Mukteswara Temple

Mukteswara Temple in Bhubaneswar is a 10th-century Shiva temple considered one of the most beautiful and perfectly proportioned examples of Kalinga temple architecture. Built around 950 CE, the temple is often described as a gem of Orissan art for the extraordinary quality and inventiveness of its stone carvings. The temple's most celebrated feature is its torana, an ornamental arched gateway decorated with intricate carvings of figures, foliage, and semi-circular arches that show the influence of Buddhist architecture. The carved panels on the outer walls depict women in various poses, Shiva legends, and scenes from the Panchatantra, rendered with a naturalism and vitality that set Mukteswara apart from earlier Orissan temples. A small sacred tank called Marichi Kunda adjoins the temple and is believed to cure infertility. The compact scale of the temple makes its carving density all the more remarkable, and it is considered a transitional monument between the earlier Parasurameswara Temple and the great temples that followed.