Sobhaneswar Temple-A Gem of Prachi Valley

Sobhaneswar temple, a 12th century heritage site, is located on the left bank of the river Prachi, a tributary of the river Mahanadi, and on the southwest side of the Niali block.
It is situated just 300 meters away from the Niali-Madhava Road. The temple is majestic in its artistic craftsmanship that is not visible at the first look owing to renovations in the past few decades. However, on stepping inside, you get to see detailed carvings on stones that reflect the times and traditions that prevailed 900 years ago.

It is situated just 300 meters away from the Niali-Madhava Road. The temple is majestic in its artistic craftsmanship that is not visible at the first look owing to renovations in the past few decades. However, on stepping inside, you get to see detailed carvings on stones that reflect the times and traditions that prevailed 900 years ago.

The antiquities of temple are very good with a combination of various Buddhist and Shaivites statues.

A beautiful statue of Buddha, in Dhyana Mudra is one of the main attraction of the temple.

According to details of the Sobhaneswar temple documented in the archaeological section of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, many portions of the temple have been renovated such as the bada portion (lower roof of the temple). The architectural and sculptural features assign the temple to the 12th century.

A statue depicting king of Kalinga with its ministers. Such images are very common in almost all Kalingan temples. According to the legend, these are the kings who ordered their architects and craftsmen to built such type of temples in dedication to their Ishtadevas and Ishtadevis.

There is am image of the persons worshiping Shiva Lingam on the side wall of the temples.

A beautiful statue on the wall of temple.

Image of a deity on the side wall of temple.

Images of Dikpalaks and Dikpalikas, who are the guardians of the directions are also present in the side wall of the temple. The Guardians of the Directions are the deities who rule the specific directions of space according to Hinduism and Vajrayāna Buddhism — especially Kālacakra. As a group of eight deities, they are called Aṣṭa-Dikpāla, literally meaning guardians of eight directions. They are often augmented with two extra deities for the ten directions , when they are known as the Daśa-dikpāla. In Hinduism it is traditional to represent their images on the walls and ceilings of Hindu temples.

Karthikeya , as a parshvadevta on the walls of temple, is the Hindu GOD of war and form of Lord Agni. He is the Commander-in-Chief of the army of the devas. He is also the primary deity of the Kaumaram sect of Hinduism.

Ganesha as a parshvadevta on the walls of temple, also known as Ganapatiand Vinayaka, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains and Buddhists.

A beautiful image of Lakulisha is also present on the side walls of temple. Lakulisha was a prominent Shaivite revivalist, reformist and preceptor of the doctrine of the Pashupatas, one of the oldest sects of Shaivism. According to some scholars, Lakulisha is the founder of the Pashupata sect. While, another section argues that the Pashupata doctrine was already in existence before Lakulisha, and he was only its first formal preceptor. It is believed that he was born in a Brahmin family and lived in Kayavatara or Kayavarohan (present day Karvan), located in Vadodara district of Gujarat state in western India.

Historians suggest that the temple was built during Ganga rule, possibly during the closing years of the reign of Anangabhima Deva-II (1190–98). “However, an inscription on the eastern wall of the jagamohana (or prayer hall in front of the sanctum sanctorum) records that the temple was built by a Nagavamsi king named Vaidyanatha, most likely a vassal of the Ganga rulers and he possibly renovated, repaired or maintained the temple after the fall of the Ganga rulers,” said historian Sadashiba Pradhan.

Images found in the temple are kept under a tree, although a small museum is there , which is also full of Vaishnav images.

Vishnu image in the museum.

Vishnu image in the museum.

Vishnu image in the museum.

Vishnu image in the museum.

Vishnu image in the museum.

Vishnu image in the museum.

Image of Varaha in museum.

Vishnu image in the museum.
Built in ashlar masonry, the temple is a bright example of a Kalingan order monument and is believed to have had a nata mandir or dance hall in the past. The interiors are of made of sandstone while the compound wall is made mostly of laterite. The Vishnu and Shaivaite shrine is a protected monument of state archaeology, yet, local residents feel much needs to be done for the safe conservation of the heritage site.
Ref: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140319/jsp/odisha/story_18092366.jsp#.WAOaYdSF5kg