The temple of Buddhanatha Mahadeva is situated at Garedipanchan village in Balianta tehsil of Khordha district in Odisha, at a distance of 22 kilometres from the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar. According to the archaeological evidences and architectural features, the construction of this temple could be dated back to 13^th Century CE though some historians connect the construction of this magnificent structure with the renowned ruler of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva (1077-1147CE), hence according to their claim the temple could have possibly been built somewhen between 11^th and 12^th Century. This temple is an east-facing shrine having been surrounded primitively by a proper compound wall which is damaged in most of its portions now, however an entrance gate having a roof of pidha mundi is present now which is devoid of any specific intricacy upon its wall and jamb. Just after one enters the temple, he will take a glimpse of the pitha of Natamandap (probably the roof is damaged) and a small hanuman sculpture is being worshipped there and next to the Natamandap there is a Nandi Stambha. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and within the compound wall there is another minor shrine dedicated to Goddess Amrut Lochana (locally known) who can otherwise may referred to as Goddess Parnnashavari or Usnisavijaya, it’s still a topic of debate about the identity of the Devi.

This temple has been constructed in Nagara Style having a Rekha Vimana and a Pidha Jagamohana, as we customarily notice in most of the temples of Kalinga. The temple is saptaratha in its bada plan and the pabhaga of this temple is consisting of five mouldings of conventional design with the centre facet of the vasanta moulding at the top decorated with the mystical elephants (gaja-vidala). The jangha is divided into two stories by a madhyabandhana of three mouldings. The pagas are multifaceted though the pratiratha paga has only a single thin offset on each side while the kanika paga has two and the wider anartha paga has three. The Rekha Vimana of this temple is devoid of carrying any Urushrunga along with it. The mundi design on both stories are of the khakhara order with the khakhara moulding decorated with a vajra-mastaka. In this temple, the parshvadevatas are carved in high relief beneath the crowning vimanika rather than being encased in niches. The dikpalas and their saktis are carved on the lower and upper stories of the kanika paga rather than on the pratiratha paga. The pratiratha paga and the anartha paga are decorated with alasa-kanyas, maithuna motifs and dancing ganas (semidivine yakshas/gandharvas/kinnaras) on both stories so that cult deities are eliminated. The anuraha recesses are filled with vidala motifs on the lower story and alasa-kanya and maithuna motifs on the upper story. There is no tala-garbhika design beneath the raha niche, rather there is only a standard pabhaga design of five mouldings. The lower story is capped by a projecting pidha moulding, with a hamsa frieze carved on its muhanți, a pointed kani and a vasanta relieved with a frieze incorporating numerous animal motifs, the vasanta serving as the base for the upper story. The small upper story has a center niche framed at the sides by scrollwork and flanked by a dancing gana or displayed female and a jagrata motif at the corner. The sandhi-sthala is decorated with a single paga design and an anuraha recess on the side of the deul. The paga is multi-faceted with khakhara-mundis on both stories and a baranda design above. In the three Vimanikas of the gandi, there are three parshvadevatas – Maa Parvati, Kartikeya, and Ganesha.

Interestingly, in contrast to the Saptaratha plan of the bada and baranda, the gandi of this temple has a Pancharatha plan with the kanika, incorporating the pratiratha into its design, disposed in two planes with the corner projecting and rounded, overlaying the first bhumi of the flat portion is a small anga-sikhara which serves visually to terminate the upward thrust of the pratiratha. There is a larger anga-sikhara at the base of the anartha though this horizontal alignment is disrupted by the narrow anuraha recess and the raha which is decorated with a large vajra mastaka crowned by a projecting kirttimukha mask supporting an udyata simha. Above this vajra mastaka design there is a narrow anga-sikhara in the center of the raha. On the front raha, as standard, there is a large anga-sikhara at the base, over the sandhi-sthala, with a small vajra-mastaka and crowning udyata lion projecting from its surface, which elevates the major projecting udyata lion high up on the raha so that it is visible above the pyramidal roof of the jagamohana. Although the top portion of the gandi is missing it appears that the kanika was divided into ten bhumis with seven thin barandis in each bhumi in addition to the ribbed amla. The barandis of the anartha and raha are aligned with those of the kanika though this horizontal thrust is interrupted by the anuraha recess between the raha and anartha which is decorated with superimposed discs extending the height of the gandi, appearing almost like a chain suspended from the top of the spire. Though the crowning members are missing there are numerous dopichha-simhas and seated Bhairava figures which were inserted into the beki now scattered throughout the compound.

The jagamohana has a similar sapta-ratha plan though the pāgas are all approximately the same size. The inside facet of the anartha, next to the gavaksa, is increased in width and decorated as an engaged stambha with a female figure carved in high-relief. The anuraha recess separating it from the gavaksa extends through the pabhaga, as on the deul, where it is designed as a naga/nagi-stambha with a gaja-kranta at its base. The pabhaga consists of five mouldings of conventional design with animal processions carved on the vasanta moulding, the animals appearing even on the offsets rather than just the center facet as on the deul. The jangha is divided into two stories, by a madhya-bandhana which consists of five mouldings rather than three as on the deul. The vasanta moulding on top is decorated with animal processions while a vertical base of scrollwork links all five mouldings at the center of each paga. The center facet of the pagas of both stories is designed as a khakhara-mundi with a kirita on the crown as on the deul. The figures are likewise carved in high-relief rather than encased in niches. The dikpalas and their saktis are carved on the kanika while the other pagas are decorated primarily with Brahmanical deities, ganas or rișhis. The anuraha recesses are filled with visama motifs on the lower story and alasa-kanyas, mithuna/maithuna or ganas in the upper story. The baranda consists of seven mouldings with the wide top one left undecorated. The gavaksa projection has a two-story plan with the lower story designed as a trancated pidha-mundi. The lower story has a large pilaster at each side decorated with a standard pabhaga and a female carved in high-relief on its shaft with an alamba motif and a set of three mouldings at the top. The window is filled with four balusters, each decorated with a female dancer or musician, and is framed on all four sides by a broad band of scrollwork edged by recessed fillets. The lintel above is decorated with wild elephants in the forest. The pabhaga design beneath the window consists of six nāgi- stambhas with a set of four mouldings beneath each. The stambhas are not aligned with the balusters above due to the addition of the frame. The lower story is crowned by a projecting pidha, pointed kaņi and vasanta, the latter serving as the base for the upper story. The gavaksa-mandana or niche of the upper story is flanked by two short pilasters on each side and filled with an elephant procession on the south side and a siksadana motif on the north with a royal figure seated on a low couch fronted by two rows of figures standing with hands folded in anjali. The royal figure has a stringed-bow on his left shoulder while his right hand is extended toward the standing figures. Behind the royal figure are two rows of seated figures holding objects over their shoulders. These scenes occupy only the lower half of the niche with the upper half being filled with a pidha-roof. The niche extends up to the projecting roof where the vajra-mastaka and crowning mastaka members of the first potala serve to terminate the gavaksa design, the overall design of the upper story thus being a pidha-mundi.

The pyramidal roof is partially intact and consists of two potalas of pidha mouldings with five in the lower tier and four in the upper. A vajra-mastaka panel with surmounting mastaka appears above the third moulding of the gavaksa and entrance projections, as mentioned, with the mastaka consisting of a beki, ghaņta and amalaka as on the Parvati temple. The mastaka crowning the pyramidal roof is mostly missing except for portions of the ghanta. The front portion of the roof is completely missing so that the interior of the jagamohana, with its corbelled ceiling, is well lighted.

The doorframe leading into the sanctum is well preserved and ornately decorated except for the nandavarta steps which, though assuming the standard circular shape, are devoid of ornamental details. The blocks beneath the dvarapala niches are carved with a lion motif. The dvarapalas are housed in a vajra-mundi at the base of the jambs with the crowning kirita design being rectangular. The niche is framed by scrollwork at the sides. The four-armed dvarapalas stand in a slightly flexed pose holding a sword in their uplifted right hand and a trident in the left. The lower right hand is extended, possibly in varada, while the other left hand holds an indistinct object. Vestiges of a garland or vanamala hanging to the knees are visible on both guards but in general the facial features and body ornamentation are badly worn. There are five bands of scrollwork with a band of intertwining naga/nagi tails (naga-bandha) and one of superimposed female figures standing under a floral canopy added to the standard kuțila, gelaba and jalapatra bands. On the lintel the gelaba scroll continues awkwardly across in a horizontal manner, rather than being transformed into a frieze of vidyadhara couples in the standard manner, while the standing female figures become vidyadaraņis. Gaja Lakshmi appears in a pidha-mundi in the center of the lintel while a navagraha slab, supported by an iron beam, decorates the architrave. The doorframe of the jagamohana was a near duplicate of the sanctum door though only the lower portion remains intact. The blocks beneath the dvarapalas were left plain while the kirita design above the niche was taller. There are likewise five bands of scrollwork and the dvarapalas are identically posed.

Some other pictures of the premises-

Natamandap of the temple with a broken torana.

Celestial damsels on gavaksha balusters.

Maa Parvati as Parshvadevi

Kartikeya

Ganesha

Vishnu (inside Jagamohana)

Lesser Known Buddhanatha Shiva Temple

Utkala is the land of excellence in art and architecture. There are plenty of ancient Shiva temples across the state which hold immense spiritual significance