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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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Memories of 2012 - Sringeri

The year is almost gone, and its time to look back and remember all the wonderful things that made this year so special. The year was an especially good one for travel, though not as much for writing! I managed to travel almost every month, and, as a result, have a huge backlog of places and stories to write about!!! Leaving that aside for the monent, I will be posting a photo a day from one of my (many) trips this year.... in the order in which I took them. I begin with my first trip of the year.. in January, to one of my favourite destinations... Sringeri.



We performed Samhith's Upanayanam or Thread ceremony at Sringeri, and it was a great occasion for our entire family to get together. On the flip side, we had no time to go roaming around, but just spending a couple of days in the serene environs of the ashram on the banks of the Tunga river was enough to refresh and rejuvenate us!

Posts about Sringeri:

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  1. ArtiDecember 16, 2012 at 5:34 PM

    I remember the guest post on Sringeri. A wonderful place. I would love to see it someday with my own eyes.

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    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 16, 2012 at 5:35 PM

      Yes, Arti! I do, too...that was the most detailed post I ever wrote on Sringeri. and you should def go sometime to Sringeri, From what i know of you and your family, you all will love it!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousDecember 16, 2012 at 6:43 PM

    I love sringeri.. I visited only once, that too when I m 10 yr old.. its good that samhith got upanayana done there.. its also well known place for vidyaarambha.. don't know when I ll visit there..
    So many posts about sringeri, but also I want to read more about this place!!!
    ..... Dr.A

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 17, 2012 at 5:27 PM

      Its the kind of place, Dr.A that we can never have enough of! I could never visit Sringeri as a kid. It must have been even more beautiful then, before the bridge across the river was built.. you will see a lot of changes now.

      Delete
  3. HaddockDecember 17, 2012 at 4:53 AM

    In fact I have never heard of this place Sringeri..... must look it up.

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 17, 2012 at 5:28 PM

      Yes, Haddock. you certainly must! Its a really beautiful place

      Delete
  4. voyagetravellersdiary@gmail.comDecember 18, 2012 at 9:08 AM

    Nice idea of recalling your whole year travel memories.

    ReplyDelete

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