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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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Sunset at Somnath

We recently visited the Somnath temple during Samhith's short year-end break. We arrived at Somnath in the evening, and rushed for a glimpse of the deity, and then hurried to get my camera to capture the sight of the sun setting behind the temple...





As the sun moved slowly towards the horizon, we walked along the path leading the beach, where Samhith played happily in the water while I clicked the sun!







For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday!


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Location: Somnath, Gujarat, India

Comments

  1. MridulaApril 20, 2012 at 4:22 PM

    Very beautiful temple silhouette and a very beautiful sunset.

    ReplyDelete
  2. cfp123April 20, 2012 at 4:30 PM

    Pretty…
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    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 20, 2012 at 6:22 PM

    Glorious shots. Love the silhouettes in the first one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. P.N. SubramanianApril 20, 2012 at 7:35 PM

    Beautiful. The temple looks great with that background.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 21, 2012 at 12:27 AM

    Wonderful color in the sunset,magical!

    ReplyDelete
  6. R Niranjan DasApril 21, 2012 at 1:02 PM

    Beautiful photography!!

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Indian WeddingApril 27, 2012 at 5:16 PM

    Wow, we are such a beautiful country! Each and every picture is inspiring me! www.bigindianwedding.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. HostingMay 1, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Wonderful shots! I really enjoyed the way you presented them.

    ReplyDelete

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