Baitala Deula, Bhubaneswar – The Temple

Baitala Deula, Bhubaneswar – The Temple

Baitala Deula is popularly known as Tini Mundiya Mandira (the three headed temple). The temple complex is below the ground level.  The temple is dedicated to goddess Chamunda. The three projecting spires are said to represent Mahasaraswati, Mahalaxmi and Mahashakti. The temple based on its architecture can be traced to the transitional phase of Kalinga School of Architecture. The east facing Baitala Deula temple has a rectangular vimana with semi-cylindrical shape roof and Jagamohana enclosed by an irregular compound wall.

It shares the compound wall with a nearby Sisireswarar temple. Its vimana is a good example for Khakhara order, an order that was specially devoted to the tantric cults. This vimana slightly resembles the Dravidian Gopuram style. The Jagamohana is flat roofed and has miniature rekha shrine at each corner of the four sides. The temple is triangabada in elevation. The plan of the deula is oblong and the jagamohana is a rectangular structure, but embedded in each angle is a small subsidiary shrine.

Another unusual feature is that its narrow entrance door on the eastern side has no room left for dvarapalas. The Naga now housed inside was originally planned to be placed at the entrance serving dvarapalas. There are five idols of Ganesha, Narasimha, Parvati, Mahishasuramardhini and Naga inside the jagamohana. Parvati, Mahishasuramardhini and Ardhanariswara are the niche idols around the shrine.

The presiding deity, Chamunda or Charchika, locally known as Kapalini is housed in the sanctum. She sits on a corpse flanked by a jackal and an owl and decorated with a garland of skulls. She has emaciated body (literally skeleton) with sunken belly, sunken eyes and open mouth. She wears garland of skull and has serpent on her head. She has eight arms and holds snake, bow, shield, sword, trident, thunderbolt and arrows. The neck of a Rakshasa is pierced in the arrow. She is in a terrifying form. The idol is actually a relief image carved in the central niche inside the main shrine.

The carvings of Shiva and Parvati in the seated posture are found in the back side of Chamunda. A small carving of Lakshmi is found above Chamunda. The Chamunda is surrounded by a host of other smaller size allied deities carved in the lower parts of the walls, each within a niche separate by a pilaster. The figure on the east wall, to the right of the door, is a skeleton form of Bhairava forming the counterpart of Chamunda.

The other, carved on the north wall, rises from ground, having filled his skull-cup with the blood of a person whose severed head lies on the right. On the pedestal is an offering of two more heads on a tray resting on a tripod, flanked by a jackal feasting on the decapitated body on the right and a woman holding a head on the left. The tantric character of the temple is also marked by the stone post, to which sacrificial offerings were tethered, just in front of the jagamohana. Artificial light is needed to see in the darkness of the interior, though early morning sun lights up the interior.

The sanctum doorway has female dvarapalas. This sanctum differ from others in the manner that it has various images installed around its internal sides. Idols of Ganesha, Sapta Matas (the seven female deities), Veerabhadra, Bhairava, Shivaduti, Mahakala, Gaja Samhara Moorthy, Varaha, Abhalakapeswara and Kubera are found in its internal side of the sanctum. All these deities are found in the sitting posture and their respective mounts are found along with them. Shivaduti is a female deity. It is rare to find eight female deities together (along with Sapta Matas). 

Chamunda is one of the seven Matas. She is found in the central niche whereas the other six Sapta Matas are in the side walls. Bhairav is not in his usual posture. Similar to Chamunda, his body is also emaciated with sunken belly and is looking ferocious. Abhalakapeswara is a form of Shiva. He is found under the serpent and is in the sitting posture. More than Shiva, he resembles Jain Tirthankara. Mahakala is another form of Shiva who is found seated on a corpse.

The outer walls of temple have many panels of deities mostly related to Shiva and Shakti in different forms. Some sculptures depict the erotic couples and few scenes like hunting processions or capturing the wild elephants. Also, so many Nayikas are found in different postures all over the outer wall. The facade of the deula above the left of the jagamohana is dominated by two chaitya windows. The lower one having a beautifully carved figure of Surya, the Sun God noted for its facial expression, with Usha (Dawn) and Pratyusha shooting arrows on either side and with Aruna in front, driving a chariot of seven horses.

The medallion in the upper Chaitya window houses a 10-armed Nataraja or dancing Shiva. In front of the flat roofed Jagamohana is a stone post relieved with two Buddha like figures seated in Dharma-Chakra-Pravartana mudra. One more important sculpture found in the outer wall is Mahisasuramardini. Mahisasuramardini has eight arms. She holds sword, trident, thunder bolt, Trisula, shield, bow and snake. The buffalo headed demon Mahisha is lying down under her feet. The mount lion bites the right elbow of the demon whereas the snake in the arms of Goddess draws out the tongue from the mouth of the demon.

Another important sculpture found in the outer wall is of Durga. Durga has four arms and holds Japamala, trident, khadga (a type of sword) and a vase in her arms. Above her head, two flying Vidyadharas are found. Two female attendants flank her. Some of the other designs and sculptures on the outer walls of the main shrine and Jagamohana include Jali pattern, scroll works, elephants, lions, Ardhanareeswarar, Lakulisa, Vidyadharas and Mithuna figures.