The jagamohana has stunningly beautiful lattice windows on the
outside and a richly sculptured interior, lavishly
embellished with floral motifs, and other figures.
Over the doorway to the inner sanctum the architrave
is relieved with the icons of the navagrahas, the nine planets with Ketu, the ninth planet appearing
in form of a canopied three-headed snake. But in
this temple the sculptured images of the deities
appear without haloes behind their heads, which
is rather peculiar and is obviously a deviation
from the traditional mode of presenting the deities.
Muktesvara means the lord who bestows freedom through
yoga. The Siddeswara Temple is on the same grounds
and has a Ganesh deity.
The outer walls are thickly embroidered with the
figures of ascetics in meditational poses or with
illustrations of tales from the Panchatantra. The niches are filled with the finely filigreed
icons of many gods and goddesses mentioned in the
pantheon of Hindu gods. Some of the figures on the
outer walls of the temple suggest their association
with both Buddhism and Jainism. They thus testify
to the spiritual synthesis and religious harmony
that characterized the Orissan culture. The small
Marichi kund. Between the Muktesvara Temple and
the road, is known to cure infertility in women.
It is a pleasant place to sit for a while.