Ganga
Yamuna Temple, Bhubaneswar,
Odisha
Ganga Yamuna Temple is a twin temple dedicated to Hindu
God Shiva located in Bhubaneswar, the state capital of Odisha, India. Presiding
Deities are Gangesvara and Yamunesvara. It is a living temple and maintained by
the Ganga Yamuna Sangathana.
Legends
There is a common belief among the local people that
Goddess Parvati
killed the demons Kirti and Basa in the Ekamra
Kshetra. After this heroic incident, the deity felt thirsty. In order to quench
the thirst, Lord Shiva
struck his trident into the earth. A spring came out and to consecrate the
spring river goddess Ganga and Yamuna were
invited. To commemorate the incident twin temples of Gangesvara and Yamunesvara
were constructed during the Ganga rule in Orissa.
History
The twin temples of Gangesvara and Yamunesvara were
constructed during the Ganga rule in Orissa
during 13th – 14th century CE. However, the present
monument is a later renovation over the original shrine as evident from the use
of earlier building materials used in a non-schematic manner and depiction of
sculptures of later period in the jangha. The temple was repaired by the
INTACH in the year 1995 and at present it is maintained by Ganga-Yamuna
Sangathana.
The Temple
The temple is facing towards east. The temple is
Pancharatha with square vimana and a frontal porch extending towards
east. The vimana measures 3.35 square metres with the frontal porch
measuring 0.25 metres. On elevation, the temple is in rekha order having
usual bada, gandi and mastaka measuring 8.00 metres in
height from khura to kalasa. The bada measuring 2.60 metres in height has
fivefold vertical divisions namely plain pabhaga with five mouldings (0.66
metres), tala jangha (0.72 metres), bandhana two mouldings (0.40
metres), upara jangha (0.60 metres) and the baranda has a single
moulding of 0.22 metres in height.
The gandi above the baranda measuring 3.15 metres in
height is distinguished by a central raha and a pair
of anuratha and kanika pagas on either side of the raha, a
curvilinear spire is devoid of ornamentation. The mastaka as usual in Orissan
temples has components like beki, amlaka, khapuri and kalasa that
measures 2.25 metres in height. The presiding deity is a Siva lingam within
a circular yonipitha. The Parsvadevatas niche on three sides
uniformly measures 0.63 metres in height and 0.33 metres in width.
The western niche houses a four armed Vishnu image
standing in tribhanga pose on a full blown lotus pedestal along with his
mount Garuda. The deity is holding mace in his upper left arm and conch in
lower left arm. While his upper right arm is in varada mudra and the lower
right arm is holding a wheel. The image wears a kirita mukuta and
a Makara Torana in relief behind the head. The northern niche
accommodates a four armed Parvati image of recent make. The southern niche is
empty. The niches are plain.
The temple is carved with secular images on both the
janghas. In the western wall, tala jangha portion there is a female
figure holding a child in her both hands. The female wears a manibandha,
beaded necklace and armlet with bulbing hair. The upara jangha, bears
a nayika in standing pose pushing something into her genital organ in
her left hand while her right hand is resting on the ground. In the kanika
paga, the tala jangha has a darpana image and
the upara jangha sculpture has a male figure holding a rectangular
flat shaped object on his left hand and the right hand resting over the right
knee.
In the right side of the raha paga, the lower
jangha is carved with a male warrior who holds a sword in his right hand
and a shield in left hand. In the upara jangha, there is a woman
in yonibhiseka pose standing over a fire pot with splayed out legs,
the figure either urinating or taking the warmth of the fire. Her right arm is
in abhaya mudra and the left arm resting over her left knee. In
the kanika paga, the lower jangha bears an amorous couple in which the
male figure touches the left breast of the female figure while the right hand
touches the chin of the woman.
In the southern wall, the left
side raha (anuratha paga) in lower jangha bears a female figure
holding a pot in her left hand while in her right hand she is feeding a monkey.
In the upara jangha, the male figure is holding a kamandalu in his left
hand while his right hand holds the arm of the female in an amorous pose. In
the upara jangha there is an abduction scene in which a male with moustache is
carried by a female. The carvings in the northern wall are chopped off.
On the right side the jangha is carved with a secular
image of a female figure in which she is pushing something in to the genital
organ in her left hand. The doorjambs measuring 1.52 metres x 1.07 metres is
decorated with two plain vertical bands. At the base of the doorjambs there are
two dvarapala niches measuring 0.32 metres x 0.14 metres. The dvarapalas are
standing in flex position and holding a trident in their left hand. In the
inner dvarasakha at the base near the pidhamundi of the niche has a snake
canopy with the bust of a female on the left and a male on the right.
There are gajasimha motifs carved beneath the dvarapala
niches. At the lalatabimba there is a gajalaxmi seated in lalitasana on double
petalled lotus flanked by two elephants which represents the jalabhiseka
ceremony. The sculptures of northern wall are chopped
off, pabhaga portion of south-west corner is partly damaged and
cracks are noticed in the baranda and pabhaga portion in the western
and southern walls of the temple.
Festivals
Festivals like Shivaratri,
Chandana Yatra, Kartika Purnima and Jalabhiseka are celebrated here
with much fanfare.
Connectivity
For brief details, please refer below link;
Location
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