Vimala Temple, Puri – The Temple
The temple is located in the south-west corner of the
inner enclosure of the Jagannath
temple complex and on the right hand western corner of the
tower of Jagannath, next to the sacred pond Rohini kunda. The temple faces east
and is built of sandstone and laterite.
It is built in the Deula style that has four components
namely, Vimana (structure
containing sanctum), Jagamohana (assembly hall), Nata Mandapa (festival
hall) and Bhoga Mandapa (hall of offerings). The temple is maintained and was
renovated around 2005 by the Archaeological Survey of India,
Bhubaneswar Circle.
Vimana:
The vimana is a Rekha
deula (a tall building with a shape of sugarloaf),
60 feet (18 m) in height and in shape of 15 feet (4.6 m) square. It
stands on a 2 feet (0.61 m) platform, which is decorated with lotus and
other floral designs and scrollwork. The outer wall of the vimana is
divided into 5 parts (from base to
top): pabhaga, talajangha, bandhana, upara jangha and baranda.
The niches and intervening recesses of the first part of the wall are ornate,
with khakhara mundis (a type of niche), scrollwork, floral designs,
creepers, love-making
couples and Nagas (serpent-men).
The niches and intervening recesses of the second part
of the wall are also decorated with khakhara mundis, simhavidalas (a lion-faced
beast), Gajavidalas
(an elephant-faced lion trampling a lion), jali work,
scroll work, sikshadana scene (sages teaching disciples) and kirtimukha (a
monster face) motifs, along with the figurines of
eight Dikpalas (guardian
gods of the directions) and some goddesses. The third part of the outer wall
has two horizontal mouldings decorated with alasa-kanyas (beautiful human
maidens), scrollwork and floral and lotus motifs.
The niches and recesses of the fourth part of the wall
are decorated with pidha mundis (a type of niche), simhavidalas,
erotic scenes, alasa-kanyas, scrollwork, jali work and floral designs,
along with figures of the consorts of the Dikpalas, Nagas and their female
consort Naginis and various goddesses. The Dikpalas and their consorts are seen
with their mounts and aligned to their respective directions.
Images of the Parsvadevatas (attendant deities) are
placed in the central niches of the outer wall (bada) on three sides: the
eight-armed Durga slaying Mahishasura on the south; the six-armed goddess Chamunda
standing on Shiva on the west and an empty niche on the north, which probably
had a goddess figure that was stolen. The lintel of
the attendant deity niche has Gaja
Lakshmi figurines. The frames of the niches are decorated with
scrollwork and kirtimukha motifs and two female attendants accompany
each niche.
The uppermost part of the outer wall has ten horizontal
mouldings, ornate with scrollwork, kirtimukha and lotus and floral motifs. Within
the vimana lies the garbhagriha (sanctum), which is topped
with a Pancharatha-style, curvilinear temple
pinnacle. The goddess Vimala is deified within the sanctum, the
sixth century inner chamber that is devoid of wall decorations. The central
icon of Vimala holds a rosary in the upper right hand. Her lower right hand is
held in a boon-giving gesture and her lower left
holds a pitcher, considered to be filled with amrita
(celestial elixir of life).
The attribute in the upper left hand is heavily
disputed. Descriptions include a human figurine, a nagini, a mermaid, a naga-pasha (serpent-noose)
or some other object. She holds no weapons normally attributed to Durga. The
icon is installed on a simhaasana (lion-throne), adorned with the
figures of the goddess female attendants Chaya and Maya on the sides. The image
is said to be made of lakha (a type of wax) and slightly taller than
4 feet (1.2 m).
The sanctum door, with a flight of stairs, leads down to
the jagamohana. The lintel has the Gaja Lakshmi figurine in the centre
surrounded with apsaras (celestial maidens). The Navagraha (deities
of the classical planets) are carved above the lintel. The doorjambs are
decorated scrollwork, creepers, flowers and boys playing. Two gate-keeper sculptors
surround the door.
Jagamohana:
The jagamohana or Mukhasala is a pidha
deula (square building with a pyramid-shaped roof), 35 feet
(11 m) in height with a 25 feet (7.6 m) square base. It stands on a 2
feet (0.61 m) high platform, which is decorated with floral designs and
scrollwork. The outer wall is divided into 5 parts, as in the vimana. The
niches and intervening recesses of the first part are adorned
with Khakhara mundi niches (having amorous couples and erotic
scenes), Naga pilasters, scrollwork, jali work and floral motifs.
The talajangha has the same motifs as the vimana's
second part of the wall, barring the goddesses. The third part of the wall has
three horizontal mouldings. The fourth part of the wall also resembles its
counterpart in the vimana, except it does not have the Naga and goddess
sculptures. The uppermost part of the wall has seven horizontal mouldings, the
central portion of which is decorated with dancing women, amorous couples,
elephants, deer, scrollwork and jali work. The gavaksha (decorative
arch) on the northern and southern sides are royal court and sikshadana scenes,
with a balustraded window on each side.
The frames of the windows are decorated with scrollwork,
jali work, playing boys, floral designs, creepers and dancing women. The
structure is topped with a pyramidal shikhara. The inner walls have no
ornamentation. The jagamohana has two doorways: one towards the sanctum
(already discussed in vimana section) and other towards the Natamandapa, which
is similar in style and decoration to the former.
Natamandapa:
The Natamandapa is a pidha deula, 22 feet
(6.7 m) in height and in shape of rectangle 35 feet (11 m) in length
by 18 feet (5.5 m). It is probably a later addition to the original
temple, which consisted of the vimana and jagamohana. It stands on a 3.5 feet
(1.1 m) platform. The five divisions of the outer wall are undecorated. It
is topped with a small pyramidal pinnacle. The Natamandapa has four door ways,
one on each side of the wall. Inner walls of the Natamandapa are adorned
with Pattachitra-style traditional Odishan
paintings, depicting sixteen forms of the Hindu Goddess, including the Mahavidyas.
Bhogamandapa:
The bhogamandapa is a pidha deula, 20 feet
(6.1 m) in height and in shape of 15 feet (4.6 m) square. It stands
on a 4 feet (1.2 m) platform. The five outer wall divisions are
undecorated. It is topped with a small pinnacle. An eight-armed dancing Ganesha and
a 12-armed, six-headed standing Kartikeya
(both are the sons of Parvati and Shiva) occupy niches on the western inner
wall. The ceiling has floral paintings with a lotus design in the middle,
suspending downwards.
The bhogamandapa has four doorways, opening on each
side. Two female gatekeepers guard each door. A flight of steps at the eastern
doorway serves as the main entrance of the temple. At the entrance to the
shrine outside the bhogamandapa, there is a 4 feet
(1.2 m) Gaja-Simha, the lion – the goddess' vahana (mount
or vehicle) – riding over an elephant, symbolizing the victory of good over
evil. It is covered by a flat roof.
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