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Odisha Bharati Matha Burial Temple
The term, burial temple, came into practice as these temples were built upon the Samadhis of the Mahantas, who belonged to the Matha sect and who dedicated their entire lives for the development of the Hindu religion. This temple is currently not functional as it has been damaged by accumulation of rain water inside the walls and excessive vegetation grown around the campus. However, it is being used as a Hindu pilgrimage centre today, though not as a full-fledged temple.
History
This temple was built in the 11th century AD as this was the time where the Matha Mahantas lived. These Mahantas nominated a valid successor and announced to the whole world about their death, well in advance. When the time to go comes, they just sit at a particular place, meditate with closed eyes and their lives leave them. The devotees and supporters buried these Mahantas then. Small temples were built on top of these burial sites and these temples had a Shiva lingam with a Yoni Pitha.
This a north facing temple that has the other Bharati Mata temples in the east, Talesvara temple in the west and the compound walls of the other burial temples in the north and south. This temple is publicly owned currently and has a multiple-ownership deal. Based on its architectural pattern, this temple was rated B and based on its cultural richness, this temple was rated C. Like all other temples, this belonged to the precinct structure and a Pidha Deul typology.
Architecture
The platform of this temple is 2.17m tall, 2.44m wide and 0.20m tall. The vimana that is originally is 2.08m tall, reaches up to 3.5m when it is elevated, right from the pabhaga to the ghanta. The bada has a triangular pattern and it is 1.42m tall out of which the pabhaga is 0.44m, jangha is 0.70m and the baranda is 0.28m.The gandi has three backward tiers and measure up to 1.63m and the mastaka is 0.30m. The mastaka of this temple contains only the beki and the ghanta.
The doorjambs are decorative and add colour and make the whole temple look vibrant. These doorjambs are 1.02m tall and 0.63m in breath. In this temple, the basic material used for building was laterite and the construction style was Ashlar masonry and cement plaster.
How To Reach
By Air – This temple is very nearby to the Bhubaneswar airport, therefore tourists should get down here for reaching the temple. This airport has many flights to and from most of the important cities in the country.
By Rail – Bhubaneswar railway station is the nearest to the temple, as the temple is just a stone’s throw away from here. The next nearest station is the Lingaraj Tmp Road Station.
By Road – There are lots of car services and cab facilities to the temple from the main cities of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Konark and Puri. Driving down from these cities to this temple is quite easy.
Important Shrines
The Bharati Mata Burial temple has 9 Shiva lingams in it, which are a pleasure for the tourists, as these temples are very good in terms of cultural richness. Some sculptures of Gods from this temple and broken pieces of the temple’s architecture also form part of this temple, which the tourists must visit.
Significance Of The Temple
This temple is visited by a huge number of people every year because the concept of burial temple kindles curiosity in them. This could probably be one of the only burial temples in existence today, though not functional.
Attraction
The Astasambhu Siva temples and the famous Lingaraj shrine is quite nearby for the tourists. They can come here to visit some of the oldest temples in the country and make the optimum use of their visit to Bhubaneswar Bharati Mata Burial temple.
Weather And Time To Visit
Devotees should not visit the temple in the months of March to May (excessive heat), July to August (excessive rainfall) and December to Jan (extreme cold waves). Hence, the best time to go is between the months of September to November, because then the climate is very pleasant.
Accommodation
Premium and budget accommodation facilities are found in Bhubaneswar in huge numbers and the city has been observing a continuous increase in the number of tourists every month. A tourist with any kind of budget is sure to find a place to stay here as there are number of public and private options.
Tips For Devotees
Devotees should maintain pin-drop silence when inside the premises of the temple as a mark of respect to the God and the great Mahantas who are buried beneath the temples.
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