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Photo: Sailesh Patnaik, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Yameshwar Temple or Jameshwar temple is located opposite of the Bakresvara Temple, both of which are located north west of the Lingraj Temple. The temple dates back to the Ganga period of the 13th century CE. The temple complex houses several structures built long before the Yameshwar Temple. Several of the older structures have been buried under the ground and some of them have also been excavated. Historian opine that the older structures dates back to the 7th century, making it contemporary with the Parasuramesvara Temple, the oldest standing temple of Bhubaneswar. The west facing temple consists of two interconnected sections of jagmohan and vimana. The nat mandir (dance platform) is not connected and located at a distance. Something very unusual for Odia temple architecture, only the Sun Temple of Konark follows this plan. In between the main structure and the nat mandir is a statue of Nandi Bull resting on a small raised mandap (pavilion). The complex contains several shiva lingas, including a sahasra linga, with a surface covered with numerous miniature lingas. The outer walls contain intricate ornamentation many of which weathered off with time and many other has also been damaged.
Yameshwar Temple or Jameshwar Temple is an ancient temple dedicated to the Hindu deities Shiva and Yama. It is located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, near Bharati Matha, in Jameshwar Patna.
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This is one of the few abandoned temples of Bhubaneswar. Architectural evidence suggests that the temple was constructed in the 14 century CE, which corresponds to the late Ganga Dynasty. It follows the traditional Odiya temple style of jagmohan and vimana and the exteriors have very little ornamentation.
ଭାରତୀ ମଠ Bhārotī Moṭho
This is not a temple but a Hindu Monastery dating back to the 11th century CE. The three storied structure dates back to 11th century. It is in very bad condition and large portions of it have already collapsed. According to local belief, the monastery was constructed by Yajati Kesari, the architect of the Lingraj Temple and served as a living quarter for the artisans working on the temple. In front of the Bharati Math stands the Bharati Math Temple. Consisting of only the vimana the temple is partially buried under the present ground level. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is made of coarse sandstone with very limited ornamentation. There are nine small Shiva Temples behind the Bharati Math Temple.
A simple temple following the simple Odiya architecture. It was probably constructed in the 14th century and corresponds to the later Gangaa Dynasty. The temple has only traces of ornamentation, and includes sculptures of Ganesha, Kartikeya and Parvati, housed in their respective central raha niches. The complex also houses a subsidiary shrine located in the south west corner of the complex. It was probably built at an earlier date.
This temple complex houses four temples and the stone-lined pond named Papanasini. The temples are Papanasini, Baneswar, Maitreswara and Varunesvara and were not constructed at the same time. Papanasini is the smallest of the four temples and is on the north west corner of the complex. It is a very small temple dating back to 14th century CE. Next to it on the northern boundary of the complex is the Baneswar Temple. Again a very small temple dating back to 9th century CE, making it the oldest temple in the complex. At the centre of the complex stands the Maitreswara Temple the largest and the most prominent structure of the Papanasini Temple Complex. The temple consists of an interlinking jogmohan and a collapsed vimana. Its construction dates back to the 12th and 14th century and corresponds to the rule of Ganga Dynasty. Varunesvara Temple is the second largest temple of the complex and lies just north of the Papanasini tank. This is the newest temple of the complex. It was probably constructed in the 15th century by Kapilendra Deva, the founder of Gajapati dynasty. Both the jagmohan and viman of this temple has remained intact. The stone lined tank of Papanasini lies at the southern end of the complex. According to legend, a saga meditated in this area for a long time without food and water for a long time and finally, Lord Shiva appeared. The sage wished for the construction of a tank that would be filled with holy water to cleanse the sins of human beings. The Lord granted his wish and hence the name Papanasini, literally meaning “cleanser of sins”. According to historians, the pond was constructed in 11th century.
The 13th-century Shiva Temple is built in the traditional Odiya plan and consists of the two interconnected sections of jagmohan and vimana. Immediately to the north of the temple is a subsidiary shrine. The other wall of the temple and the subsidiary shrine lacks detailed carvings and the niches are empty. The idol of Lord Lingaraj is brought here on the 6th day after Shivaratri.
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.