THE VILLAGE TEMPLE
In the heart of the city, north of the river Kathjuri there
is an old temple with compound wall of hard stone going round it.
At the northern end there stand a few temples. Of these the
tallest one is the Raghunathjee Temple with the beautiful images of Sri Ram,
Lakhan, Bharat, Satrughna and Sita seated inside it. Ram and Sita are seated on
a stone pedestal. The other images are in standing position. Round them are
side gods. The temple has four walls like the walls round the Jagannath temple
at Puri. At the southern end likewise, there is the temple of Jagannath. In it
there are the three images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
These temples were built by the late Raja of Boirani in the
district of Ganjam.
The Raja was a Subedar under the Peshwa Baji Rao II. He
received an aid from the then Government to build these temples. Every year he
also received this aid for the up keep the Temples.
In 1804 when the British force conquered Orissa, this Raja
gave all possible help to the Generals. In return for this service, the British
Raj granted Rs. 622-00 annually for their management. The Subedar used to spend
large amount on holding the festivals all the year round. Several Sanyasis used
to live in the temples doing puja.
An opera called Ramnavami used to be held every year.
At present the management goes on well under the present
Endowment Commissioner.