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The Puranic Ekamra Kshetra or the modernBhubaneswar is famous as a Saiva Kshetra inthe religious history of India. Innumerable Saivashrines have been erected here at different timesby numerous rulers of Orissa. Side by side manySakta shrines alsoraised their heads inthis temple city asSaivism and Saktismare inseparable fromeach other from timeimmemorial. Thereare many Saktashrines like Vaitaltemple, Gouri temple,Mohini temple,B h u b a n e s w a r itemple, etc. havingSakta goddesses aspresiding deities.Besides the images ofnumerous Sakta goddesses are also carved onthe walls of almost all the shrines of Bhubaneswar.

The history of Sakta religion atBhubaneswar can be traced back to first orsecond century B.C. on the basis ofarchaeological evidences. There are depictionsof Yaksha-Yakshini or Naga-Nagini on the wallsof the ancient monuments of Buddhism, Jainism

Saktism at Bhubaneswar Through Ages

Dr. Baman Charan Pradhan

and Brahminism. Even in the modern age somecrude-formed Yakshinis and Naginis areworshipped at nearby places of Bhubaneswar.The earliest form of Sakti worship in Orissa inthe form of Stambhesvari is also visible at

Bhubaneswar in theBhuasuni temple.1

Due to the popularityof Saktism in 7th-8thcentury A.D. numberof Sakta monumentshad been constructedunder the patronageof the Bhaumakaras atBhubaneswar. Evensome important Saktashrines have beenbuilt by them in thevicinity of the templecity. With the spread

of Sakta religion different manifestations of Saktisuch as Mahisamardini, Sapta -Matrukas, Parvati.Gauri, Chamunda, Bhubanesvari, Savitri,64-Yoginis, Katyayanis, Ardhanarisvara, Uma-Mahesvara, etc. appeared either as presidingdeities or Parsva-devatas in the temples ofBhubaneswar. It will be more systematic if wediscuss the development of Saktisim atBhubaneswar through ages. Parasuramesvar

Vaital Temple, Bhubaneswar

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groups are regarded the earliest group of templesat Bhubaneswar. K.C. Panigrahi assigned C.A.D.650 as the date of these temples and these shrineswere erected by the Sailodbhavas2 who weredevout worshippers of Lord Siva. ThoughParasurameswar is a Saiva shrine, yet it containsthe images of numerous Sakta deities as Parsva-devatas on its walls. For the first time the depictionof Sapta-Matrka images is found here. Theimages of Chamunda, Varahi, Indrani, Vaisnavi,Kaumari, Sivani and Brahmi with their twoassociates Ganesa in the beginning and Virabhadraat the end are beautifully carved out from thesouth-west corner of the northern wall up to themiddle. Except Ganesa all other eight deities areassociated with their respective vahanas. A sixarmed Mahisamardini Durga (four-armedaccording to K.C. Panigrahi) and eight-armeddancing Ardhanarisvara, an image of Siva-Parvatiand the images of Ganga and Yamuna are alsoseen on the wall of this temple. Thus theSailodbhavas who worshipped Lord Siva as theirfamily deity had also respected the Sakta elementsof different gods.

The reign of the Bhaumakaras ushered ina new era in the religious as well as architecturalhistory of Bhubaneswar. It is during the Bhaumaperiod that Saktism first made its appearance inBhubaneswar.3 During this time an amalgamationwas made in Saivism, Saktism and TantricBuddhism in the religious life of Bhubaneswar.Hence Tantric Saktism appeared in the religionof this place. Mainly the Bhauma queenspatronized this new religion and for its wide-spread popularity constructed number of shrinesof this cult in and around Bhubaneswar. Amongthose shrines the Vaital temple (C.A.D. 775) isthe most important and popular. This shrine isotherwise known as Kapalini temple. Probablythis temple was constructed by the Bhauma queenTribhuvana Mahadevi who is otherwise known

as Katyayini She, in order to worship Katyayinior Durga, had constructed that shrine atBhubaneswar. This monument is also known asVaital temple. This name has been derived fromthe word Vetal or spirit with the help of which theKapalikas and the Tantrikas wanted to attain theirsiddhis. So undoubtedly it was a tantric shrine.The presiding deity is a ferocious Chamunda withsunken eyes and the hood of a snake on her headand a corpse under her feet with a jackel draggingit. Other Sapta-Matrkas with Viresvara andGanesa are also depicted with Chamunda withtheir usual attributes. Besides the images of SevenMothers another female deity is also depicted inthe middle of the western wall which has beenidentified with Sivaduti. Thus, for the first timethe appearance of eight Matrkas is seen at Vaital.Moreover a four-armed Durga appears in thecentral niche in the south. It holds a japamala, asula, a khadga and a vase in its four hands andhas two attendants on either side and a pair offlying Vidyadharas above the head. In the northerncentral niche has been enshrined an eight-armedMahisamardini with a sword, a trisula, vajra andsula in her right hands and khetaka with a loosehandle, a bow and snake in the left. The snakeforcibly draws out the tongue from the mouth ofthe buffalo-headed demon into whose chest thegoddess thrusts the long trident held in one of theright hands. The lion bites the right elbow of thedemon. An image of Ardha-narisvara is alsodepicted in the central niche of the western side.

The most important aspect of Saktism atBhubaneswar during the Bhauma epoch was therise of a mysterious cult popularly known as Yoginicult. The Yoginis were sixty-four in numbersworshipped by the Tantric Acharyas in order toattain their siddhis. All Yoginis are terrific in natureand were worshipped in open and circulartemples. Under the patronage of a Bhauma queenHira Mahadevi such a temple was constructed in

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the village Hirapur at a distance of ten kilometersfrom Bhubaneswar. Perhaps in order to worshipthe Yoginis in a calm atmosphere this temple wasconstructed not at proper Bhubaneswar whichwas populous and noisy, but at a calm, quite andlovely place like Hirapur. This sixty-four Yoginitemple of Hirapur is a landmark not only in thefield of Saktism, but also in the spheres of sculptureand architecture during the Bhuma age. Thesculptural representation of the Yoginis are veryelegant and balanced made of black granite. Allyoginis are in dancing position, with all theirattributes and vahanas. Among them the presidingdeity is Mahamaya big in size and ferocious inappearance. Besides the yogini images Bhairavashave also been represented in different forms, asthey are associated with the yogini cult-a cult inSaktism- became very popoular at Bhubaneswarunder the Bhauma epoch. During this period fourother Sakta shrines were also constructed on thefour sides of Vindu Sarovara. Among these theMohini temple is situated on its southern bank.This temple is of Parsurameswar type and wasbuilt by Mohini Devi, the queen of the Bhaumaruler Sivakaradeva II.4 This shrine is called Mohinitemple after her name. The presiding deity in thetemple is a ten armed dancing Chamunda. Thistemple was constructed in about A.D. 687.5 Thenext Sakta shrine situated on the north bank ofVindu Sarovara is the Uttaresvara temple.Chamunda, terrific in appearance, as in Mohinitemple is also its presiding deity. The other twoSakta shrines on the eastern and the westernbanks contain two images of Mahisamardini. Thisfact is narrated in the Svarnadri Mahodaya thatfour Chandikas are enshrined on the four sides ofthe tank. Two other Chamunda images of terrificappearance are now found enshrined in themodern temples, one is called Bhuasuni templeon the bank of the river Gangua and another newlyconstructed small temple situated near the house

of Satyapriya Mohanty. All these Chamundaimages bear the characteristics of the same age.They are depicted in tantric form with sunkenbellies, emaciated body garlanded with skulls andseated on corpses with jackels by their side. Noneof the preceeding temples contains Chamunda orany other Sakta image as presiding deities and inthe succeeding groups the Sakta temples whichcontain Sakta images as presiding deities not intheir terrific form, but in their pacific forms.Therefore it may be concluded that Saktism madeits first appearance at Bhubaneswar during thisperiod and began its existence along side the maincult Saivism.6

The most important Sakta shrine atBhubaneswar is the Gauri temple. According toK.N. Mahapatra this was constructed by theBhauma queen Gauri Mahadevi following thenoble examples set by her predecessors MadhaviDevi and Mohini Devi around A.D. 790.7 ButK.C. Panigrahi is of opinion that this temple wasconstructed by the Somavamsi ruler Nahusa-Indraratha or Indrakesari.8 it is a Khakara typetemple like Vaital having Gauri as its presiding deitywhich is in pacified form. Sisireswar Temple,another shrine of the Bhauma epoch also containsa Mahisamardini image in the northern centralniche of the vimana. Another mutilatedMahisamardini in the southern niche kills thebuffalo-headed demon in the same manner as itsclose prototype of the Vaital temple does withsame ayudhas in different hands. Thus, theBhauma period is the most glorious phase in theestablishment and spread of Saktism inBhubaneswar and her vicinity.

Somavamsis who occupied Utkala afterthe Bhaumakaras originally belonged to SouthKosala. They had contributed a lot for the spreadof Saktism and Tantricism. The sixty-four Yoginitemple at Ranipur-Jharial, the Sakta temple at

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Belkhandi and stray images of Sakta deitiesproved their patronage to Saktism. Coming toUtkala they had not neglected in this sphere. Thefirst monument of the Somavamsi period atBhubaneswar is perhaps the small but elegantMuktesvara temple which was constructed byYayati-I in C.A.D. 966 on the basis of the threeTantric temples at Baudh which was a territory ofSouth Kosala.9 This temple is univocally praisedby the art historians as "the gem of Orissanarchitecture", "the epitome of Orissanarchitecture" and "a dream in sandstone". Theceiling of the jagamohana contains most beautifulsculptures of a group of Sapta-Matrkas withVirabhadra on an eight-petalled full blown lotusat the centre, each petal being occupied by a deity.The main difference of the group from the earlierones is that all the Matrikas except Chamundahold babies in their arms and that Virabhadra holdssword in the right hand. This is a clear proof ofthe Tantric propensity of the builder of the temple.Moreover other Sakta cult images like Sarasvati,Varahi or Durga are depicted on the walls of thetemples. Brahmesvara temple built by KolavatiDevi, the mother of the Somavamsi king UdyotaKesari also contains number of images of Saktadeities though it is originally a Saivite shrine. Onthe western faced of the main temple the figure ofChamunda carved by the side of Nairiti holds atrident and stands upon a corpse with a jackelbiting its head. Another figure of the same deitycarved on the northern wall of the same deitycarved on the northern wall of the Jagamohanawears only a loin cloth and holds a nrimunda anda khapara. A jackel licks the blood dropping fromthe nrimunda while another animal presumably abuffalo looks up in between the thighs of the deity.There are also some minor representations ofSakta deities like Durga and Ardhanarisvara.

The superb temple of Rajarani famous forher beautiful architecture is believed to be a

product of the epoch of the Somavamsis. Itsoriginal name was Indresvara and is a Saiva shrineyet it contains many images of Sakta deities amongwhich the image of Nisa-Parvati is most important.In a rectangular shallow niche nearer to thejagamohana on the south occurs a beautiful imageof Parvati holding in her upper left hand a cluband in her lower left hand a lotus with stalk whichrising from the pedestal passes through the leftarm of the deity.

The greatest Saiva temple atBhubaneswar, the temple of Lingaraja is the finestproduction of the Somavamsi epoch. It is the mostpopular Saiva shrine of Orissa, Yet it containssome Sakta deities as its cult images. Among thesethe image of Mahisamardini depicted in thesouthern faced of Jagamohana is unique in itscharacter. The main feature to be noticed in thisrepresentation is that the victim is not a buffalo -headed demon, but a buffalo, from the decapitatedtrunk of which rude figure is shown as issuing forth.

Moreover, the temple of Gopalini orBhubaneswari situated to the north of Jagamohanaof the Lingaraja and the temple of Savitri in thesouth-west corner of the vimana of Lingaraja maybe assigned to the Somavamsi epoch.9

The imperial Gangas who ruled overUtkala after the Samavamsis were very famousfor their art of temple construction. The tallesttemple of Jagannath at Puri and the massivetemple of Lord Surya at Konark amply provetheir interest and skill in the building of temples.They had also not neglected in erecting Saktashrines in the temple city of Bhubaneswar. Amongthem the Chitrakarini temple is one. Standing onthe main road it is a panchayatana temple havingfour subsidiary shrines at the four cornerssurrounded by a compound wall. An image ofChamunda is worshipped as its presiding deity.Perhaps this temple was constructed by the Ganga

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king Narasimhadeva-I who was known asParama-Mahesvara, Shri Durgaputra, ShriPurusottamaputra in his Kapilas temple inscriptionof A.D.1246.10 Another temple constructed bythe same ruler having a Mahisamardini Durga asits presiding deity was called Dvaravasini Durgatemple.11 This may be assigned to the year 1246A.D. Another small Sakta temple of the Gangaepoch enshrining the image of MahisamardiniDurga called Daksina-Chandi is situated near thesouthern gate of the compound of the Lingarajatemple. Here Durga has been mentioned as thepresiding deity of the castle Kritivasa-Kataka intwo Lingaraja temple inscriptions.12

Within the compound of Lingarajatemple, the temple of Parvati is a fine piece ofarchitecture. This temple structurally andstylistically is definitely late than the Lingaraja.13

This temple may be placed in the second half ofthe 12th century A.D, because this temple mighthave been constructed by Chodaganga Deva atthe time when the Laksmi temple was constructedat Puri or sometime later, as the Ganga rulers gaveequal importance to Laksmi and Parvati.

The Ganga ruler Anangabhima-IIIdescribed himself as Routa or the representativeof Lord Purusottama.14 In order to glorify LordJagannatha he had constructed a small shrinesituated to the south of Lingaraja in whichBalarama, Subhadra and Krishna are enshrined.Narasimhadeva-I had constructed the temples ofLaksmi-Narayana and Laksmi-Narasimha in thecompound of Lingaraja. Thus the Ganga rulerswho were the devout worshipers of the Vaisnavitedeities like Narayana, Narasimha, Purusottama,Baladeva, etc. had worshipped their femalecounterparts like Laksmi and Subhadra. ThusSaktism flourished very deeply in the temple cityof Bhubaneswar during the epoch of the imperialGangas.

After the fall of the imperial Gangas,Kapilendra Deva, the founder of the Gajapatidynasty, constructed the Saiva shrine, KapilesvaraTemple at Bhubaneswar. That was the last templeconstructed in the lengthy era of templeconstruction. The Gajapatis engaged themselvesin wars and after their fall, chaotic situationprevailed in the politics of Utkala. Thensuccessively it was ruled by Afghans, Mughals,Marathas and the British. Thus from the Gajapatiperiod up to country's Independence nodevelopment was found relating to Saktism atBhubaneswar.

References :1. Das, H.C., Tradition of Saktism in the Temple

City of Bhubaneswar, OHC, XIVSessionSouvenir, P.33

2. Panigrahi, K.C., Archaeological Remains atBhubaneswar (1981), P.289.

3. Ibid., P.232

4. El, Vol. XXVIII, pp.211-216 (Terundia Plate ofSubhakara II).

5. Mahapatra, K.N., Sidelight on Orissa Historyand Culture, ed. M.N.Das, p.543.

6. Panighahi, op. cit., p.233

7. Mahapatra, op.cit., p.545

8. Panigrahi., op.cit., p.249

9. Ibid., p.248

10. Rajaguru, S.N., Inscriptions of Orissa, Vol. V,part-I, p.122.

11. Panigrahi, op. cit., p.172

12. Mitra, D., Bhubaneswar, pp. 52-53

13. Panigrahi, op. cit., p.174

14. Mahapatra, op. cit., p.557

15. Pillai, K., An Indian Ephemeris, Vol. V, p.72

F/5, Sahayog Nagar,Sambalpur - 768004.