Art Of Orissa

Back in Central India, the temple art reached its zenith during the medieval period before the arrival of the Muslims. The climactic feature which developed during this time was the Jagmohan, the plain rectangular Assembly Hall with a pyramidal roof, at the end of which rose a tower (or deul as it is called in Orissa), and which now had a distinct beehive shape known as rekha with a rounded vase of plenty at the tip. This is beautifully exemplified in the Parshuram temple at Bhubhaneshwar where this style began in 750 AD. The Mukteshwar temple about 200 years later in date saw the Jagmohan and its pyramidal roof come of age. Also famous amongst the Orissan temples of this time are the great Lingaraja temple and the Raja-Rani temple (AD 1000) noted for their splendid sculptures.