Suka Temple, Hindu temple in Old Town, Bhubaneswar, India.
Suka Temple is a Hindu shrine located in the old quarter of Bhubaneswar, distinguished by detailed stone carvings covering its surface. Lotus motifs and scrollwork run vertically along the structure, creating a rhythm of ornamental detail.
The shrine was built during the Ganga dynasty in the 13th century, representing a mature phase of Odisha's regional architectural traditions. Its saptaratha design reflects the refined building practices of that period.
The temple's name, Suka, refers to the parrot, and a series of ducks is carved along the architrave of the raha niche. On the lintel above the doorjambs, Gaja-Lakshmi sits in lalitasana on a padmasana, flanked by two female figures beside the niche. The empty raha niches on three sides once held the parsvadevatas.
Suka Temple stands on Sankarananda Street in Uttaradaraja Badu Sahi, Old Town, on the southern embankment of the Bindusagar tank, about 50 metres from the water. Its floor lies 1.80 metres below present ground level, so the base mouldings are partly hidden; the west-facing entrance is reached by going down. The building is abandoned and not in use, so it is seen from outside.
The temple stands 1.80 metres below the present ground level, so visitors look down onto its base mouldings from the street. Its ten-storey height is marked by ten bhumi-amlas on the kanika paga, each with four bhumi barandis. The empty raha niches on three sides measure 0.90 by 0.45 metres and are 0.23 metres deep.
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