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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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Birds from my window - Oriental Magpie Robins

I know its 8:00 AM when I hear them sing. These are the Oriental Magpie Robins, the most musical among the birds I see from my window. These days, this pair seems to be busy courting, for the music is even more pronounced!




The one on the left is the male, clearly identified by its black head and throat. The one on the right is the female, her lighter, greyish, head and throat distinguishing her from her partner. You can see them more clearly here, as seen from another window! 


These birds are fairly common across India, and, at one time, were in great demand as cagebirds, due to their melodious voice. Thankfully, they seem to be plentiful these days, across the subcontinent. Here is a closer look at the female....


Incidentally, the Oriental Magpie Robin is the National Bird of Bangladesh! Not really relevant, except that I am reading a book on Bangladesh right now :) Here is the male again, using its vocal chords to full effect!  


On another note, this happens to be the first bird Samhith learnt to identify. To begin with, it was quite easy to spot! Second, we saw it wherever we went... and finally, its name sounded so exotic! Years have passed since then, and as today Samhith is sitting down and writing down a bird list (for a long delayed post on Dandeli), I can't help remember that his enthusiasm for birds began with this one! 

I live in Mumbai, in a colony lucky enough to still have plenty of trees and open spaces. The best part of living here are the birds I see from my window, every single day. "Birds from my Window" is a series, where I regularly feature photos of birds I see from my home. To see all the posts in this series, click here. 

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Comments

  1. MridulaApril 3, 2014 at 9:05 PM

    A lovely set. Sometimes a window can provide for such lovely pictures!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 8, 2014 at 12:39 PM

      Thank you, Mridula! My window is sometimes my best inspiration!

      Delete
  2. UnknownApril 4, 2014 at 4:36 PM

    Nice photos, Crisp article. I cannot imagine how eventful surrounding you have got!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 8, 2014 at 12:39 PM

      Thank you, Dilip Mantri! we are lucky that way :D

      Delete
  3. UshaApril 4, 2014 at 10:37 PM

    Hey! Thanks! I used to see these birds from my window right below yours a few years ago :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. CharuApril 8, 2014 at 4:54 PM

    Nice to wake up to these - and even nicer to know Bombay is home to so many birds :)

    ReplyDelete

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