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Odisha Astasambhu Siva Temple
The Astasambhu temples are a group of 8 temples that are located in Bhubaneswar, quite nearby to famous places like Cuttack, Konark and Puri. Though these temples are not functional now, the tourists who throng every year to visit the Sun temple at Konark and the Jagannath Rah Yatra at Puri make it a point to visit the Astasambhu Siva temples as well. This is one of the oldest temples in the area. The alignment of 5 out of 8 temples in this group is so perfect, that they are known as Pancha Pandava temples. This is a west facing temple, with the Uttaresvara Siva temple towards the north and the compound wall of this temple towards the south.
History
Dhenekal which is the town, in which the temple is situated in, was initially ruled by Shulki kings. These kings and their forefathers worshipped Lord Shiva as their main deity. Therefore, these temples were built around the 10th century AD. The Bada divisions and the Pabhaga mouldings on the temple prove this point clearly to archaeologists.
This temple is now in a very bad state as the sanctorum has been damaged severely, especially in the inner walls. Rain water started getting accumulated inside the deity’s main location, thereby causing their roofs to crack and causing irreversible damage to the temple. This temple is not functional now and it is now announced as a non-living temple. Ratnakara Gargabatu and family have now taken up the care and maintenance of the temple.
Architecture
The Astasambhu Siva temple VIII was built in the Kalingan style of architecture. Like temples 6 and 7, this temple too used grey sandstone as the main building material and dry masonry as the principal building technique. This temple contains a vimana and a front facing porch with the former measuring 2.10m and the latter measuring 0.33m. This temple contains a cella which measures around 0.90sq m. Like the other temples in the family of the Astasambhu group, here too the vimana can be elevated to about 4.30m.
The bada is triangular in pattern and has an overall height of 1.38m out of which the pabhaga is 0.35m, jangha is 0.69m and the baranda is 0.34m. The gandi and the mastaka of the temples measure about 2.02m and 0.90m respectively. The raha around the temple is 0.43m tall, 0.21m wide and 0.09m deep. Simple doorjambs have a measurement of 1.05m X 0.45m.
How to Reach
By Air
Bhubaneswar, the main airport that is 5km away from the temple is connected very well with almost all cities in the country. The next closest airport is Ranchi which is still around 300km away.
By Rail
Without doubt, Bhubaneswar is the closest railway station as it is only 2km away from the temple. There are direct and connecting trains from and to all the main cities in the country from here.
By Road
This temple is easily accessible as there are many cab facilities from the main tourist places like Cuttack, Konark and Puri as it is tourists who visit these places mainly, who flock to the Astasambhu temples as well.
Important Shrines
All the 8 Shiva lingams in the temples here are great places to be visited. Lord Shiva rules here under the names of Kanakeswar, Swapneswar, Aisneswar, Kapileswar, Baidhyanatheswar, Baneswar and Lokanatheswar. There is also a very attractive, four armed Ganesh shrine here that people visit in large numbers because this is rare posture for Lord Ganesh.
Significance of the Temple
The main significance of the temple has got to be the harmony achieved in the architectural patterns of all the 8 temples in such a synchronized manner.
Attraction
Tourists visiting the Astasambhu Siva temples are in for a pleasant surprise, as they find many options for sight-seeing in and around the temple. Temple lovers have a lot to rejoice as they have the famous, Naganatheswar Temple, Kapilash Temple, Saptasajya and Shri Raghunath temple nearby.
Weather and Time to Visit
These temples can be enjoyed the most when visited in the months between September and November, because that is when the climate is at its best. March to May can be really very hot and June to July can bring torrential rains. It is better not to visit the temple during the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra festival (June or July) and Mahashivarathri (Feb or Mar) as the area tends to get very crowded.
Accommodation
Lots of options have been springing up like mushrooms in every nook and cranny of the city of Bhubaneswar. The accommodation facilities are both government and private owned and the facilities are great at affordable rates. The accommodation industry is one of the most thriving industries here due to the increased number of visitors every year.
Tips for Devotees
Devotees should maintain pin drop silence once inside the temple as making too much of noise is equivalent to disrespecting the history and value of the temple. Devotees should also take care not to litter the campus around the temple as they can be fined for the same.
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