Information of Bharati Matha Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha

The Bharati Matha Temple is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva however the primary deity installed in the temple is of Lord Vishnu. Hence people from both the sects of Hinduism worship in the temple. The Bharati Matha Temple is situated in the old town of Bhubaneswar city of the Indian state of Orissa now known as Odisha. Bhubaneswar is popularly known as the temple city of India which houses the most number of Hindu temples especially dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Bharati Matha Temple Religious Significance

The Bharati Matha Temple as the name implies was basically built as a Hindu monastery where people actually lived. It is much smaller than an ashram and housed people of certain stature. Later on it became a popular temple for the Hindus. Later there was no need for a resident and was transformed into a religious temple.

According to the Vaisnavite sect of Hinduism Lord Vishnu id the ultimate power of Divinity whereas according to the Saivites sect of Hinduism Lord Shiva is the ultimate power. Although Both Vishna and Shiva are just different forms of the same Divinity and just incarnations in different eras. They have created the universe and are preserving and sustaining it as well.

Apart from daily worship of the primary deity there are other ceremonies that go on in the temple like the marriages, thread ceremonies, and name giving and also engagements. Carrying out such rituals in the presence of the Divinity fulfils a person's dream and receives immense blessings from the Lord. One of the festivals celebrated is the Durga puja which is the biggest festival for the Hindus. Durga Puja is celebrated for a span of ten days from ekadashi till dashami. Dhasami is the end of the grand festival and is considered an auspicious day receiving a lots of joy and blessings. Other festivals carried out are the Karthika purnima and Prathamastami.

The Bharati Matha Temple does not belong to any institution but rather a public property open to everyone.

Bharati Matha Temple Mythology & History

The construction of the Bharati Matha dates back to the 12th century by Yajati Kesari who also constructed the famous Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar. The Matha or the monastery was built as residents for the artisans of the beautiful Lingaraj Temple. There was called from far off places so were given a house to live in until the Lingaraj Temple was finished. Later its work as a monastery was over it was converted into a very holy temple of Lord Shiva. Having links with Lingaraj a myth tells us that that during the celebration of Prathamasthami Lord Lingaraj comes every time to visit his uncle in the temple.

Bharati Matha Temple Architectural Significance

The Bharati Matha is not an exception from the Kalinga style architecture commonly seen in Bhubaneshwar. The technique used to build the temple is masonry type. The height of the monument measure 26 metres. The Temple is facing toward the western side and is made up of coarse grey sandstone. It is a three storied structure and measures at height of 11.50 metres. The Bharati Matha Temple is square in shape occupying and area of 26 square metres. The temple is built on an elevated platform of 1.50 metres with seven mouldings. There are three living rooms measuring 6.15 by 3.45 metres. The temple is surrounded by a wall having a height of 2.52 metres.

The temple is simple with no extreme decorations but has Doorjamb with a length of 8.84 metres and 0.35 metres thick. It has a height of 1.70 metres. The wall of the temple encloses a courtyard but the temple is not well maintained. There is an urgent need for restoration as these historical monuments form a pride from the past.