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Odisha Part 10: Bhubaneshwar – the city of temples

Bhubaneshwar is often called the city of temples . It is impossible to know exactly how many temples there are, but it has been estimated that there might be over 700 temples in the city. This number, while impressive, is just a fraction of the original number, which, sometime in the 13 th century, would have been about 7000. Wikipedia has a page dedicated to the Hindu temples of Bhubaneshwar , where 93 temples are listed. All these are ancient temples, built between the 7 th and 13 th centuries CE. Bhubaneshwar was once known as Ekamra Kshetra , the sacred mango grove. We know this name from an inscription at the Ananta Vasudeva temple, which mentions the name of the place, and the main temple (that we now know as the Lingaraja temple) in the mango grove. Ananta Vasudeva Temple, with a sculpture of Trivikrama in the niche It is extremely interesting to note that the Ananta Vasudeva temple is the only temple to Lord Vishnu in this city. Varaha, Ananta Vasudeva Temple Located v...
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Faces in the Crowd - The perfume man

At most temples, we only see vendors selling items for the Lord. At the Govind Dev ji Temple in Jaipur, this lone man sat by a pillar, adding a touch of fragrance...


He happily obliged with his wares to whoever wanted to try them out, neither calling out nor encouraging them, selling to only those who asked him for some. Most people regarded him as just one of the other priests, and his perfume, another blessing of the Lord, so maybe it was so. In a time when even priests are pushy and adept salesmen, this man stood out for his silence, which is what made me click him. 

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  1. P.N. SubramanianOctober 19, 2013 at 10:15 AM

    The perfume bottles are unique.

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 19, 2013 at 10:24 AM

      Not really, PNS. These are the local perfumes, or attar. I have seen them often. They look pretty, but unfortunately, didnt get a better pic of them.

      Delete
  2. RenukaOctober 19, 2013 at 12:12 PM

    Interesting! Never heard or seen something like this before!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MridulaOctober 21, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    I wonder what was he thinking? He looks so serious and lost!

    ReplyDelete

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