When we think of terracotta temples, we think of Bishnupur in West Bengal. Never did I imagine that I would visit terracotta temples in Jharkhand, on my very first visit to the state! Jharkhand, as a state is just around 25 years old. The state was carved out of Bihar in the year 2000. The name ‘Jharkhand’ means ‘land of the forests’, and forests and tribals are what we associate most with this state. While the idea of exploring the forests of Jharkhand sounds interesting,

The Archaeogical gallery of the Odisha State museum has some beautiful sculptures. This post is about my favourite sculptures from this museum.

The 3 Buddhist sites of Ratnagiri, Udaygiri and Lalitgiri are called the Diamond Triangle. These 3 sites are important for understanding the Buddhist heritage of Odisha, and Buddhism in general.

The Khandgiri and Udaygiri Caves near Bhubaneshwar show the presence of Jainism in Odisha since ancient times.

Bhubaneshwar is a city of temples. In this post, I talk about a few temples, and put them in context of the city and how it developed.

The Vaital temple is one of the oldest temples in Bubaneshwar, dedicated to the goddess Chamunda. There are some beautiful sculptures of various forms of Shiva, the goddess as well as Surya

The Parasurameshwara Temple at Bhubaneshwar is a fascinating temple built by the Pasupata sect. It has some amazing sculptures of various forms of Shiva and the goddess.

Rajarani Temple Bhubaneshwar has some of the most beautiful Ashtadikpala sculptures

The Yogini Temple at Hirapur is an unique temple to different forms of the goddesses

2 lesser known ancient goddess temples in Odisha near Konark - Varahi Temple and Gangeshwari Temple

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 wa

A quiet gem on the outskirts of Varanasi, the Kardameshwar Temple offers a rare glimpse into ancient Hindu architecture that has largely faded from Kashi’s landscape. Set beside the serene Kardama Kund and adorned with evocative sculptures of Shiva, Vishnu, and other deities, the temple stands as a timeless reminder of the city’s artistic and spiritual heritage.