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Odisha Part 8: The Parasurameshwara Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Parasurameshwara temple is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneshwar, dating back to the early 8 th century CE. It is also one of the more intriguing temples, with a wide variety of very interesting sculptures. This temple has been attributed to the Shailodbhavas , who were Shaivites. The dynasty is named for their founder, Shailodbhava, who is said to have emerged from a rock, by the grace of Lord Shiva, in response to a prayer by a man from Kalinga, to create a man capable of ruling the earth. That this temple is dedicated to Shiva is clear, not only from the Shaiva dwarapalas who guard the entrance, but also from the numerous sculptures depicting Shiva in his many forms. However, what makes this temple very interesting is the presence of multiple images of the goddesses, especially the Saptamatrikas. The presence of different forms of the goddess, a panel depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, as well as an image of Ardhanareeshwara suggest a strong Shakta influence o...

Birds of Tadoba - Changeable Hawk Eagle

We first saw a Changeable Hawk Eagle while driving to Mysore from Wayanad. Since then, we have seen the bird often, but never managed to get as good a click as the first time. Then, at Tadoba, as we criss-crossed our way across the forest in search of the tiger, we saw these birds often, either near ponds or just by the side of the road.





It was easy to identify them, thanks to their trademark crest, but each sighting was just as fascinating as the first. It was even more so, to see how the bird sat perfectly still, yet moved its head and eyes, almost like a dancer, taking in its surroundings, keeping watch, for dangers as well as prey.












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Comments

  1. These pictures are amazing! Beautiful framing and great shot!

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  2. Spellbound! Great pictures depicting the minutest details of the bird. Thanks to your beautiful capture that I got an opportunity to see how a hawk eagle looks like. I hope if I ever get a chance to visit Tadoba, I can also get a glimpse of this beautiful bird.

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