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Odisha Part 3 - Konark : The Surya Temple, through my eyes

Many years back, when I visited the National Museum in Delhi, one of the images that I was most impressed by, was the Surya from Konark. I remember being rooted to the ground as I stood in front of the sculpture, admiring every detail, simply unable to walk away. There are various ideas of where the sculpture was placed in the temple, but wherever it was placed, there is no question that it would have drawn all eyes. I remember wondering back then, if this single sculpture was so impressive, how much more impressive the temple would have been! The first thing that struck me about the Konark temple during my first visit, was its size. I have seen huge ancient temples before – the Brihadeeshwara temple and the Kandariya Mahadev temple, to name just two. However, Konark was something else. It was awe-inspiring to even think of just how much larger the original temple would have been, with its main spire intact. So many years later, on my second visit, the size was still impressive, bu...
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The Vultures of Orchha

I have already written about the monuments and art of Orchha. However, this series on Orchha will be incomplete without one post dedicated to the Vultures of Orchha!




We saw these Vultures nesting on the cenotaphs. It seemed sort of fitting, that birds which live off the dead, were nesting in monuments built for the dead. And, at least to us, they were far more interesting than the cenotaphs themselves!









From what I have been reading, it appears that there are 4 varieties of vultures here, but we only saw this one type, which seem to be Indian Vultures.




Also, apparently, their numbers had drastically reduced due to rampant use of diclofenac in cattle, but now the situation has improved, as we could see for ourselves.




It has often happened that Samhith and I go to see a monument, and get distracted by birds. This was no different, and yet, memorable, for we have never seen so many vultures in one place, ever! It was quite a satisfying end to our visit to Orchha.

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Location: Orachha, Madhya Pradesh 472246, India

Comments

  1. AartiSeptember 3, 2016 at 12:55 PM

    oh my, what cool captures... :) next time you plan a trip am definitely coming along.. promise to behave and be good..

    ReplyDelete
  2. NatalieGSeptember 4, 2016 at 5:53 AM

    They are very interesting birds! We have turkey vultures here in South Carolina. I often see them riding the air currents as I drive around town.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 6, 2016 at 4:00 PM

    Orchha is an amazing place of tourist interest and you have covered this place amazingly. Good read!

    ReplyDelete
  4. sumit srivastavaSeptember 26, 2016 at 7:35 PM

    orchha is really a awesome place to visit such a wonderful place thanks for share

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJune 2, 2017 at 4:51 PM

    I am stunned with the monuments, vultures and art of Orchha, all are so interesting to see very nice trip you have shared thanks.
    same day agra tour

    ReplyDelete

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