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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 - A view from Fort Aguada, Goa

Friday is almost over, but not quite, and the day has been just too hectic...  which is why I am posting this pic now for Skywatch Friday...


This was the view from Fort Aguada, Goa, and that is where my thoughts are, as the weekend looms ahead... a weekend that promises to be even more hectic than the week gone by. No, I am not travelling anywhere, but am stuck at home, with piles of work to do, but lots to look forward to as well! Meanwhile, for those of you who haven't seen it on my Facebook Page yet, I have been listed among the 'Top 31 Professional Indian Travel Bloggers' by the Hop Around India website.  Thank you so much, all of you, for reading and commenting, which is what encourages me to write!

Have a great weekend folks, and for more such beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page! 


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Comments

  1. R Niranjan DasDecember 14, 2013 at 12:51 PM

    Nice shot and congratulations, Anu!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Su-sieee! MacDecember 14, 2013 at 1:25 PM

    I like how you captured the cloud racing across the sky, with the flat bottom of the cloud paralleling the flat landforms. Congratulations on your recognition. That's neat!
    Here's my contribution to SkyWatch Friday -- Take 25 to Hollister

    ReplyDelete
  3. MridulaDecember 14, 2013 at 4:52 PM

    Take care Anu and the sea and sky both look beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownDecember 15, 2013 at 6:33 PM

    Superb picture and a very interesting blog post.

    http://picsonia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. SheenzkmDecember 15, 2013 at 10:05 PM

    Congratulations, Anu !!!!

    http://sheenzie.blogspot.in/2013/11/sheenzie-goes-parasailing.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousDecember 16, 2013 at 6:16 PM

    What a beautiful Shot with Goa, Look it out some more shots from www.magtaan.in

    ReplyDelete
  7. NaderNovember 10, 2018 at 6:52 AM

    Nice article, thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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