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...
It is impossible to miss the Tungabhadra , especially at Anegundi . The shortest way to get there is to cross the river by a boat or coracle, and most of the places there are located somewhere along the river. The last place we visited at Anegundi was on our way back to Hampi after visiting the Pampa Sarovar . We crossed a makeshift bridge made of fallen pillars laid across a stream merging into the Tungabhadra, and climbed up a hillock which would take us to a point right opposite the ghats of Hampi. On the way, we were told, was the cave where the monkey king Sugriva lived. We briefly entered the cave through the temple-like structure built at the entrance before moving on to other, more interesting things….