The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c17.s1.102

v2.c17.s1.102

**Uttaresavra Temple**—Reference has already been made to the mango tope on the north bank of the Vindusāgara tank (p. [69]). It is a pleasant place, and now frequently used as encamping-ground for Europeans who visit the temple-city. Its situation and romantic appearance led to its being selected as the site of a hermitage (*āśrama*), and the hermits who dwelt there built, from time to time, a few small temples. The group of temples thus produced comprises no structure of any architectural or artistic importance, and most of the temples are more or less in ruins. But in the local legends the most prominent temple of the group—that dedicated to Uttareśvara, "the Lord of the North,"—is held in high estimation. It is said in the *Ekāmra Purāṇa*, that once upon a time Śiva assumed here a terrific form; his body was of a tawny colour besmeared with ashes, his breast was net-worked by serpents and a garland formed of the stars and planets, his face was fierce and distorted, with three eyes and a big flowing beard, the atmosphere formed his only raiment, on his shoulders was a tiger skin, and in his hands he held a skull and a club mounted with a human skull, around him stood a dreadful host of hobgoblins. To entertain him the Devi assumed most fanciful forms, now tall, anon short, now big, anon small, now thick and bulky and immediately after fleshless with sunken or distorted eyes, hilarious with wine, and singing amidst her demoniac followers. The temple marks the site where this masquerade was played, and it is said to be one of the holiest places on earth, and a visit to it the surest means of securing immediate perfection. The only other temple of the group which attained any distinction is called Bhmīmeśvara, from the circumstance, it is alleged, of Bhīma, one of the Pāṇḍu brothers, having visited the place, and erected the temple to mark his respect for the dread god. Of course the story is pure fiction, and there is nothing to show that any of the Pāṇḍus ever came to the place, even if it could be assumed that it was at the early times of the Pāṇḍus a locality of sufficient importance or interest to be worth visiting.