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Odisha Part 8: The Parasurameshwara Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Parasurameshwara temple is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneshwar, dating back to the early 8 th century CE. It is also one of the more intriguing temples, with a wide variety of very interesting sculptures. This temple has been attributed to the Shailodbhavas , who were Shaivites. The dynasty is named for their founder, Shailodbhava, who is said to have emerged from a rock, by the grace of Lord Shiva, in response to a prayer by a man from Kalinga, to create a man capable of ruling the earth. That this temple is dedicated to Shiva is clear, not only from the Shaiva dwarapalas who guard the entrance, but also from the numerous sculptures depicting Shiva in his many forms. However, what makes this temple very interesting is the presence of multiple images of the goddesses, especially the Saptamatrikas. The presence of different forms of the goddess, a panel depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, as well as an image of Ardhanareeshwara suggest a strong Shakta influence o...
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Vedic Rites to be performed during the Kashi Yatra

The purpose of a Kashi Yatra for most people is the performance of Vedic rites for their ancestors, and it was the same for us. My in-laws were performing all the rites, and we had nothing much to do. In fact, we weren’t allowed to accompany them to Gaya at all, as it is apparently considered inauspicious for those whose parents were alive to see the Akshaya Vatam and the Vishnu Padam. However, my curiosity about the rituals made me ask a number of questions which were thankfully answered in detail by two young people- the manager of the Kanchi Math at Kashi and the vadhyar or pundit who officiated at our rites. Both of them were extremely helpful, and it is entirely thanks to them that I have been able to write in such detail about Kashi as well as the surrounding places, even those we did not visit. At my request, I was given this list of the rites that are traditionally performed during a Kashi Yatra. I share this with all my readers in the hope that it may be of some use to them too. I have provided contact numbers of some people there who will be able to arrange everything for anyone who desires to perform these rituals. To read the full article, click here.
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  1. Sailin GudhkaJuly 28, 2008 at 10:51 AM

    Namaste
    Real good write up enjoyed every bit of it..........Keep writing & thanks once again for sharing. God Bless!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SujataJuly 29, 2008 at 11:31 PM

    I saw your query on the HT electronic version today and was curios to find out more about you. This is a very interesting post. I enjoyed your writing style. Keep writing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. SujataJuly 29, 2008 at 11:36 PM

    I saw your query on the HT electronic version today and was curios to find out more about you. This is a very interesting post. I enjoyed your writing. Keep writing …..:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anuradha ShankarJuly 30, 2008 at 3:46 PM

    Thank you very much, Sai and Sujata....

    ReplyDelete

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