Brahmani Temple
# Brahmani Temple

Brahmani temple (Odia: ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣୀ ମନ୍ଦିର) is a Hindu and Buddhist temple located in Avana, Baleswar, Odisha, India built in the 10th–11th centuries A.D. It is a living temple and the presiding deity is an eight-armed three-faced Chamunda image. It is a protected monument of Odisha State Archaeology.

## Location

It is on the left bank of the river Son and is about 6 km north of Ajodhya. It is 21 km from the Baleshwar town, Orissa.

## Construction

It is a pidha temple followed by a flat roofed open mandapa. The presiding deity of the temple is an eight-armed Chamunda image and iconographically it can be dated to the 10th–11th centuries A.D. The temple is a modern one but it houses a few important specimen of Buddhist and Saviate sculptures, datable to the same centuries.

### Quantification

* Area dimension (L x B x H): 4.20 m x 4.00 m x 6.50 m
* Number of blocks: Two, vimana followed by a mandapa

### Spatial organization

* Orientation: Facing towards west
* Plan: The vimana is square; mandapa is rectangular
* Allocation of spaces: 10 m x 4.50 m in length and width respectively

### Architectural style

**Ornamentation**

* Exteriors: Plain
* Interiors: Plain
* Movable collections: Four-armed Avaloketesvara, eight-armed and three-faced Chamunda.
* It is a recently built shrine with pancharatha on plan and panchanga bada in elevation.

**Construction technology**

* Structural System: It has a pidha vimana fronted by a flat Jaga mohan. The vimana is pancharatha on plan and panchaga bada in elevation.
* Building techniques: Ashlar masonry
* Material of construction: Laterite used for the temple; the images are made of chlorite stone.

Vermilion and oil is regularly applied over the images by the priest, which may be harmful for the stone carvings in long run.

