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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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Purple Sunbird

We have plenty of Purple Rumped Sunbirds visiting our home, but the Purple Sunbird is rare. On our very first day at Mount Abu, as we waited in the garden while our room was being readied, these birds kept us engaged and happy. Sitting on the swing, seeing these birds flutter among the flowers was a wonderful beginning to our unplanned holiday.....








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  1. BattlefieldMarch 12, 2012 at 6:01 PM

    beautiful pictures..
    It is exactly opposite in gandhinagar. Many purple sunbird but few purple rumped sunbirds.

    ReplyDelete

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