Art and Architecture of Some Vaishnavite Temples of Puri Town of Odisha in Eastern India

Abstract

The art and architecture of some minor Vishnavite temples of Puri town are one of the important parts of the temple building activities and techniques of the whole Puri town of Odisha in Eastern India. Most of the earlier art historians and senior scholars had traced the artistic activities and techniques of notable temples of Puri town like Lord Jagannatha, Gundicha, Markandesvara, Yamesvara,etc. All the extant temples of Puri town including the present Vishnavite temples belong to the Kalinga style of temple architecture of Odisha. In fact, the minor Vaishnavite temples of the Puri town are the sacred shrines of Odisha in Eastern India considering their religious significance. The artistic and historical points of view, the extant minor Vaishnavite temples of Puri town are motivating to the scholars, art historians and archaeologists to undertake research works. Some of the Vaishnavite temples of Puri town have to be discussed here are Benu-Madhava temple, Gopinatha temple, Satya-Narayana temple, Madana Mohana temple, Sri-Rama temple, Tota-Gopinatha temple, Chakra-Narasimha temple, Gopaljee temple, Sakhi-Gopala temple, Sunar-Gauranga temple, etc. Methodologically, both the primary and secondary sources have been used in this article to trace the artistic designes, architectural features along with the religious significance of the above minor Vaishnavite temples of Puri town of Odisha in Eastern India.