Kichakeshwari Temple, Khiching – The Temple

Kichakeshwari Temple, Khiching – The Temple

The temple is facing towards east. It consists of a square rekha vimana with a frontal porch. Both stands over a raised platform of 1764 sq. ft. and 1.2 meters height. The temple is Pancharatha on plan and Panchangabada in elevation. The Vimana is about 100 feet tall. The style of the temple is contemporary of the Brahmesvara and the Lingaraj temples of Bhubaneswar. Presiding deity is called as Kichakeshwari / Thakurani. She is housed in the sanctum in the form of ten armed Chamunda. She has emaciated body (literally skeleton) with sunken belly, sunken eyes and open mouth. She sits on a corpse and wears a garland of skulls.

The exterior of the temple is decorated with various sculptural motifs like nayikas, erotics, divine and semi divine gods and goddesses, royal figures, saints and various architectural motifs like naga-nagi pilasters, kirtimukha, elongated khakharamundi and scroll works. The huge pillars sculpted with Nagin are unique heritage of this temple. There is a well-preserved brick structure known as Itamundhi inside the temple premises. Six feet tall idols of Mahisasuramardini and Lord Shiva with his consort Parvati in seated posture can be seen in the temple premises.

Chandrasekhar Shrine:

The temple also houses the Chandrasekhar Shrine within its premises. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The shrine is facing towards east. It consists of a square rekha vimana with a frontal porch. The Shrine is triratha on plan and triangabada in elevation. Presiding Deity is called as Chandrasekara. He is housed in the sanctum within circular yonipitha. The decorations of the lintel and the doorway jambs and the figures of the doorkeepers, Chanda and Prachanda captivate the tourists with their fine carvings. Two hero stones can be seen on the pathway near the entrance of the shrine.

Museum:

The Khiching Museum, situated inside the temple premises, is the second oldest museum in the state of Odisha. The Museum was constructed by Maharaja Purna Chandra Bhanjdeo in 1922 CE. This Museum preserves the idols of Hindu gods & goddess, Buddha and artefacts found during excavation carried out by Archaeological Survey of India in 1908 CE. The museum has the life-size excavated idols of Durga, Ganesha, Parsvanatha, Tara, Parvati, Dhyani, Buddha, Ardhanageswar, Vaishnavi, Nandi, Kartikeya, Avalokitesawara, Mahishasuramardhini, Uma, Maheshwara and female devotees on display.

The museum has exhibits like the copper and iron implements, terracotta figurines, seals, ornaments, potteries, coins, stone tools and various fragments of the temples. The courtyard of the museum has several sculpted parts of ancient temples on display in open. The presence of Buddha and Avalokiteshvara idols suggest, a commendable amalgamation of religion and culture. It mirrors the religious tolerance exercised by the rulers, as far back as in the 10^th century AD.