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Odisha Part 9 : The Vaital Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Vaital temple is of the many intriguing temples in Bhubaneshwar. To begin with, the structure itself resembles a South-Indian temple more than the typical Kalingan style that we see everywhere else in Odisha. The temple has been dated to the last quarter of the 8 th century CE. Further , unlike most of the temples in Bhubaneshwar, this temple is not dedicated to Lord Shiva. Inside the sanctum is one of the deities who is very rarely seen in a sanctum – Chamunda, along with the Saptamatrikas. This is evidently a Shakta shrine. However, the presence of Lakulisha on the vimana indicates the connection with the Pasupata sect, which is most prevalent in this region during this time period. Further, the name of the temple – ‘Vaital’, comes from the word ‘ vetala’ , referring to spirits, which were invoked by tantrics to attain siddhis. Thus, this temple is an amalgamation of Pasupata and Shakta philosophy, with a strong emphasis on tantric rituals, and this is reflected in the iconogra...
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Skywatch Friday - Sunset and Moonrise

During our recent trip to Shimla, we had a wonderful view of the hills from our room at the resort at Mashobra. We enjoyed watching the shadows lengthen over the hills and valleys, day after day, and on one of these days, were treated to this spectacular sunset... and moonrise!






I simply sat by the window for the whole time, watching the deep red spread all over the mountains.... the bright full moon emerge slowly from behind the clouds....




What an experience it was! One I am going to treasure for the years to come!

For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page. 

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Location: Mashobra, Himachal Pradesh, India

Comments

  1. LaloofahJanuary 18, 2013 at 6:39 PM

    Wow, beautiful skies and beautiful scenery - and that full moon just makes it perfect! Your last photo is really fantastic. I can't believe that's the view from a hotel window! And I can see why that sunset will be a treasured memory for a long time. Thank you for sharing it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. MridulaJanuary 18, 2013 at 7:22 PM

    What a stunning picture, that last one!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sylvia KJanuary 18, 2013 at 8:31 PM

    Awesome skies and superb captures, Anuradha!! The sunset is gorgeous and I do love the moon in your last shot! Such incredible beauty and certainly worth being treasured!! Thank you for sharing the beauty! Enjoy your weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. LizJanuary 18, 2013 at 11:11 PM

    Great captures. Happy sky watching.

    My sky.

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJanuary 18, 2013 at 11:40 PM

    Wow, how beautiful! Especially the last photo. I really love it! Dropping in from North Carolina, happy skywatching!

    ReplyDelete
  6. RenukaJanuary 18, 2013 at 11:40 PM

    Nice pictures, exclusive!


    http://renuka-mytraveldiary.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  7. MaritesJanuary 20, 2013 at 3:42 PM

    gloriously beautiful! I'd probably be sitting for hours watching these too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownJanuary 20, 2013 at 6:06 PM

    beautiful

    checkout this too

    http://olivedigmedia.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  9. RitvaJanuary 20, 2013 at 8:29 PM

    Love the lat shot!

    ReplyDelete
  10. R Niranjan DasJanuary 23, 2013 at 11:55 AM

    Brilliant sky. You have captured it well.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  11. SteffiJanuary 25, 2013 at 12:38 AM

    Fantastic photos of skies!

    ReplyDelete

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