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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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Skywatch Friday - Mountains... and more mountains

Stuck at home with loads of work, I am repeatedly heading to my comp to see the photos of my Shimla trip and sigh over all the beautiful sights.....



The mountains especially keep calling out, and I wish I could escape once again....


There is something about the sight of mountains, seemingly never-ending, especially in the winter mist, that seems to beckon...



But sigh! I am still stuck at home, looking for anything to take me away from all the work!

For more beautiful skies from around the world, go to Skywatch Friday

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  1. MridulaFebruary 1, 2013 at 3:41 PM

    I know the feeling so well :D Loved the first one the most.

    ReplyDelete
  2. IndraniFebruary 1, 2013 at 10:42 PM

    Great sights freezed!

    ReplyDelete
  3. RenukaFebruary 2, 2013 at 1:18 AM

    Shimla is always delightful!



    http://renuka-mytraveldiary.blogspot.in/2013/01/chail-one-of-those-blissful-holidays.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. CarverFebruary 2, 2013 at 4:40 AM

    Beautiful shots. I love the way you captured the contours of the mountain range.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Meghana HassanFebruary 22, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    Awesome clicks....

    ReplyDelete

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