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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 - A little house

Stuck at home as the weekend approaches, this is where I wish I was......


Nestled within a vast coffee estate, this tiny house looks inviting, doesn't it? I clicked this pic on our visit to a coffee estate at Coorg.

For beautiful pics from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.
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  1. MridulaJuly 5, 2013 at 2:13 PM

    Lovely atmosphere!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 5, 2013 at 2:56 PM

    So very pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  3. P.N. SubramanianJuly 5, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    Lovely surroundings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJuly 6, 2013 at 10:03 AM

      Yes PNS! I am sure you would have loved it too!

      Delete
  4. chitraJuly 5, 2013 at 8:29 PM

    Reminds me of my native place..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJuly 6, 2013 at 10:04 AM

      Ah Chitra, if you have a house like this in your native place, you are really lucky! i envy you!

      Delete
  5. Balaka BasuJuly 5, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    indeed very cozy.relaxing and refreshing. thanks http://mumbong.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  6. JoyfulJuly 6, 2013 at 1:21 PM

    It's my kind of place ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. ErcotravelsJuly 6, 2013 at 1:37 PM

    Cool and calm picture!

    ReplyDelete
  8. R Niranjan DasJuly 6, 2013 at 5:51 PM

    Coffee and pepper plantations inviting you home! Gorgeous place.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.com/2013/07/responsible-tourism-and-mature-actions.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. ZielonaMilaJuly 7, 2013 at 1:56 PM

    Amazing place, beautiful photo:) Greetings

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnuJuly 9, 2013 at 3:09 PM

    Anything covered with green surrounding does count for a beautiful landscape! Loved that little house!

    ReplyDelete
  11. JohnJuly 12, 2013 at 5:21 PM

    Amazing pics of incredible india....

    ReplyDelete
  12. NasreenJuly 13, 2013 at 11:32 AM

    Hello anu.. Cool pics.. Really little house is superb...

    ReplyDelete
  13. sudhageeAugust 23, 2013 at 11:51 PM

    Glad that you liked "my" house, Anu :-P

    ReplyDelete

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