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...
Having your work table by the window can be distracting.... especially when you have winged visitors clamoring for attention right outside! Of course, I don't mind, and actually, welcome the distraction, at times...like yesterday, when these rare visitors dropped by, and brightened up my day!
The Indian Golden Oriole is a species of Oriole spread across the Indian Sub continent and Central Asia. It is a common bird, inhabiting a range of habitats, but it is still rare enough in a concrete city like Mumbai! The bright yellow and black colours make the male easy to identify, but the female is duller (as is common with birds), and this male (pic above) had two females around, probably trying to attract his attention!
The male stayed for a short time, but the females stayed put till the crows chased them away. It appears the crows don't like anyone trespassing on their territory. This is certainly one case though, when I am certainly in favour of trespassing, if it means these birds will come back more often.
The Indian Golden Oriole is a species of Oriole spread across the Indian Sub continent and Central Asia. It is a common bird, inhabiting a range of habitats, but it is still rare enough in a concrete city like Mumbai! The bright yellow and black colours make the male easy to identify, but the female is duller (as is common with birds), and this male (pic above) had two females around, probably trying to attract his attention!
The male stayed for a short time, but the females stayed put till the crows chased them away. It appears the crows don't like anyone trespassing on their territory. This is certainly one case though, when I am certainly in favour of trespassing, if it means these birds will come back more often.
Beautiful click
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shraddha!
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