Parashurameswara - Oldest Temple in Temple City

          Parashurameswara Temple is one of the oldest existing temples in the state.  It is believed to have been built around 650 CE in Nagara style and has all the main features of the pre-10th century Odia style temples. Parashurameswara Temple was built by the Shailodbhavas, who had Shiva as their family deity. The Shailodbhavas also respected the Shakta deities and depicted Shakta images on the walls of the temple. 

          Enclosed within a compound wall, the deul, facing the West is a square towered, while the jagamohana, instead of being a stepped pyramid, is a rectangular structure with a terraced roof, sloping in two stages. The verandah has projecting mould topped by a recessed frieze, demarcating bada from the gandi, a feature not found in later temples. The frieze has mostly amorous couples, separated by paneled jalis vidalas (a rampant lion, with head swung backwards, springing over a crouching elephant) at corners, a very typical symbol the beleaguered Buddhist faith.

          The jagamohana, adjoining the square towered shrine has an additional doorway on the South and four latticed windows, one each on the North and South and two on the West, the last, decorated with wonderfully animated bands of dancers and musicians. The recurring motif is the highly-ornate chaitya-window, very often filled with animal, human and divine figures, the last including busts of Shiva. The main entrance to jagamohana also has a fine carving of domestic elephants capturing wild ones. Set into the outer walls of the shrine, sculptures are scenes from mythological narratives, forming a repertoire of Saiva myths. At eye level in the middle of tower, a superb four armed Ganesha seated on a simhasana, with his trunk touching a bowl of laddus held in his lower left hand, while his upper left holds a parasu (hatchet); Karttikeya in the Southern niche is with a peacock, holding a spear in his left hand and a fruit in his right; the lintel above this niche illustrates the marriage of Shiva and Parvati; to their right are Agni (fire), the kneeling figure of Brahma and next to Brahma is Surya. 

          The temple contains depictions of Saptamatrikas, namely, Chamunda, Varahi, Indrani, Vaishnavi, Kaumari, Shivani and Brahmi. The temple is dedicated to Shiva, only two of the three original deities survive. The Sahasralingam, in the far corner of the courtyard, decorated with a thousand miniature versions of itself.