Mukteswar Temple

Mukteswar Temple Review

Bhubaneswar's smallest and probably prettiest temple, built in the 9th century, is set in flowering gardens and tucked away in a quiet residential area. A couple of features in this temple signal the start of a new era in Orissa temple building, like a higher jagamohan (porch) roof. Its red sandstone body is encrusted with intricate carvings, from emaciated, crouching sadhus (Hindu holy men) to voluptuous, buxom women bedecked with jewels. Look out for monkeys that illustrate the folk tales from the famous Panchatantra around the windows in the jagamohan and impressive lions that jut out from its spire. On the left side of the entrance, statues of bearers grimace under the temple's monumental weight. The Mukteswar's most distinctive feature is its torana, a thick-pillared, arched gateway draped with carved strings of beads and ornamented with statues of smiling women in languorous positions. The semi-finished Siddeswara also exists in this compound and across the way stands the Kedar Gouri Temple, with its 8-foot-tall statue of Hanuman, the monkey god. (While here, pop over to the Raghunath Crafts Museum.)