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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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Feathered Friends

There is one tree in our colony which is the meeting point of the birds. It stands on the edge of our common ground, giving a view of the temple, and a whole square filled with buildings. I have often wondered what it is that draws birds to this tree.... but recently, my thoughts have taken a different direction. I often see groups of birds perched on a particular branch of this tree.....

A couple of weeks back, there were these three Coppersmith barbets....





and then these Red Vented Bulbuls....



Then there were these bulbuls cosying up to each other (this was during the cold wave recently)...



and then a couple of days back, a Coppersmith and a Bulbul, which sat there for almost an hour!



So now I am wondering.... are these bulbuls and coppersmiths becoming friends, hanging out as they are, on the same branch?

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  1. UnknownJanuary 29, 2013 at 6:30 PM

    Its beautiful Anuradha...Great concept & ofcourse lovely clicks...

    http://journeyintrance.blogspot.in/

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  2. R Niranjan DasJanuary 29, 2013 at 11:28 PM

    Nice clicks!

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  3. MridulaJanuary 30, 2013 at 10:07 AM

    Anu what beautiful captures. I have now seen a few barbets in the tree in front of my home but no clicks as of now!

    ReplyDelete

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