More Temples at Pattadakal

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...

More Temples at Pattadakal

The World Heritage Site of Pattadakal deserves more than just a cursory glance. There is so much to see and appreciate, and even during our short visit to the place, I clicked so many photos that I found it impossible to put all of them together in one post! Here are my first two posts on the temple complex at Pattadakal -

Continuing with our walk through the temple complex, we next arrived at the Chandrashekhara Temple. The plain and simple structure is the one which attracts least number of visitors, and consequently, is empty and easy to photograph!

The next temple is a striking one, the first here with the dravida vimana, the southern type of temple spire.

This is the Sangameshwara Temple, originally known as the Vijayeshwara temple, since it was built by the Chalukya king, Vijayaditya.

Look at the intricate lattices on the walls! No pattern is repeated! Some of the niches are empty, while some have figures of different forms of Shiva as well as Vishnu.Unfortunately, some of the niches are also empty, and some of the figures are incomplete.

Detail of the vimana

The saga of incomplete work is evident all over this temple. Such as these on the base platform. It shows us how the artisans would have begun their work, and also tells us that the work was abandoned due to some reason.

Another incomplete set of work

Outside this temple was a broken pillar, set at a lower level, in a depression. I wondered if it was a dhwajasthambam or temple pillar, but our guide wasn't able to shed much light on it.

Samhith standing next to the broken pillar...
he is about 4 ft tall, so that depression is at least 3 ft in depth!

Detail at the bottom of the pillar

Considering the rate at which I am going, I wonder when I am going to finish this series, but I can't help wanting to post almost every single photo I have taken!

Coming up next: Some of the most beautiful temples at Pattadakal!

Pattadakal Quick Facts

Getting there:

Nearest Airport: Hubli (about 120 Km )

Nearest Railway Station: Badami (29 Km)

Pattadakal is well connected by road to Badami (29 Km) and Aihole (24 Km).

Where to stay: There is practically no accommodation available at Pattadakal. The nearest city is Badami, where the KSRTC Mayura Chalukya is the best option. There are also other hotels and lodges in Badami.

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw...

Newasa - Encountering an unique form of Vishnu, and Sant Jnaneshwar

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.

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Odisha Part 9 : The Vaital Temple, Bhubaneshwar