Lokanath Temple, Puri – The
Temple
This Temple is facing towards
west. This temple is built in sand stones. The Temple is Pancharatha on plan. The main temple is about 30 feet from the
ground level. The Lokanatha Temple has four parts such as Vimana (Main Temple),
Jagamohana (Entrance Hall), Natamandapa (Dancing Hall) and Bhogamandapa
(Offering Hall). The sanctum follows rekha deula type and jagamohana follows
pidha deula type of Kalingan order. The Vimana is square in plan. The Natamandapa
and Bhogamandapa are of later construction.
Presiding Deity is called as
Lokanath. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. This Linga is
visible to the devotees once in every year. The sanctum including the Linga is
filled with water throughout the year by a natural fountain. In the night of
Pankoddhar Ekadashi (3 days before the famous Shivaratri festival) all the
water is pumped out and the Shiva Linga becomes visible and thousands of
devotees worship the Lord. There are Udyota Simhas flanked the Kalasa.
The Parsvadevta niches houses
Uma Mahesvara, Kartikeya and Ganesa respectively. The exterior walls of the
vimana have been cover with marble casing concealing the decorative programme
of exterior wall. Except the Ravana Anugraha Murti, Kartikeya image at the
center of the raha paga. There is a small shrine housing Surya Narayana and Chandra
Narayana to the left side of the inner courtyard. The Satya Narayan Shrine houses the idols of
Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi and several brass idols.
There is an idol of Lord Hanuman
on the right side of the entrance to the inner courtyard. There is a big pond
called Parvati Sagara on the right side of the entrance. Devotees wash their
hands and feets in this pond before entering into the temple. This pond houses
a lot of fishes. The Utsava (festival) deity Lord Lokanatha, known as Bhandara
Lokanatha is housed in the Jagannath Temple. He is the guardian deity of the Ratna
Bhandara (treasure house) of Sri Jagannatha temple.
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