The Temple
One of the marvellous expressions of the Kalinga school of temple architecture,  the 10th century masterpiece Mukteswara Temple's elegant beauty is variously described as the 'miniature gem of Orissan architecture', and 'a dream realised in sandstone'. An important landmark in the architectural development of Bhubaneswar, Mukteswar's artistic marvel influenced the style of all the later temples. Its importance also lies in the fact that it is an excellent synthesis of the old and new style of that school. Because of this, one scholar has described the Mukteswara as "harbinger of the new culture". Like the earlier temples it is also a small monument rising to the height of only 34 feet at the pinnacle of the tower. At this stage, Orissan builders had not yet attempted to build colossal structures of the later period.
The sculptural decoration of the Mukteswara is exquisitely executed. The beautiful sculptures eloquently speak of the sense of proportion and perspective of the sculptor and their unique ability in the exact depiction of the minutest objects. Here we find a jagamohana (porch) which marks the beginning of a pidha temple, well shaped pilasters and recesses formed by them containing gaja-simha and Naga columns. The builders of Mukteswara Temple introduced new architectural designs, new art motifs and new conceptions about the icnography of the cult images. One significant change in the cult images is the abscence of haloes round their heads which was a distinguished feature of the earlier temples. In the cult images there are a mouse used as the mount of Ganesha, a cock associated with Kartikeya, babies carried in the arms of Sapta-matrikas and Ketu among the planets. There are a number of depictions of skeletal ascetics among the sculptural images, most of them shown in teaching or meditation poses, which seems appropriate as the name Mukteswara means "Lord who gives freedom through Yoga". The sculptures in the ceiling of the jagamohan are also an entirely different creation. This 10th century temple has some of the most ornate carvings and renditions of the Panchatantra tales. Sculptures can be found of elephants, monkeys, lions, and other animals. Around the windows of the Jagmohana are monkeys engaged in a variety of humorous and lively scenes depicting popular stories from Panchatantra.
There is an excellent combination of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain images, on the niches on the outer face of the compound wall, which is commonly found in almost all the ancient temples of Orissa. On the outer face of the compound wall are niches containing a variety of deities. These include Saraswati, Ganesa and Lakulisha (the fifth century founder of the Pashupata sect of tantric Shaivism), who is portrayed sitting cross-legged, with two miniature ascetic figures in the triangular side panels. The models for its graceful octagonal compound wall and the beautiful torana were borrowed from the earlier temples which are no more there.
The Vimana, square in ground plan, stands on a raised platform and has five pagas or pilasters on each facade. The base shows the usual subdivisions such as Pada, kumbha, pata,kani and vasanta. This five fold division is absent in all other earlier temples. Each of the facades has three niches which contains parsva-devatas, but are now empty.
The sikhara of the temple is short and it has four Natarajas and four kirtti-mukhas on four facades. The ground plan of the jagamohana is star like. Its pyramidal roof rising in tires or roofs, which diminish as they ascend, ends at the centre and is crowned by a kalasa but there is no amalaka as in the later pidha temples.
The highlight of the temple, is the stunningly beautiful torana - the decorative gateway, an arched masterpiece, reminiscent of Buddhist influence in Orissa. Just in front of the door of the jagamohana stands the torana. The basement of the pillars supporting the arch, square in parts contain in each face a miniature temple flanked at the top by twin gaja-simhas. The arch built in transverse section has a ridge at the top is surmounted by a kalasa. The design on both the halves are identical and they consist of extraordinarily beautiful sculptures of scrolls, a pair of female figures in a most graceful pose, ornamental niches, and figures of monkeys, peacocks etc. At each end of the arch there is a projecting makara-mukha.The total effect of all these decorative details make this piece of art a masterpiece par excellence.
The outer face of the octagonal low compound wall is decorated with a number of rectangular niches superimposed by stylised chaitya arches. On the eastern side of the temple compound is a sacred tank, and in the south west corner is a well which is said to cure fertility problems.
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