SSC
The Jagannath Temple at Puri, Odisha, is built in which form of temple architecture?
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Answer: Option B — Rekha Deula
Detailed Solution
The main temple (sanctum tower) of the Jagannath Temple at Puri is built in the "Rekha Deula" style of Odishan temple architecture.
About Odishan temple architecture:
Temples in Odisha are called "deulas" (deul). The style developed between the 7th and 13th centuries.
There are three main forms of deula:
Rekha Deula: a tall, curvilinear tower (shikhara) over the sanctum ("garbhagriha"). It is the main form used for the sanctum. Examples: the Jagannath Temple (Puri) and the Lingaraja Temple (Bhubaneswar).
Pidha Deula: a square building with a pyramid-shaped roof made of horizontal tiers ("pidhas"). It is used for the assembly hall ("jagamohana") in front of the sanctum.
Khakhara Deula: a rectangular building with a barrel-vaulted (wagon-shaped) roof, usually used for temples of goddesses (Shakti). Example: the Vaital Deula in Bhubaneswar.
A typical Odishan temple has a sequence of halls: the deula (sanctum), the jagamohana (assembly hall), the nata mandira (dance hall) and the bhoga mandapa (offering hall).
About the Jagannath Temple:
It was built in the 12th century by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, and completed by his successor Anangabhima Deva III.
It is dedicated to Lord Jagannath (a form of Vishnu or Krishna), along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. The deities are made of neem wood.
Its main tower is about 65 metres high, and is topped by the "Nila Chakra" (a metal wheel) and a flag that is changed every day.
Its temple kitchen is one of the largest in the world; the "Mahaprasad" is cooked in earthen pots.
It is famous for the annual "Rath Yatra" (chariot festival).
It is sometimes called the "White Pagoda" by European sailors (as opposed to Konark's "Black Pagoda").
Non-Hindus are not allowed inside the temple.
Its "Ratna Bhandar" (treasury) was reopened in 2024 for an inventory after 46 years.
Other temple styles:
Vesara: a mix of the northern and southern styles, used by the Chalukyas and Hoysalas in Karnataka.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Pidha Deula is used for the assembly hall (jagamohana), not the main tower.
- ✗Khakhara Deula is used mainly for goddess temples.
- ✗Vesara is a Deccan style, not the Odishan form used at Puri.
Quick tip
Remember: Jagannath Temple, Puri = Rekha Deula main tower (12th century; Anantavarman Chodaganga; Eastern Gangas; "White Pagoda"); Pidha Deula = jagamohana; Khakhara Deula = goddess temples (Vaital Deula).
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This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.