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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 - Gokarna

When I think of Gokarna, this is the image that comes to my mind....




Fishermen at Om Beach in the wee hours of the morning, bringing back their catch, while we sat lazily by the sea, watching them. The lush greenery, the fog, and the colourful boats, all are now etched in my memory forever. It makes me thankful that I didn't cancel the Gokarna trip when things went wrong, and instead, went ahead, with Samhith and my mom for company! If the beach and the sea gave us the relaxation we looked forward to, it was Mirjan Fort which provided the surprise element!



I have yet to write about this fort, which only reminds me that I have lots of writing to do this coming year, to catch up with all the travelling! And yet, I hope the new year brings some more travel along!

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Location: Gokarna, Karnataka, India

Comments

  1. R Niranjan DasDecember 26, 2013 at 11:26 AM

    Loved that photograph!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swati SinghDecember 26, 2013 at 12:46 PM

    Awesome photos! the colors of the boats looking beautiful..

    ReplyDelete
  3. CharuDecember 29, 2013 at 12:53 PM

    Love the photo of the fishermen, Anu. Beautiful light and colours. And you seem to have had an exciting year of travel - here is another such one in 2014!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 29, 2013 at 4:37 PM

      Thanks, Charu!! It was an interesting year for sure and hope the next year is even better... and for you too/

      Delete
  4. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 3:57 PM

    Thankyou for sharing your memories Mam, It will be great if you would help me how to reach this place and what is the best medium of travelling. Would love to visit this once and capture its beauty in my slr.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 30, 2013 at 6:25 PM

      Thank you, Anoop. pls read the other posts I have linked to. details of how to reach are there in them. also, for me, the best mode of travelling is always public transport :D

      Delete
  5. UnknownFebruary 6, 2014 at 2:54 PM

    Hi, Anuradha loved your blog. I was in Karnataka last month however; I have not visited this beach yet. After reading you blog, I think I will check it out on my next trip. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post and i loved your “Fisherman” picture. Keep writing, i’m wait for your Mirjan Fort post :)

    ReplyDelete

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