Brahmeswar

Brahmeswar is the Brahmeswara temple of Bhubaneswar, a Shiva temple of the eleventh century built in the panchayatana plan, with four smaller shrines at the corners of the compound. It is linked to a foundation inscription naming Kolavati Devi, mother of the Somavamsi king Udyotakesari, and dated to the eighteenth year of his reign, about 1058 or 1060 CE. The original inscription is now in Kolkata. The temple is noted for its carved walls and as a reference point for dating Odishan temples.

The origin of Brahmeswara rests on its inscription rather than a legend. According to the inscription, Kolavati Devi, mother of the Somavamsi king Udyotakesari, had the temple built and endowed it. The record is dated to the eighteenth regnal year of Udyotakesari, usually given as 1058 CE, though...