Mukteshvara Temple In Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India Editorial Photo

This is a 10th-century Hindu temple and located in the city of Bhubaneswar. Temple dates back to 950–975 CE. Mukteshvara means `Lord of Freedom`. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva and is one of the prominent tourist attractions of the city.Mukteshvara, or Mukteswar Temple is the `Gem of Odisha architecture` or `Kalinga Architecture`. The temple faces west and is constructed in a lower basement. The pyramidal roof to the ‘jagamohana’, or assembly hall, was the first of its kind. This type of construction supersedes the earlier two tier structure. The temple is enclosed within an octagonal compound wall with elaborate carvings on it. The temple has a porch, called ‘torana’, which acts as the gateway to the octagonal compound. The temple has two structures namely, the ‘vimana’ structure above the sanctum and a ‘mukhasala’, the leading hall, both of which are built on a raised platform. The ‘torana’ is an important feature, dating back to about 900 CE and showing the influence of Buddhist architecture. The ‘vimana’ is square in plan and is built on a raised platform with pilasters in each facade. The ‘shikara’, or tower, has four Natarajas with four kirthimukhas on the four faces. The top portion of the shikara has the kalasa. The shikara is 34 ft. tall, with every inch sculpted with decorative patterns, architectural patterns and sculpted figures