Chapter 2 - Characteristics features of Orissan Temples

repeated in the same position of the Satrughneśvara temple; the rāhāpaga of the vimāna on the southern side bears the panel depicting Śiva begging food from his consort. The recessed kanthi of the Svarnajaḷeśvara temple is relieved with scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata such as, the meeting between Rāma and Surgriba, Rāma killing the golden deer, Rāma killing Bali and the fight between Arjuna and Śiva in the guise of Kiräta. Mythological scenes have also been carved in the recessed kanthi of the Satrughneśvara temple. The edges of the lower eaves of the mukhaśaḷā roof of the Śiśireśvara temple are relieved with reliefs from the epics. We can also notice scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa on the lower most eayes of the mukhaśāḷā of the Simhanātha temple. Some of the episodes can be recognized in the reliefs of the Svarnajaḷeśvara, Varāhī temple at Caurāsī, Gaurī temple at Bhubaneswar, Sun temple at Koṇārka (detached sculpture in the Orissa State Museum), Anantavāsudeva temple at Bhubaneswar, Somanātha temple at Viṣṇupur and the bhogamaṇḍapa of Jagannatha temple at Puri. Some of the loose slabs found near the Māṇikeśvara temple at Sukleśvara are relieved with scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa. The sculptures of the temple give us some indication about the mode of their carving. Some of the Orissan temple sculptures were lime washed, plastered or painted with red and taces of these are still visible. “The sculptures of Parasurameśvara and Muktesvara temples at Bhubaneswar and of the Koṇārka temples were lime-washed at different intervals of time, and those of the Lingaraja coated with fine plaster consisting of 3 parts of lime and 1 part of sand". 112 The brick red paint applied on the Mukteśvara temple at Bhubaneswar was prepared by the mixture of clay with local red ochre or haematite. 113 The sculptures engraved in the bhogamaṇḍapa of the Lord Jagannatha temple, are made of yellowish sand stone rendered red-ochre. The brief survey of the various aspects of sculpture given above shows not only the achievements of Orissan art but also gives us fair insight into their characterstic features. As in other parts of India, stone is the material par excellence for sculptures in Orissa and besides Khondalite, the sculptors made use of hard chlorite in which an almost metallic finish was possible. The Orissan scuptors have shown their calibre by mastering over technique. They could care both large and tiny figures with astonishing skill and precision. In the Indian art, as a whole, the sculptures of Orissa occupy an honoured positon and even if palced side by side 71