Bhubaneswar

Vaital Deul Temple

Temples, heritage and monuments

Located near the Bindu Sagar tank, this temple has a double storey ‘wagon roof’, an influence from Buddhist Cave architecture. This interesting 8th-century temple is dedicated to Chamunda (Kali). The Vaital temple was built in 800 AD. Vaital Temple represents the Khakhara order of the Kalinga style of temple architecture, devoted to the tantric culture. Vaital Temple is an excellent example of Kalinga architecture that attracts visitors from all over the world. The erotic sculptures are evident on the walls of the Vaital Temple and the shrine is dedicated to the deity, Chamunda, and an eight-armed goddess representing the violent side of the universe.

The outer walls are encrusted with panels of Hindu deities, mostly Shiva and his consort Parvati in her Shakti form, hunting processions, capturing of wild elephants and the occasional erotic couples. The Tantric worship, which combined elements from certain sects of both Buddhism and Hinduism, is centered on the worship of ‘Shakti’, the female life force. It developed elaborate rituals involving magic spells, secret rituals and sacrificial offerings. The interior of the Vaital Temple’s inner sanctum is almost completely dark, in keeping with the esoteric rites believed to have been performed there.