Ananta Shayana, Hindu temple in Saranga, India.
Ananta Shayana is a temple featuring a 15.4-meter horizontal rock relief of Vishnu reclining on the serpent Ananta, carved into sandstone along the Brahmani riverbank. The carving displays Vishnu with four arms and depicts Brahma seated in meditation on a lotus emerging from the god's navel.
This site was commissioned in the early 9th century during the Bhauma-Kara dynasty, when regional rulers sought to express their devotion to Vishnu through monumental stone carving. The Nandodhbahav feudatory family oversaw the creation of this major religious work.
The stone carving shows how worshippers view Vishnu in his resting form, with the serpent Ananta serving as a symbolic representation of eternity and cosmic support.
The site is easily reached by road from Saranga village, with Dhenkanal railway station and Bhubaneswar airport nearby. The location sits at a modest elevation, making it generally accessible for most visitors.
This site holds one of India's largest horizontal rock-cut sculptures, maintained by the Archaeological Survey to protect it from seasonal flooding along the river. The preservation efforts are necessary because the riverbank location exposes the ancient carving to constant environmental pressures.
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