750 and 1250 C.E.; the most famous is Lingaraja,
a temple to Shiva, or Tribhuvaneshvara (Ruler of
the Three Worlds), built around 1100. Its tower is
over 100 feet high.
Further reading: Department of Tourism, Government
of Orissa, Tourist Map of Bhubaneshwar (Bhubaneshwar:
The Circle, 1986); P. R. Ramachandra Rao, Bhuvanes-
vara Kalinga Architecture (Hyderabad: Akshara, 1980).
bija mantra
The concept of a bija (seed) MANTRA, originally
derived from TANTRA, is widely employed in every
sect of Hinduism. A bija is a short mantra, usually
of one syllable, which is understood to be the vis-
ible or audible form of a deity. A bija mantra ends
with the letter m. Examples are Aim for SARASVATI,
Shrim for LAKSHMI, Krim for KALI, and Gam for
GANESHA. It the tantric tradition such mantras are
given to initiates only. In KUNDALINI YOGA there
are bija mantras for each of the CHAKRAS; they are
recited in order to raise the kundalini, the divine
serpent energy coiled at the base of the spine.
Further reading: Harish Johari, Tools for Tantra (Roch-
ester, Vt.: Destiny Books, 1986); Niramala Singha
Kalasi, Bija Mantra Darshana (Vancouver, B.C.: Kalsi
Technologies, 1996); Shree Rajneesh, Seeds of Revolu-
tion: 120 Immortal Letters. Translated by T. V. Paramesh-
var (Bombay: Life Awakening Movement, 1972).
bindu
The bindu (drop or dot) is an esoteric concept
denoting the spaceless, timeless point that is the
source of all manifestation. It also can denote the
silent point that is the source of all sacred sound.
Most YANTRAS, or ritual designs that denote par-
ticular divinities, have a dot or bindu at their cen-
ter. Sometimes the ritual or devotional dot on the
forehead (see FACIAL MARKINGS) is considered to
represent the bindu. In that form the bindu may be
seen as the infinitely dense point of consciousness
out of which the universe developed. The Sanskrit
writing system uses a dot where the bindu can be
taken to represent the individual soul.Further reading: From Bindu to Ojas (San Cristobal,
New Mexico: Lama Foundation, 1970); Swami Pratya-
gatmanananda Saraswati and Sir John Woodroffe, Sad-
hana for Self-Realization: Mantras, Yantras and Tantras
(Madras: Ganesh, 1963); Sir John Woodroffe, Introduc-
tion to Tantra Shastra, 2d ed. (Madras: Ganesh, 1952).Birla Mandir
One of the first temples built in modern India by
industrialists to celebrate their faith is the Birla
Mandir, built in 1938 by G. D. Birla. Appropri-
ate to the status of his family as one of the most
wealthy in India the temple is dedicated to LAK-
SHMI, goddess of prosperity, and Lord VISHNU,
her husband. It is called the Lakshmi Narayan
Temple. The temple was opened by Mohandas
Karamchand GANDHI with the specific proviso
that there would be no caste restriction in regard
to entry. At that time (and even to some extent
today) Dalit (untouchables) were barred from
entering temples.
A special characteristic of the temple is that it
is explicitly (in a plaque at the front of the temple)
open to people of any faith or social class; the
inner carvings and statuary also pay tribute to the
Buddhists, Jains (see JAINISM), and Sikhs (see SIKH-
ISM), as well as to the many Hindu gods.
The external surface of the temple is made to
resemble Delhi’s prolific Mughal architecture (c.
1500–1800 C.E.); it is made of red sandstone deco-
rated with marble. As is any temple it is decorated
with many carvings showing scenes from Indian
myths. The ICONS of the temple were made by
specialists from BENARES (Varanasi). There were
101 experts employed in its construction, led by a
learned specialist, Vishvanath Shasti. The temple
was built in Orissan style, which features high,
curved turrets that show a ribbed motif at the top
of the temple tower.Birla Mandir 85 J