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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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Bal Ganesh

Here is another Ganesha from Chedda Nagar - and Samhith's favourite so far....

The idol is a replica of Ganesha as he appears in the animated movie for kids - Bal Ganesh. Not surprisingly, I wasn't able to identify the character, while Samhith did. We had to ask the organisers for confirmation, which resulted in a lot of amusement for all of them, but was worthwhile, since Samhith is thrilled that he was correct!


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  1. VidyaSeptember 16, 2010 at 2:24 PM

    Kids somehow have that extra eye of details! This Ganesha looks very nice!

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  2. MridulaSeptember 16, 2010 at 8:08 PM

    I can almost imagine Samhith's face all joy that he knew whereas mom didn't!

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2010 at 9:53 PM

    Oh lovely... This is super cute!! I can see Samhiths excitement.. at knowing something more than you.. :-)

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  4. UshaSeptember 17, 2010 at 3:02 PM

    I agree with Mridula. Can so imagine Samhith glee and expression at knowing more than you :D but Anu, I'm suprised you didn't place it. Those animated Ganesha toys and stuff are all over the place. How come Samhith doesn't have one?

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