8. Alam Candi Temple (in Kumbharapara)

The temple of Alam Candi is situated in the Kumbharapara area near the Atharanala bridge of the ksetra. Skanda Purana has made a reference to Alam Candi staying in the northern side of the Jagannatha temple to protect the Ratnavedi. This temple is built in sand stones. It consists of three structures such as vimana, jagamohana and natamandapa (Pl.No-26). The temple faces to east. 270

VimanaThe vimana of the Alam Candi temple is a panca ratha rekha deula and its height is about 30 feet from the surface of the temple complex. 39 The base of the bada is square of 15 feet. The bada is pancanga type i.e. having five divisions such as pabhaga, tala jangha, bandhana, upper jangha and baranda. The pabhaga of the bada is devoid of decorative ornamentation. The intervening recesses between the pagas of the tala jangha as well as upper jangha are filled with simha vidalas, gaja vidalas, alasakanyas and dancing female figures with musical instruments in their hands. The bandhana of the bada consists of single moulding. The baranda of the bada is completely undecorated. Parsvadevatas.The three sides central niches of the bada are housed with parsvadevata images of devi Sodasi, devi Kalika and devi Matangi. Devi Sodasi is the parsvadevata of the southern side. The six armed devi Sodasi has been installed on the plain pedestal. Her leftside hands display pothi or jataka, flower and bow while the right side hands hold conch, trident and flower respectively. Devi Kalika is the parsvadevata of the westernside. The four armed devi (Kalika) has been installed on the plain pedestal. She is carved in standing posture on the prostrait body of Lord Siva. Here, the devi wears a garland of skulls in her body. She holds khadga in right upper hand, a pana patra in right lower hand, the backbone of a man in left upper hand and a cutting head in left lower hand respectively. Devi Matangi is the parsvadevata of the northern side. The four handed devi image has been installed on the double petalled lotus pedestal. She displays pasa in right upper hand, Sivalingam in right lower hand, ankusa in left upper hand and a pot containing (stone) object in left lower hand. She wears a garland of flower in her body. All the side deities of the temple are made of granite.. The bada of the vimana is surmounted by the curvilinear superstructure, which displays five pagas. The entire gandi of the vimana is thickly plastered with lime mortar. So the decorative elements of the gandi are not visible. The middle portion of the raha paga is projected with jhapa simha on each side. Dopichha lions have been fixed on the top of the kanika pagas of the gandi. Deula Carini figures are inserted in the four cardinal directions of the beki above rahas as the 271

supporting elements of the amalaka sila of the mastaka. The mastaka of the vimana consists of beki, amalaka sila, khapuri, kalasa, ayudha (cakra) and dhvaja The sanctum preserves the image of devi Alam Candi as the presiding deity of the temple. Here, Alam Candi is in the form of four armed Durga image. 'She has been installed on the prostrait body of a corpse, which lies upon the simhasana of 1 foot high. She displays knife in right upper hand, padma in right lower hand, trident in left upper hand and rosary in left lower hand respectively. The simhasana of the deity is decorated with scroll works, flower devices and creeper designs. There is an image of Mahisamardini Durga, the replica of the presiding deity, found from the simhasana and it is made of brass. The backside head of devi (presiding deity) is decorated with trefoil makara headed arch. Inner walls of the sanctum are completely undecorated. The doorway of the sanctum is devoid of decorative ornamentations. Jagamohana.The jagamohana of the temple is a pidha deula and its height is about 20 feet from the surface of the temple complex. 40 The bada of the jagamohana is pancanga type like the bada of the vimana. The base of the bada is square of 15 feet. All the component parts of the bada are devoid of decorative ornamention. The bada of the jagamohana is surmounted by the pyramidal superstructure. It consists of two potalas, the lower and upper potalas, which contain three and two pidhas respectively. Each pidha is decorated with tankus in all sides. Two jhapa simhas are projected on both the southern and northern side rahas of the gandi in successive order. One jhapa simha is also projected on the middle raha paga of the western side of the sikhara. Dopichha lions are projected on the top of kanika pagas of the gandi. Deula Carini figures are found at the four cardinal directions of the beki above rahas. They are acting as the supporting elements to the amalaka sila of the mastaka. The mastaka of the jagamohana consists of beki, ghanta above which there is another beki, amalaka sila, khapuri, kalasa,ayudha(cakra) and dhvaja . The jagamohana has two doorways; one on the eastern side and another in the southern side. The doorway of the southern side is completely undecorated. The doorjambs and the doorway lintel are plain. Navagrahas are carved on the 272

architrave above the doorway lintel. They are all in padmasana postures with usual attributes in their hands. The inner walls of the jagamohana are mostly undecorated. There is only an image of Mahavira installed on the plain pedestal. His right hand holds a huge rock (Gandha Mardana Parvata) and the left hand possesses a gada (mace) as the usual elements. Natamandapa:The natamandapa of the temple is a flat roof structure and its height is about 12 feet. The structure is built in the 2nd half of the twentieth century AD. The outer walls of the natamandapa are completely undecorated. Lion, the mount of devi is installed in the floor of the natamandapa. The niches of the inner walls of natamandapa are housed with Dasamahavidya figures. They are such as Kali, Tara, Bhairavii, Chinna mastha, Dhumabati, Sodasi, Matangi, Kamala, Bhubanesvari and Bagalamukhi. Brief descriptions of the Dasamahavidyas are mentioned as follows. The four armed image of Kali has been installed on the prostrait body of Siva. She displays gada in right upper hand, varada mudra in right lower hand, a blood pot in left upper hand and cutting head in left lower hand. She wears a garland of skulls in her body. The four handed image of devi Tara is carved in standing posture on the prostrait body of a male figure. She displays abhaya mudra in right upper hand, a pana patra in right lower hand, khadga in left upper hand and scissor in left lower hand respectively. She also wears a garland of skulls in her body. The four armed image of devi Bhairavi is carved in seated posture on lion and one of her legs is on the chest of an asura. Her right upper hand displays cakra, left upper hand holds conch and the lower two hands in the posture of holding trident but here the trident is completely missing. The two armed image of devi Chhinna mastha has been installed on the plain pedestal. She displays khadga and own cutting head in her two hands. Blood are being sprayed from her cutting neck portion. Two female attendant figures are standing on the both sides of devi. The two armed image of devi Dhumavati is carved in kneeling posture. Her two hands are engaged in domestic work with a kula (winnowing fan). 273

The four armed image of devi Sodasi is installed on the lotus, which raised from the navel of Lord Siva. Her four hands display bow, arrow, flower and empty hand. The four armed image of devi Matangi has been installed on the plain pedestal and she possesses khadga, gada, amkusa and pasa in her four hands. The four handed image of devi Kamala has been installed on the lotus petalled pedestal. She displays gada, snake, abhaya mudra and varada mudra in her four hands. The four armed image of devi Bhubanesvari has been installed on the flower shaped pedestal. Her upper two hands display khadga and shield while the lower two hands are in dancing posture. The two armed image of devi Bagalamukhi is carved in ugra posture. Probably, she is in gesture of killing to an asura who is in kneeling posture before devi. All the Dasamahavidya figures are carefully housed in the niches of the inner walls of natamandapa. Most probably, these figures are installed during the construction period of the natamandapa. The gaja-simhas or lions on croachant elephants are installed on the both sides of the main doorway of the natamandapa. They are acting as the dvarapalas of the temple. During the time of Navakalevara, daru Brahma coming from different places for the making of deities are placed here and entered with a procession. The procession is accompanied by Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, saints, mahantas of mathas, sevayats of Jagannatha temple. Chatras are placed on the daru Brahma and camaras are used in the procession. The temple is connected with Saptapuri puja of Lord Jagannatha temple. On the day of Saptapuri Amabasya, Saptapuri is sent to this temple from the Jagannatha temple for bhoga. It is reported that in good old days Raja and Maharajas and other distinguished guests, stay here for obtaining permission to enter into Sriksetra. The temple is being managed by priest (Padhi) community of Puri town. Date of the Temple: B.K. Ratha has referred that the Alam Candi temple was constructed in the sixteenth century AD." On the basis of the architectural features, the construction 274

period of the Alam Candi temple can be tentatively assigned to the 2nd half of the 16th century AD.