Photo: Sushant (Bubby), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The old town of Bhubaneswar is situated around the Bindu Saravor. The majority of Bhubaneswar's temples are located all around the lake. The lake dates back to 7th - 8th century and is contemporary with some of the oldest temples of the city. The Brahma temple is located at the middle of Bind Saravor lake and with no regular ferry service the temple is generally inaccessible. But on the 42nd day of Chandan Yatra festival, the temple becomes a ritualistic centre, as the image of Lord Lingaraja pays a visit here by boat.
The Brahma Temple is located on the eastern embankment of the Bindusara River, on the left side road leading from Lingaraj Temple. The temple is surrounded by the Bindusagar Tank on the west in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
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ଅନନ୍ତ ବାସୁଦେବ ଦେଉଳ Ononto Bāsudebo Deulo
This 13th-century temple is on the eastern side of Bindu Saravar. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna. Krishna along with Balaram and Subhadra are worshipped out here. It is the first of the large temples of Odisha and is a classic example of Orissa Temple Architecture. The temple consists of the Bhog Mandap (Bhog distribution area), Nat Mandir (dance area), Jogmohan (assembly area) and the Biman, housing the Garbha Griha (inner sanctum). The outer walls of the temple contain intricate sculptures, many of which have been severely damaged. Sadly this magnificent temple is poorly maintained as dozen of priests are busy cooking the bhog at the temple complex. The shoot ejected out of the wood fire has blackened major portion of the yellow sandstones of the temple.
The 8th-century temple has a newly constructed jogmohan, built of sandstone block, with no ornamentation. The original jagmohan has been lost long back and the vimana contains some intricate ornamentation.
According to legend, the temple is named after Mohini Devi, queen of Sivakara II of the Bhauma (Kara) dynasty, but historians doubt regarding it. The temple dedicated to Devi Chamunda and is severely encroached upon.
This temple complex housing three temples lie on the northern edge of Bindu Saravor. The complex also houses a stone line tank known as Godavari Kund. The Uttaresvara and Bhimesvara Temple have been totally reconstructed and have cement plastered walls with bright yellow paint. A few statues of Ganesha, Kartikeya and Kama (with Rati and Priti) have been set on the outer plaster walls of Uttaresvara Temple. Asta Shambhu Temples is a cluster of eight temples, which still maintains its antiquity. The temples consisting of only the vimana have varying heights ranging between 4.2 m and 6.1 m. Five of the temples are in a single alignment and rest there lies at the corner of the Godavari Kund.
Sampoornajaleswara Temple lies on the west of Lingaraja West Canal and is approachable from the Subarnajaleswara Temple by a small bridge spanning over the Lingaraja West Canal. The temple dates back to the 9th-10th century. Unlike its counterpart on the other side of the canal, this temple has rich ornamentation on its outer wall.
Sukha Sari is a temple complex housing the Sukha, Sari and another unnamed temple. Located on the northern end on the complex the west facing Sari Temple is the largest temple of the complex. Built in typical Odiya style is consists of the interconnected jagmohan and viman. It was probably built during the 13th century and corresponds to the Ganga dynasty. The temple has intricate ornamentation on the outer walls including human figures, deities, scroll work and floral motifs. The northern niche contains a beautiful statue of Parvati, Sadly the statues in the other two niches have gone missing. The temple complex has gone through an extensive archaeological excavation in 2014 revealing lower parts of the temple, which have been buried for centuries. The excavation also unearthed the remains of a further five temples, some of which may date back as early as the 7th century CE. Sarai temple lies south of the Sukha temple. It was built during the same time as Sukha Temple. The temple is west facing and consists of only the vimana, but the jagmohan footprints are clearly visible on the stone platform. The ornamentation of Sari is subjected to severe weathering but a few panels have remained intact over centuries and demand a closer look. The compound also houses a third nameless temple, consisting of the vimana only.