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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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Flowers of Gold!

Its a sweltering summer out here, and everything seems terribly hot! I shudder to think what May will bring, and when the rains will come.... Meanwhile, here's a spot of yellow which is pleasing to the eyes....The golden laburnum in our colony is full of flowers and the ground is a carpet of yellow! That, unfortunately,  was a sight I couldn't capture on camera thanks to the condition of the road, but here is the tree and its flowers....







and yes, for those of you who are wondering, yes, I haven't yet managed to write all those over-due posts, so I am filling time by posting random photographs I have taken last month.... and the list of my over-due posts is going to increase, since I have another outing scheduled for tomorrow!

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  1. sriMay 2, 2010 at 8:54 AM

    lovely

    in bangalore there are violet , pale yellow and vermillion flowers that fill the tree to the point there are no leaves :)

    Lovely world!

    ReplyDelete
  2. chitraMay 2, 2010 at 10:09 AM

    This is Vishukonna which is used during Vishu festival for 'Kanikanal'

    ReplyDelete
  3. thecoupleMay 2, 2010 at 10:28 AM

    Kanikonna is one of our favourites. Reminds of Vishu. Though it's Kerala's state flower, we could see it in abundance outside the state.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. MridulaMay 2, 2010 at 8:19 PM

    Thanks for posting these Anu even I want to post a few of these and the Gulmohar.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anuradha ShankarMay 3, 2010 at 9:55 AM

    @Sri: oh yes, we do have some others too, like the red gulmohur, but nothing looks as beautiful as this!!

    @Chitra: yes.. its the same,...... keralites in our area dont need to buy them.. they can just pick them from the tree!

    @Bindhu: oh yes, they really are plentiful in this part of the country too....

    @mridula: please do.. would love to see ur pics...

    ReplyDelete
  6. IndraniMay 4, 2010 at 8:03 PM

    These yellows are so pleasing.
    Have a great trip Anu.

    ReplyDelete
  7. SoulSpaceMay 9, 2010 at 3:58 PM

    a drop of sunshine on earth!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownSeptember 6, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    Lovely colour and I love the flowers too...thanks for posting ...

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownSeptember 6, 2012 at 3:10 PM

    Lovely colour and I love the flowers too...thanks for posting ...

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownSeptember 6, 2012 at 3:11 PM

    Lovely colour and I love the flowers too...thanks for posting...

    ReplyDelete

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