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Odisha Part 6: The Yogini Temple of Hirapur

I fell in love with this temple the first time I set eyes on it. Back in 2017 , I had been excited to see yet another Yogini temple, when I visited Puri. The resort I was staying at (and writing for), had arranged for a car and driver to take me around. The driver was happy to take me to most of the places I wanted to go, but when it came to Hirapur, he was appalled. He knew of the temple, but had never been there. It was a tantric temple, one not visited by women, and certainly not women travelling alone. He tried to convince me not to go, but my stubbornness and persistence paid off, and he reluctantly agreed when I told him that if he didn’t take me, I would find another driver who would. All along the way, he kept going on about the sinister things that happened at the temple, the tantric rituals that were performed at night…. An Odisha brahmin who took his religious duties very seriously, to the extent of stopping the car to perform the sandhyavandam when he deemed it time, he...
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Memories of 2013 - Travel Vignettes - Goa

The Goa I have seen, twice, is the Goa of the travel brochures - the Churches, the Beaches, the seemingly never ending stretch of the sand and the sea. When I took Samhith and my mother to Goa this time, we saw all those too, for the simple reason that it was all new for them!




However, we also saw a different side of Goa - the wilderness as we drove in the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary surprised us, as did the zoo at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary.



Yet, if there is one thing I shall always remember from this trip to Goa, it is the sight of the Tambdi Surla temple, in the pouring rain. Standing within its centuries old stone walls, while it withstood the onslaught of nature, it was impossible not to admire those who had created such a beautiful structure, and marvel at the fact that it stood, strong, even after all this time. 



I knew when I left for Goa, that it would be the last trip of the year for me  - a fact which only made me enjoy it more! However, stuck at home as I was, for the rest of the year, I did not let that deter us from enjoying ourselves.... as you will see in the next few posts!
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Location: Goa, India

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