Gosagaresvara Temple, Bhubaneswar – The Temple Complex

Gosagaresvara Temple, Bhubaneswar – The Temple Complex

This Temple is the main temple of Gosagaresvara Temple Complex. It is a living Temple. The temple has a single pidha vimana of Kalingan order. The Temple is facing towards east. Presiding Deity is called as Gosagaresvara. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Shiva Lingam within a circular yonipitha.

  

Other Temples and structures located within the temple complex are listed below;

Paradaresvara Temple:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/04/paradaresvara-temple-bhubaneswar-odisha.html

Isanesvara Temple:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/04/isanesvara-temple-bhubaneswar-odisha.html

Sanisvara Temple:

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://hindutemples-india.blogspot.com/2020/04/sanisvara-temple-bhubaneswar-odisha.html

Gosagaresvara Mandapa:

This Mandapa is located inside Gosagaresvara Temple Complex. The Mandapa is surrounded by Gosagaresvara temple in west, kitchen in east and Isanesvara temple in south. The Mandapa is provided with a flight of steps in the western side. The Mandapa is rectangular. There are sixteen pillars that support the superstructure of the flat roof. The arrangement of the pillars is something unusual with ten pillars in the two exterior rows, five in each row and six pillars at central two rows, three in each row. While all pillars are square the two pillars in the centre are octagonal.

This Mandapam is similar to Hazara Mandapa in Kapilesvara temple complex, Jaleswara Mandapa in the Jaleswara temple complex and Mukti Mandapa in the Jagannatha temple complex of Puri. Lord Lingaraja visits Gosagaresvara temple complex to cleanse his sin of killing cow during  Durgashtami (September-October). After the ritual bath the lord pays his homage to lord Gosagaresvara and then comes to this Mandapa for public viewing where he is offered food. A pedestal is decorated with makara Torana is meant for Lord Lingaraja to seat during his visit to Gosagaresvara.

Narasimha Temple:

The Temple is situated inside the  Gosagaresvara Temple Complex. It is a living Temple. It is believed to be built around 14^th – 15^th Century AD. It is situated on the south-eastern side of Gosagaresvara and Paradaresvara Temples. The presiding deity is a four armed Narasimha in sitting posture. He is housed in the sanctum on a pedestal. His upper left hand holding a conch, upper right hand holds a disk while in his major left and right hand are busy in killing the demon. The base of the pedestal is carved with series of females, in Anjali mudra. The sanctum measures 1.15 square metres and is facing towards west.