Annakoteshwara Temple, Annakoteswar Temple, or Annakotisvara Siva Temple is located in Latadeipur in Gondia tehsil in

Dhenkanal district Dhenkanal district is one of the 30 districts of the state of Odisha in Eastern India. History Geography Dhenkanal district is one of the centrally located districts in Odisha. It lies between Longitude: 85° 58' to 86° 2' East and Latitude ...

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

, India. The Temple is dedicated to

Lord Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. Shiva is known as ''The Destroyer' ...

with a stone

shivalinga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

Architecture

The temple is a

pancharatha A Hindu temple is a ''pancharatha'' when there are five ''ratha'' (on plan) or ''paga'' (on elevation) on the tower of the temple (generally a ''shikhara''). The rathas are vertical offset projection or facets. The name comes from the sanskrit ...

temple having Rekha deula (

Vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also menti ...

) and a Pidha deula. The temple is decorated with Khakharamundi and Pidhamundis along the main Vimana. Several detached sculptures are kept in care. On the basis of construction the temple can be said to be built around 16th century during Suryavamsi Gajapati rule. The

Garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' () is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "holy of holies" or " sanctum sanctorum". The term ''garbhagriha'' (literally, "womb chamber") comes from the Sanskrit words ''garbha'' for ...

houses a circular

Yoni ''Yoni'' (Sanskrit: योनि, ), sometimes called ''pindika'', is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu goddess Shakti. It is usually shown with ''linga'' – its masculine counterpart. Together, they symbolize the merging ...

peetha only. The

Linga A lingam ( , lit. "sign, symbol or mark"), sometimes referred to as linga or Shiva linga, is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu god Shiva in Shaivism. The word ''lingam'' is found in the Upanishads and epic literature, wher ...

murthy is displaced by attacks of

Kalapahad Kala Pahaṛ or Kalapahada (in Odia language) was a Bengali Muslim General of the Bengal Sultanate under the reigning Karrani Dynasty. According to traditional narratives pieced together since late 18th century, Kalapahaṛ was a Bengali Brahmin ...

who was a Muslim invader from the

nawab Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kingdom of Saxony, Kings of ...

s of

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

near

Murshidabad Murshidabad (), is a town in the Indian States and territories of India, state of West Bengal. This town is the headquarters of Lalbag subdivision of Murshidabad district. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hooghly river, Bhagirathi Riv ...

. The temple is listed as a monument by the

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...

References

External links

photos of Annakoteshwarareport
Hindu temples in Dhenkanal district Shiva temples in Odisha Archaeological monuments in Odisha Hindu temples sacked in the Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent {{Odisha-hindu-temple-stub