Bhubaneswar Sisiresvara Temple, Odisha

Address

Bhubaneswar Sisiresvara Temple Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751002, India

Diety

Sisiresvara

Introduction

Sisiresvara (Sisireswara) Temple is located 100m west of Bindhu Sagar in Bhubaneswar old city, and shares the same compound as Vaital (Baitala) Deula. The temple is now missing the upper portion of its tower, and the mandapa (jagamohana) has been recently restored with a new roof added. Although it appears to be contemporary with the neighbouring Vaital (Baitala) Deula, it is widely thought that Sisiresvara is slightly earlier and was constructed around 775 A.D. The central niche on the south side of the mandapa houses an image of a four-armed Lakulisa flanked by three disciples on either side. The style of this carving made me contemplate whether there is a slight Buddhist influence here, and that perhaps some of the artists that worked at Sisiresvara were previous employed at Buddhist sites such as Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri or Udayagiri. Whereas Vaital (Baitala) Deula has a relatively plain mandapa with clear evidence that the intended carvings were planned but not completed, Sisiresvara’s mandapa is full of carvings, hardly an inch is left plain. The central niche on the southern exterior of the sanctum houses a wonderful image of seated ruins Ganesha.