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Odisha Part 7: The Rajarani Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneshwar gets its name from the stone used to build it - the red and yellow sandstone used here is locally called Rajarani. This temple was once known as the Indreshwara temple, which is mentioned in the Ekamra Purana, which tells us about the temples of Bhubaneshwar, which was then known as Ekamra Kshetra. Today, the temple stands in a well-maintained lawn, and is the only ticketed monument within the city. The temple is built in the typical Kalinga style, with the tall curvilinear shikara over the garbagruha , and a jagamohana connected to it. The temple is believed to date back to the 11 th century, and is most well known for its sculptures. The entrance to the temple has two pillars with a Naga couple protecting the sanctum, holding garlands in their hands. The base of the pillar shows 3 lions standing over 3 elephants, a typical motif in temples of this region during this period. On the other side of the pillar is a horse and rider, and the two mo...
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An offering to David Sassoon

A week has gone by since I last wrote something, and, in an effort to break this dry spell, here is a random photo from the recently concluded KGAF 2014...





The David Sassoon Library or DSL is a landmark in Fort, and those who enter, are greeted by this larger-than-life size statue of David Sassoon, who was probably the most well known among the Baghdadi Jews of Mumbai. We began our Jewish History walk at the fest here, and, while waiting for the walk to start, noticed this interesting offering, thanks to Sudha Ganapathy...



What you see at Sassoon's feet is the humble Vada Pav - probably the cheapest and the most popular among street food in the city. The ones here were being offered to guests at the launch of an exhibition of David Sassoon's contribution to the city, and someone had left one plate at his feet... A symbolic offering, should we say?

So, do you think David Sassoon would have relished that plate of Vada Pav? 

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Location: Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 17, 2014 at 9:25 PM

    Never heard of this personality. I will definitely look at him in Google. The offering picture is really funny. I thought Vada pav has achieved a great promotion by replacing the traditional Prasad in temples.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarFebruary 18, 2014 at 12:24 PM

      Rachit, it sad that many people havent heard of him, though he has built so many of the beautiful buildings around Fort in Mumbai. and it is interesting to see how people from different backgrounds and religions lived in harmony in mumbai and made the city what it is today.

      Delete
  2. Veena BhatMarch 3, 2014 at 1:12 PM

    Sasoon Docks where we can buy fish is named after him too.

    ReplyDelete

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