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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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A couple of birds.....

I started getting interested in birds only when Samhith began noticing them and asking their names. When I realised that his interest made him conscious about being quiet and calm while we were looking at birds, I decided to encourage him just to teach him some patience. You can see the influence he has had on me, just by going through my blog. But you can really gauge his influence when you see the pics below. These were taken by my sister-in-law, Sandhya, when she was on a trip to Chidambaram. Till now, she has shown no interest in birds, but thanks to him, the whole family has jumped on the birding bandwagon!  

I have no idea about the names of the birds, so if any of you do know, please leave a comment....



This is the best one - a bird inside its nest...... again, I have no clue as to the name.....


She actually took a lot more photographs, but they were not all that clear, and I could not put them up! But as of now, thanks to Samhith, there is a whole new family of birding enthusiasts!!!!

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  1. jayasreeFebruary 16, 2010 at 3:12 PM

    Thats good to know that Samhith has inspired you all. So we too can expect some virtual birding here.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MridulaFebruary 16, 2010 at 4:10 PM

    Anu I am not 100% sure but that kind of nests are made by tailor birds. I unfortunately cannot identify the bird.

    ReplyDelete
  3. chitraFebruary 16, 2010 at 5:22 PM

    Nice interest you have all developed. now all of you will be looking for birds when you are out. To tell you the truth I don't know any thing much abt. birds other than the common birds we find around.

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  4. sriFebruary 17, 2010 at 4:55 PM

    Thats so cool, how one can infulence all others in the family. Thanks for the lovely pictures, in this fast paced world we dont even have time to look at flying pigeons, yet alone sparrows or anything.

    Try to keep some bird feed at home :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hema - AlankritiFebruary 24, 2010 at 11:28 AM

    Hi anu,,great to see a birding enthusiast in Samhith..my kids aged 12 n 10 love birding too..we are members of this adventure group called Sprouts..u can find them on the net..my kids have learnt a grat many birdnames thanks to the interest generated by the outings we have had with Sprouts..Cheers
    Hema

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  6. Anuradha ShankarFebruary 25, 2010 at 8:38 PM

    @Jayasree: Oh yes, i shall certainly try!

    @Mridula: even i wondered if they were tailor birds, but the pic is unfortunately not too clear...she took this one at dusk....

    @Chitra: Oh yes, it is a recent interest, but i find myself noticing more and more birds all around me...... till recently i too knew little...

    @Sri: you cant imagine the influence a kid has on the family.... which is why i just love being a mom!

    as to bird feed, we feed lots of birds... unfortunately, it is the crows which hog all the food... and barely allow the smaller birds near it...we get bulbuls and other birds when the crows have had their fill...

    @Hema: thanks so much..... I was so interested in Sprouts that I checked it out, and have decided to join too.... lets hope to meet sometime there...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hema - AlankritiFebruary 25, 2010 at 8:42 PM

    Fast work Anu..lets hope we meet soon:)

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