Mukteshwara Temple

The Mukteswara Temple is located in Bhubaneswar and is dedicated to God Mukteswar. The 'Gem of Odishan Architecture' is the only phrase that can describe the Mukteswara temple. Located in Bhubaneshwar, Mukteshwara Mandir is one of the best temples in the capital city of Odisha. The architectural temple can be reached easily from Bhubaneshwar, which is well-connected to other cities by air, rail and road. Built in 950 A.D., Mukteswara temple is said to be the structure where sculpture and architecture are in synchronization with one another. Mukteswara Mandir is dedicated to God Shiva, who is considered as the most complex God amongst the Hindu Gods. The term 'Mukteswara' suggests "God who gives freedom through Yoga" and this fact is further emphasized by the sculptural images depicted in the temple. Dedicated to God Shiva in the form of Mukteswara, the entire temple is imprinted with figures of ascetics in different poses of meditation. Inside the complex, there are several small shrines that comprise numerous lingams of God Shiva. The sculptural embellishment of the temple boasts of the sagacity of proportion and perspective of the artisans. It also portrays their distinctive talent in the accurate delineation of the minutest things. One more interesting feature about the temple is that it has got a well in its eastern part. It is believed that a dip in this holy well cures the problem of infertility. The structure of the temple represents the transition point between the initial and later phases of the Kalinga School of Temple architecture. At this juncture of time, the construction was done by combining many elements of the old style with new designs and notions. Many improvements were made to the old patterns and then, these changes became the essential features of the later temples. Due to this fact, Mukteswara came to be known as "harbinger of the new culture". Muktesvara deula is a 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India. The temple dates back to 970 CE and is a monument of importance in the study of the development of Hindu temples in Odisha. The stylistic development the Mukteswar marks the culmination of all earlier developments, and initiates a period of experiment which continues for an entire century, as seen in such temples as the Rajarani Temple and Lingaraj temple, both located in Bhubaneswar.