Temples In India

Odisha Patalesvara Siva Temple

This temple stands at 75 feet tall and is exactly located on the Talabazaar Road, which connects the Kedara – Gauri temple and the Lingaraj temples on the way. This temple is graded “B”, in terms of architecture, and “C” on grounds of history, association and social and cultural activities. Today, this temple is located inside a compound wall that belongs to a residential apartment and it is being privately owned.

History

This temple is one of the oldest temples in Orissa that is being used even today. It is deep rooted in culture as it belongs to the Ganga Era, an era where culture and values went hand in hand. This temple is a group of other temples in its vicinity that has Lord Shiva as the main deity. It belongs to the Rekha deul typology and on the basis of its construction, on basis of which a temple is classified as a precinct, building, structure, landscape, site or tank, this temple is classified as a building.

Architecture

Almost all the temple in Orissa and northern Andhra Pradesh followed the Kalinga style of architecture. This temple was no exception to the rule. The basic material used for building this temple was sandstone and the construction pattern that was followed in those days was dry masonry.  This temple is predominantly buried into the ground until up to half of its jangha.  The bada, gandi and mastaka of the temple measure 2.50m, 3m and 1m respectively.

The raha corners of most of the temples in this group are almost half buried into the ground and one unique feature of this temple is the absolute lack of ornaments or decorations inside the sanctum sanctorum.  This look helps all the more in giving the temple an even more serene and sincere look. The only attractive features that add some colour to the temple are the doorjambs. These are 2.10m x 1.50m and are made up three vertical bands around it; namely, puspa sakha, lata sakha and patra sakha.

How To Reach

By Air

Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport to the temple, and it is connected well with flights to most of the important cities in the country.

By Rail

Without doubt, Bhubaneswar railway station is the nearest station to this temple. This is the biggest and busiest station in Orissa that has trains coming in from almost all the cities in the country.

By Road

This temple sees many tourists every year, therefore, the government and some private tour operators have arranged for some cabs from the main cities like Cuttack, Konark and Puri so that the tourists do not feel stranded.

Important Shrines

A visit to the Patalesvara temple is incomplete without visiting the Navagraha shrines that are located separately in the temple premises. Rahu and Kethu are the shrines that are thronged by most people. There is also a small shrine of Lord Natraj, which is also one of the important shrines here.

Significance Of The Temple

The temple is privately owned, hence the maintenance and the care that this temple gets, is much better than most of the other ancient temples that are in a dilapidated condition. This temple is very much in use today, and that, in, itself is a very significant attraction of the temple.

Attraction

There are lots of things to do in and around the Patalesvara temple. Tourists, especially, tourists who love temples are not going to be disappointed as they have some famous and ancient temples like Lingaraj Temple, Astasambhu Siva temples, Anant Vasudeva temple, Ram Mandir, Parsuramevara temple and Champakesvara temples around this.

Weather And Time To Visit

Severe heat waves attack the city during the months of March to May, so this is, naturally not the best time for visiting. June to August bring heavy rainfall to the city, making travel cumbersome. Therefore, the months of September to November are the most suited for coming to this temple, because the climate is very pleasant and cool. If tourists want to avoid getting caught in huge crowds, then it is better not to visit during the Rath Yatra time (July or Aug) and during Mahashivarathri time (Feb or Mar).

Accommodation

There are many options for tourists for staying in Bhubaneswar. There are lots of ancient temples here which see a huge number of people visiting the place every year. Budget accommodations, both state- owned and private, are provided to help people who are looking at some low-cost options.

Tips For Devotees

Like in the case of all temples, devotees are expected to maintain extreme cleanliness and behave in an appropriate manner. Devotees must not engage in loud conversations when inside the temple and should respect the value and tradition of the same.

Photo Gallery