The Orissa king who created this temple died
before the finishing touches to the temple were
Rajarani Temple (Orissa) Hindu Temples
The Rajarani temple is an elegant
example of great finesse in temple art architecture. The temple,
dating back to the eleventh century, is set in open paddy fields,
and the entire structure exudes grace and elegance. The name of
the temple has been the subject of much debate. The most likely
explanation is that the name is related to the lovely red-and- gold
sandstone used in its construction, a stone which is known locally
as rajarani. The debate is complicated by the fact that the names
of all the Hindu temples in Bhubaneswar dedicated to the God Shiva
end in the suffix eswar (for example Parasurameswara, Mukteswara,
etc.), while those of the non-Shaivite temples are derived from
their presiding deities (e.g. Parvati temple).One major scholar
has argued that the name Rajarani was only applied to the temple
at a later date (because of the sandstone), and that originally
this is the Shiva shrine referred to in early texts as Indreswara.
This seems the most likely conclusion.
This temple is located in old Bhubaneshwar. This gracefully proportionate 11th country temple stands against the backdrop of green paddy (rice) fields, looking very alluring. This temple is famous for its elaborately ornate sanctuary. Here one can see a pair of satries or dikpals (temple guardians). In addition to these one can see beautiful nymphs, embracing coupler, lions, elephants decorating the pillars and walls. Yama in various forms and postures can be seen-it is both fascinating and intermidating for e.g.: Yama holding several heads and a sword over the lying figure of a dead man.
The Orissa king who created this temple died before the finishing touches to the temple were given. A deity was placed leaving the 1 sanctum sanctorum eternally godless, yet it is filled with vacant peace as no pujas are performed here and one can roam around freely.
The jagmohana (porch) is extremely plain, and was evidently repaired in 1903 after having fallen down in ruins. The deul (tower), on the other hand, is spectacularly ornate, and is famous for the aesthetic concept of miniature temple spires clustered around the main tower. The sculptural images of the temple are elegant and lively, especially the beautiful female figures which can be seen in amorous dalliance, as well as engaged in such activities as holding children, looking in mirrors, and playing with pet birds. On the lower register of the deul, on the corner projections, are found the famous 'Guardians of the Eight Directions', watching over (and radiating the temple's power to) the eight cardinal points. Beginning from the left of the entrance to the deul and proceeding in a clockwise direction, they are: Indra (east, chief of the 33 Vedic nature deities); Agni (south-east, Vedic God of fire); Yama (south, God of death); Nirriti (south-west, deity related to suffering); Varuna (west, a Vedic deity of the ocean); Vayu (north-west, wind God); Kubera (north, lord of wealth, shown here with a wish-fulfilling tree); and Ishana (north-east, a form of Shiva).
This temple is located in old Bhubaneshwar.
How To Get There
Air: There are regular Indian Airlines flights to Hyderabad, Nagpur, Calcutta, Delhi, Varanasi, Bombay and Madras. The airport is very close to town. If you have an early morning flight, it is a good idea to have your hotel arrange a taxi the night before and pay a little more to avoid the morning inconvenience of finding a taxi at that time. The Indian Airline office is on Raj Path, by the bus stand.
Rail: Bhubaneswar is on the main Calcutta to Madras line so all the main trains stop here. The Howrah-Bangalore mail and Guwahati-Bangalore go to Bangalore. The Coromandel Express is a good train going to Madras. There are direct trains to Delhi, Agra, Remuna, and Varanasi. The Rajdhani Express departs from Delhi one day a week on Friday to Bhubaneswar. The Puri-New Delhi Express is a good train to Delhi.
Road: The best way to get from Bhubaneswar to Puri is on one of the Canter minibuses that leave from the old bus station in the center of town, the new bus stand, and from the petrol station opposite the Ashok Hotel. They take a little more than an hour to get to Puri. There are also larger buses that go Puri, but they are slower than the minibuses. It is best to get an Express bus to Puri, which make only one stop en route. There is a direct bus to Konark too. If one misses out the direct bus, one can take a Puri buses to Pipli and from there get another bus to Konark.
Most of the long-distance buses depart from the new bus stand (Baramunda Bus Stand), which is about 5-km from downtown on the main road to Calcutta. There are buses to Calcutta, Cuttack (10 hr), and other places in Orissa . Buses to Puri also leave from this station.
Hindu Temples in India