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Odisha Bharati Matha Burial Temple
Matha Mahantas were great people who lived around the 11the century AD. These were the people who kept the tradition and culture of the Hindu religion alive and were immensely respected by people all over the country. When these people renounced their lives and announced their death, temples were constructed on the top of their Samadhis. These burial temples, as they came to be addressed later were a huge recognition for the contribution made by these Mahantas for the Hindu religion.
History
This temple is situated in the Badheibanka Chowk in Bhubaneswar in the south western direction. The architectural pattern and the mouldings on the temple indicate that this belongs to the 11th Century AD. The structure is what experts call precinct style and the typology of the temple belongs to the Pidha Deul type, like all other shrines in this group. This temple is now owned publicly and has multiple- ownership. In terms of architecture, this temple is given a “B” grade and in terms of heritage, it given a “C” grade.
This temple is currently not in use, though it was a place which was visited by lots of devotees earlier. This temple is surrounded by historical structures at all sides and is one of the oldest buildings in Bhubaneswar. This temple is a north facing temple and has the other Bharati Matha Burial temples in the east, the historic Talesvara temple in the west and in the northern and southern regions has the compound walls of the burial temples.
Architecture
The low platform of this temple is 4.20m long and 2.38m wide and 0.40m tall. The vimana and the jagamohana are square in shape and have a measurement of 1.38sq m and 2.08sq m respectively. As already explained, the vimana belongs to pidha order and when elevated, the bada, gandi and mastaka, measure totally to 3.06m from the pabhaga to kalasa. The jagamohana has two tiers. The bada has a triangular pattern which measures up to 1.13m, out of which the pabhaga is 0.29m; jangha is 0.54m and baranda 0.30m)
The gandi has five tiers in the backward direction and the mastaka is 0.53m tall and it is made up of beki, ghanta, amalaka, khapuri and kalasa. The jagamohana also follows the triangular bada portion which measures around 1.58m out of which pabhaga is 0.37m, jangha is 0.91m and baranda is 0.22m. The raha niches around the temples are all empty and have uniform architecture. The doorjambs are highly decorative and are the colourful features in the temple. The doorjambs of the vimanas are 0.70m tall and 0.47m wide. These have entrances in the northern, southern and eastern sides of the temple. The main building material used is ocherous sandstone and the main technique used for building this temple is Ashlar masonry and cement plaster. Like all other shrines this temple also follows the Kalinga architectural pattern.
How To Reach
By Air
Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport to this temple. There are lots of direct and connecting flights from and to all main cities in the country from here.
By Rail
Bhubaneswar railway station is the nearest station with the Lingaraj Tmp Rd railway station also within close proximity to the temple.
By Road
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Konark and Puri are some of the main cities, from which there are lots of private and government cabs (both air-conditioned and normal) to the temple.
Important Shrines
This Bharati Mata group has 9 small temples that are an ode to the Maha Mahantas who were pillars of the Hindu religion. It is worth visiting all Shiva shrines that are in close proximity to the temple.
Significance Of The Temple
The very fact that these are burial temples is quite unique and triggers curiosity among the devotees. This is a perfect symbol of recognizing the contribution of the Mahantas to the development of the Hindu religion.
Attraction
There are various Shiva temples in around the vicinity of the Bharati Mata Burial temple, significant among them, being the Lingaraj temple, Astasambhu Siva temples, Ananta Vasudeva temple, Ram Mandir and the Brahma Temple.
Weather And Time To Visit
This temple can be most enjoyed when visited during the months of September to November. Rath Yatra (June or July), Mahashivarathri (Feb or Mar), Karthik Purnima etc. are some of the festivals that see thousands of people visiting this temple.
Accommodation
There are lots of options for tourists in and around Bhubaneswar. There are various hotels that cater to people with different affordability rates. These are both government owned and private owned.
Tips For Devotees
Devotees are expected to maintain utmost cleanliness when visiting the temple and they should refrain from littering the place as it causes disrespect to the cultural heritage of the temple.
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