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Odisha Part 5: Two less visited temples

My quest for ancient temples often takes me to hidden corners of the country, often less visited by regular tourists. More often than not, my drivers are completely unaware of these temples, and we often get lost looking for them, despite the ease that Google Maps has provided. On my recent visit to Odisha, I had only two such less visited temples on my list – the Varahi temple at Chaurasi, and the Gangeshwari temple. I had heard and read about the Varahi temple at Chaurasi , and was eager to go see her. The form of Varahi has always fascinated me, and this particular temple was said to have an exceptionally beautiful idol of the deity. Persuading my driver wasn’t an easy feat – he was reluctant (to say the least) about going in search of temples he had never heard of, but my persistence paid off. The Varahi Temple at Chaurasi The Varahi temple dates back to the 9 th century, and the architecture is unusual, as compared to the other temples of Odisha. The temple is closest in st...
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Finding beauty in unexpected places...

October is over and November is here. Before I know it, the year will be over! And I am nowhere near catching up with all the posts I have to write. October brought in so much travel, from the unexpected Club Mahindra Bloggers Meet to another unexpected Diwali trip to Sringeri. There is so much I want to write, but the words will take some time to come. Meanwhile, I just realised that the blog has been left alone for too long without a post, so I will be posting some random images from my trips.....

We were on our way to Nainital, when we stopped to take pics of the wonderful view of the hills and valleys. But as we clicked and posed for others, these weeds by the roadside caught my eye. 



They are just weeds - unwanted and un-cared for. Yet, they grow profusely wherever they get the chance! If we see them in our garden, we pluck them and throw them off, but look closer and see the innate beauty, the perfect geometrical shapes. Remember drawing flowers with a compass in school? Doesnt this remind you of that? And yet, this is so much more beautiful, for it is  small - the diameter would be less than a centimeter - and besides, it is alive! 

Comments

  1. Julia DuttaNovember 3, 2011 at 2:16 PM

    Are these not called Dandy Lions Anu?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mridula DNovember 3, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    I think Dandelions too is the name? 

    ReplyDelete
  3. PN SubramanianNovember 4, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    Superb! Like son the mom or is it the other way round. I admire the inquisitiveness.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ZephyrNovember 4, 2011 at 7:53 PM

    loved the last line: it is indeed alive!! It is beautiful Anu.

    Can I ask you a favour? The font is fine in the post but really small in the comment form. Could you pl. increase it? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:10 PM

    No idea, Julia... i wondered if they were dandelions.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:11 PM

    maybe, Mridula! thinking of adding to the write up with some interesting stuff about dandelions!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:11 PM

    THanks! there is a whole lot of inquisitiveness around, both for mom and son!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    THanks so much! and thanks for pointing out abt the font.. will increase it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. KanthiNovember 7, 2011 at 3:15 PM

    New way of thinking about these so called unwanted part of our gardens! Doesn't this post apply to our daily lives!!!! Food for thought

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anu ShankarNovember 7, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Thanks kanthi!

    ReplyDelete
  11. SudhageeNovember 14, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    Sometimes we need weeds and thorns to appreciate the ones that please the senses, don't we? And sometimes we need to see the neglected for what they are.

    Lovely post, Anu.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anu ShankarNovember 14, 2011 at 9:42 PM

    Absolutely, Sudha!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Boat Tour DubaiMay 18, 2019 at 1:55 PM

    appreciate your post ,thanks for sharing a nice post

    ReplyDelete

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