5.11. Parsva Devatas in Odisha art

Another feature of the Orissan (Odisha) temples is that the three side central niches of the bada of vimanas (main deulas) contain images of parsvadevatas, who are closely related to the presiding divinity. For example, the parsva-devatas in a Saiva temple are Ganesa, Kartikeya and Parvati or HaraParvati. In place of Parvati, occasionally the image of Mahisamardini is found. In a Vaisnava temple, the parsvadevatas are three incarnations of Lord Visnu i.e. Varaha, Narasimha and Trivikrama. In a Sun temple different forms of the Sun god are found. While in a Sakta temple they are three forms of devi. In the majority of the temples, parsvadevatas were carved out of separate chlorite stones and then inserted into the niches prepared for the purpose. This has resulted in the loss of parsva-devatas in some of the temples, because they are liable to be removed easily. But in temples like the Vaitala, the Bhrngesvara at Bajrakot, the Svapnesvara at Kualo, and the Manikesvara at Suklesvara the parshva-devatas are carved out of the stones that form the outer walls of the temples. They are carved out of several blocks of stone and the joints are clearly visible on the images. Because of this the images have not been removed from the niches. K.C.Panigrahi finds this technique of carving in the monastic ruins at Ratnagiri and assigns it to the Bhauma epoch. 104 We can notice certain variations in the iconography of the parsvadevata images by which they can be assigned either to early or later period. For example, Ganesa in the earlier temples does not have mouse as his mount but in late temples, mouse is found with him. Similarly Kartikeya is shown with only peacock in the early temples, but in later temples he is shown with both peacock and cock. 65

The flower Ketaka shown in one of the hands of Parvati in the early temples but it changed to lotus in the later temples. In the place of Parvati Mahisamardini appears as the parsvadevata in some temples. Apart from appearing as parsvadevata, this image also occurs separately on the walls of the temples. These images have chronological significance so far as the treatment of the buffalo-demon is concerned. In the earlier temples the goddess is shown killing the demon, which is a buffalo headed human figure. In the later temples, the demon is depicted as issuing out of the decapitated body of the buffalo. In the most cases the goddess has eight hands. The other variations noticed in Mahisamardini images on the temples have no chronological significance.