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Odisha Part 9 : The Vaital Temple, Bhubaneshwar

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...
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Gajanur Dam

Having had our fill of the Bhadra Reservoir, it was time to see the Tunga River in all her glory.





While trying to pass the time at Shimoga, we headed to Gajanur Dam on the Tunga. Photography was prohibited within the Dam premises, but once we were out, we were free to click away!




Gajanur Dam is located 12 Km from Shimoga.

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Location: Gajanur Dam, Karnataka

Comments

  1. S.. DivaNovember 11, 2012 at 4:52 PM

    I haven't been there but here's a trivia: Rajkumar and his sons made a Kannada movie on Gajanur. They are from that part :)

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 15, 2012 at 11:06 AM

      @sneo- rajkumar is from gajnur which is in chamarajnagar district of Karnataka.,near Tamilnadu border..

      But this gajnur is in shimoga district.. this is different place,but have common name!!....
      There s elephant camp nearby this gajnur dam.. its must place to visit.. its within 15km from this place..
      ...... Dr.A

      Delete
    2. Anuradha ShankarNovember 16, 2012 at 12:55 PM

      Nice to see you here again, Sneha..

      Delete
    3. Anuradha ShankarNovember 16, 2012 at 12:56 PM

      Thanks Dr. A. I had no idea there were two gajanurs!

      Delete
  2. Sankara Subramanian CNovember 12, 2012 at 1:50 AM

    Looks like a nice place. Never visited it though even though i have passed by or stayed at Shimoga so many times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarNovember 16, 2012 at 12:57 PM

      Yes, it is, Sankara, and honestly, if we hadnt time to kill, I wouldnt have visited either :D

      Delete

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