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...
Yesterday was Buddha Poornima .. and the full moon looked wonderful! Some welcome clouds kept covering it, and the sight was really beautiful! Unfortunately, as I tried to take some photographs, my batteries gave way - not just one, but every single one..... and I wasn't even able to take one photograph! However, here is another full moon for you . .. this one at Binsar....... it was wonderful night, the stars clearly visible in the complete darkness, and I could just sit there for hours, looking out at the moon shining brightly against the utter blackness of the night.... For more skies around the world, go to Sky Watch Friday .