Jagannatha Temple, Baripada

The Jagannatha temple otherwise known as Haribaladeva Mahaprabhu temple is located on the right side of Bada Bazar Road and 500m south-east of M.P.C. College at Baripada. It has a rekha vimana and pidha jagamohana of Kalingan order. The jagamohana is further followed by a pidha ardhamandapa and a flat mandapa. All the components are standing over a common high pedestal within a large compound wall. This temple was built by Vidhyanath Bhanja in saka 1497 i.e. 1575 CE182.

A few Jaina Tirthankara images viz., two Parsvanatha images worshipped as Ananta/Narayana and one Risabhanatha image in the Jagannatha temple are found (Pls.LXXXVIB-LXXXVID).

Risabhanatha:

The image of Risabhanatha (50x26cm) is attached on the inner wall of the jagamohana. He is standing in kayotsarga posture over a lotus pedestal and below which his lanchana bull and a kneeling devotee with folded hands is found. He is surrounded by twenty three Tirthankaras in kayotsarga posture along with their respective lanchanas and flanked by chauri bearers. The Tirthankara has jata hairstyle but his usual halo behind the head is absent here for the first time. Two beaded chains are hanged on either side of the head of the Tirthankara forming a rectangular shape and crowned with a trilinear umbrella. The stone slab has an apsidal end at the top and depicted flying garland bearers and cymbals and drums played with invisible hands on the either corner at the top.

Parsvanatha:

An image of Parsvanatha (40x22cm) is also attached at the inner wall of the jagamohana and worshipped as Basudeva i.e. Lord Visnu. He is standing in kayotsarga posture over a lotus pedestal. He has a seven hooded snake canopy over his head and their coils are shown behind his body. The trilinear umbrella flanked by branches of kevala tree is noticed above the serpent hood. Two naga-nagi figures with folded hands are also shown below the pedestal. The Tirthankara is flanked with bedecked chauri bearers and above them are seated figures of astagrahas, four on each side. Three of the graha figures are missing on the left side of the Tirthankara whose traces are only noticed.

Parsvanatha:

An image of Parsvanatha carved out of chlorite stone found in a small pidha temple at the left side of the main entrance to the temple complex is worshipped as Ananta. He is carved seated in dhyanamudra over a plain pedestal. He has elongated ear-lobe and curly hair over which a twelve hooded snake canopy is noticed which is rarely found in Odisha. The Tirthankara has also a srivatsa mark on his chest.