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...
Buddhism is the predominant religion in Ladakh . The religion is said to have entered the region even before Ashoka, and has changed with the times. Today, the people follow a form of Tibetan Buddhism, a later Mahayana form with elements of Vajrayana. (On an aside, practicing Buddhists in Ladakh do not like their religion being called Vajrayana. The word implies Tantric associations, and they insist that the Tantric elements in the religion were evened out by Guru Padmasambhava). Buddhist monasteries – ancient and modern – are scattered all over the region, and these are some of the most impressive and most visited tourist sites in Ladakh. At the time I planned my visit , I knew little of Buddhism in this region. The aesthetics of Tibetan Buddhism is very different from the Buddhism of central/ western India that I was familiar with. It was therefore, difficult to decide which monasteries I wanted to visit. I eventually decided to stick to the popular ones, the ones I was told not to...