroll works and jali motifs. Gaja vyalas are found in the
paga conjunctions of tala jangha. While in the tala jangha Dikpalas are found
on their respective mounts and attributes in the upara jangha their female
counterparts are depicted with usual iconographic features. Jagrata motifs are
also found in the conjunction of vimana and frontal
porch. In the beki, bekibhairavas are found right above the raha and do-pichha
lions in the corners.
The doorjambs measuring 2.00
metres x 1.45 metres have three vertical bands of puspa sakha, nara sakha and
lata sakha from exterior to interior. At the Lalatabimba, Gajalakshmi is seated
on padmasana. The dvarapala niches at the base of the jambs measuring 0.35
metres x 0.16 metres house Saivite dvarapalas holding trident in
their left hand and right hand in varada mudra. The architrave above the
doorjambs measuring 2.13 metres in length is carved with the Navagrahas. Ravi
is holding lotus in his both hands, Rahu holding
half-moon and Ketu in serpent tail.
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