5/5 Snehasis M. 1 year ago on Google
ARUNA
STAMBHA
(PILLAR),
JAGANNATH
TEMPLE,
PURI
The
Aruna
stamba
or
pillar
is
a
masterpiece
of
art
that
bears
eloquent
testimony
to
the
impeccable
history
of
Odia
sculpture.
It
is
a
striking
monument
of
marked
elegance,
stands
in
front
of
the
main
gate
(lion
gate
or
simha
dwara)
of
Shree
Jagannath
Temple.
The
pillar
is
named
so
after
the
name
of
Aruna,
the
charioteer
of
the
Sun
God.
It
is
a
magnificent
sixteen-sided
monolithic
column
of
chlorite
stone
set
on
an
exquisite
pedestal,
delicately
carved
of
the
same
material.
This
pillar
is
of
the
most
sumptuous
description,
the
like
of
which
are
to
be
seen
nowhere
else
in
India.
It
is
7.7
metre
in
height,
60
cm
in
diameter,
and
1.92
metre
in
circumference.
The
exquisitely
carved
pedestal
on
which
the
Aruna
stambha
stands
is
of
2.36
metre
square
and
1.8
metre
high,
and
has
a
capital
on
the
top
of
76
cm
high,
over
which
mounted
an
elegant
statue
of
Aruna,
the
charioteer
of
the
Sun
God
Surya,
in
a
prayer
mode.
The
capital
is
formed
of
two
rings
surmounted
by
a
series
of
lotus
petals.
The
measurements,
thus,
give
a
total
height
of
10.26
metre
from
the
ground,
including
the
pedestal
to
the
top
of
the
capital.
The
date
of
this
pillar
can
be
traced
back
to
the
early
part
of
13th
century
CE.
One
significant
thing
about
the
Arun
stambha
is
that
originally
it
used
to
stand
before
the
Sun
temple
at
Konark
from
where
it
was
shifted
by
the
Marathas
to
its
present
site
in
the
18th
century
CE.
It
is
said
that
this
beautiful
pillar
was
erected
in
honour
of
the
sun
God
at
Konark.
But
when
the
Konark
temple
was
abandoned
and
worship
ceased
there,
in
absence
of
the
presiding
deity,
this
pillar
was
brought
to
Puri
in
the
last
quarter
of
the
18th
century
CE.
This
pillar
re-erected
it
in
front
of
the
simha
dwara
of
Shree
Jagannath
temple
where
we
see
it
now.