Aruna Stambha
Statue of Aruna (the charioteer of the Sun) on top of the Aruna Stambha in front of the Singhadwara
Religion
AffiliationHinduism
DeityAruna
Location
LocationJagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha
Geographic coordinates19°48′18″N 85°49′04″E / 19.8050°N 85.8179°E / 19.8050; 85.8179
Architecture
FounderDivyasingha Deva II
Specifications
Height (max)34 ft (10 m)
MaterialsChlorite Stone

Aruna Stambha (Sun Pillar)[1][2] is a sixteen-sided 34 feet (10 m) tall monolithic chlorite stone Pillar having the idol of Aruna (Charioteer of Sun) on the top. It is about twenty feet (6.1 m) away from the Singhdwara (Lion Gateway) of Jagannath Temple in Puri.[3]

An image of Aruna Stambha in front of the Jagannath Temple

It is an important Landmark of Puri and the pilgrims and devotees worship it with great reverence. The Stambha has a magnificent base carved with military scenes and other figures. Its Capitol is ornamented by a series of lotus petals. The monolithic shafts nearly in circumference is sixteen sided. Above this are two gradually diminishing square slabs surmounted by the idol of Aruna in the act of praying to the god Sun. The column is about 34 feet (10.5 m) in height. The whole Stambha is a monument of great beauty.[4]

History

According to Madala Panji, Chronicle of Jagannath Temple, mentioned that the Aruna Stambha was brought from the Konark (Sun temple) during the reign of Bhoi king Dibyasingha Deva II by the Maratha guru 'Brahmachari Gosain' and erected here in front of Singhadwara.[5] In 1815 the artists of Colin Mackenzie preparing a sketch of the Pillar at Puri on 26 April. The Pillar seems to have been removed to Puri in the last quarter of the 18th century. From the Vedic times, Surya is taken to be identical with Vishnu. Hence it was quite appropriate to place in front of the temple of Vishnu-Jagannath at Puri.[6]

References

  1. ^ Bonding with the Lord: Jagannath, popular culture and community formation. Bloomsbury Publishing. 18 November 2019. p. 206. ISBN 978-93-88414-53-1.
  2. ^ Behera, Karuna Sagar (1996). Konarak: Religion, history, and architecture. Aryan Books International. ISBN 978-81-7305-074-9.
  3. ^ Das, J.P. (1994). Diurnal Rites and Other Poems. Sahitya Akademi. p. 6. ISBN 978-81-7201-533-6.
  4. ^ Manti, J.C. (22 August 2014). The Saga of Jagannatha and Badadeula at Puri (Story of Lord Jagannatha and his temple). Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. p. 51. ISBN 978-93-82652-45-8.
  5. ^ Das, Suryanarayan (2010). Lord Jagannath. Sanbun Publishers. p. 56. ISBN 978-93-80213-22-4.
  6. ^ Behera, Karuna Sagar (2005). Konark – The Black Pagoda. Publications Division Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. p. 119. ISBN 978-81-230-2997-9.
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