5.5. Other Decorative Designs in Odisha temples

The caitya window medallions are important popular decorative motifs of the temples of Orissa. These motifs resemble with the window on the facade of the rock cut-caitya-hall. In the early temples two superimposed caitya windows have been decorated on the front facade of the deula. About the 10th century AD, as at Muktesvara, only one caitya window is depicted on the raha of the gandi. Flanked by Yaksa figures and crowned by kirtimukha, the motif is extremely elaborate and imposing and is known as bho. In later temples the bho motif continues but in Ganga temples, it is not as striking as at Muktesvara. Appearing on the bada and on the sikhara of the temples they are found enclosing mostly cult 52

images. We do not notice the caitya medallions in such large number in the temples belonging to the later temples. The caitya window designs also appear on other parts of the temple and the Orissan artists have shown their talent in creating new patterns. Vajra-Mastakas.The vajra-mastakas are prominent ornament on the gandi, smaller examples on other parts of the temple, consisting of caitya medallions formed by pearls or ribbons issuing from a kirtimukha or lotus design at the apex. The symbolism is complex and involves dual complementary Agni and Soma characteristics. Among the motifs incorporated into the design are lions, makaras, gandharvas, ganas, mithunas and deity viz Nataraja, conch shells and a hanging bell. When the wings support ganas, it is called a bho. It was believed that the security of a temple depended on the strength and stability of this ornament.84 Kirtimukha: The kirtimukha or the "face of glory" is an important decorative motif on Orissan temple. Originally, it meant a hideous mask. The design represents a fierce-looking lions head with its bulging eyes, fanciful horns, upper jaw (open mouth) and absence of the chin. Sometimes the motif consists of a lion-face with pearl-strings drippings from its mouth. The kirtimukha is also combined with makara torana and the caitya window. On the religious shrines it has been used as an auspicious symbol to ward off the evils.85 The upper caitya medallions of the vajramastakas on the raha pagas of the vimana of the earlier temples are formed by the strings of pearls issuing from the mouth of the kirtimukha. Here the kirtimukhas appear very prominently. The elaborate bho motifs on the raha pagas of the temples like the Muktesvara and the Gauri are also surmounted by flanked by yaksas holding in their hands chains that inter sects the chain with a bell that hangs down from the mouth of the former. Kirtimukhas also occur in panels on the pilasters forming parts of the wall of the Vaitala temple. In this example, the kirtimukhas are flanked by the vyalas with riders on their backs. Strings of pearls drip from the mouth of both kirtimukhas and flanking lions. Kirtimukhas decorating the pilasters on the walls are also found in the temples of the later period. The only difference that can be marked with the kirtimukha s on the later temples is the enlargement of the hanging strings of pearls. 53

Scroll Works: The scrollwork is the "Orissan ornament par-excellence" and it found its "richest soil in Orissa". In carving scroll work, as D.P. Ghosh points out, "the Orissan sculptors easily excelled his Greek Compeer". Orissan scrollwork, called dali or lata, is extremely beautiful and varied in design. The Orissan artists evolved a number of artistic type locally known as phula-lata, patra-lata, vana-lata, phasa lata, cakri lata, jiva lata etc. The vana-lata represents the luxuriant foliage of the forest. Scrolls containing various animals with tiny circles are called Jiva-lata. The purna ghata or the "vase and foliage" motif was the most typical design found on early temples. Lotus medallions and bands of lotus petals shown in triangular and wavy pattern are prominently shown in the early temples, but in the later temples. these are completely absent. Generally, the pillars and the pilasters are decorated with scroll-works, but in later temples narrow bands of scrollwork also decorate the sikharas. The scrollwork, with its variety, artistic richness and precision in execution requires a separate study by itself. Halos: All the cult images on the temples of the early period invariably have halos behind their heads. Even the dvarapalas have haloes. It is interesting to note that the nayikas of the Vaitala temple are provided with halos and so also the nondivine figures of the Koslesvara temple at Baidyanatha. But in later temples we do not notice haloes even behind the heads of the most of divinities. Door-frame Decoration: The doorframes of the Orissan temples are elaborately ornamented. Even the door frames of the earliest temples are not an exception to it. The jamb consists of three or four bands of decorative designs, which include various floral, creeper motifs, jali work, scrollwork, gelbai, (creepers with frolicking boys), flying apsara figures and occasionally mithuna figures. At Baidyanatha and Carda the innermost jambs are relieved with entwined nagas, but in some later temples like Rajarani massive naga pillars flank the doorjambs. In the mukhasala of the Simhanatha temple figures of Saptamatrkas and Virabhadra in vertical alignment are depicted on either side of the door. In the lower portion of the jambs we generally find dvarapalas and dvarapalikas, sometimes above double vyalas. In the temples of the earlier phase the figures of Ganga and Yamuna with their respective mounts are shown beyond 54

the dvarapalas. But in later temples the figures of these river goddesses do not appear in the same places. The naga figures holding foliated vases with canopies of snake hoods are depicted by side of the dvarapalas in the mukhasala of the Sisiresvara temple. This feature seems to have been borrowed from the Lalitagiri door-frame. In later temples occasionally male and female figures are depicted within niches at the bottom of the jambs. The gelbai design occurs on the doorframes of temples. C.L. Fabri describes these designs as "the most attractive and original specially of Orissan decorative art". 87 The image of Gaja-Laksmi is normally carved on the centre of the doorway lintel, but in some temples either Ganesa or Lakulisa takes the place of Gaja-Laksmi. The figures of navagrahas are carved on the architrave above the doorway lintels of the most of temples. Other Decorative Designs: Besides the above decorative elements, other designs have also been used for the purpose of the decoration of walls of the Orissan temples. Of these, the architectural designs such as pidha mundis (miniature representation of pidha deulas) and khakhara mundis (miniature representation of khakhara temples) decorate the subsidiary pagas on the upper and lower janghas of both the rekha and pidha deulas respectively. In some (rare) temples we also notice the rekha mundis (miniature representation of rekha deulas) as the decorative elements of the bada. These are the standard decorations for the later temples. The niches of these designs house parsvadevatas, various cult images, mithunas, couples in sexual position and other figures like dikpalas. The temples belonging to earlier phase also contains some other decorative designs such as jali and jharavali, which are rarely found in later temples. Decoration with large rounded dots is very popular with the earlier temples like the Parasuramesvara, Svarnajalesvars, Vaitala and Kualo. Even if the dots occur in later temples, these are not as large in size as found in the abovementioned earlier temples.