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...
Recently bestowed a World Heritage Status, Dharasuram is surely one of the most beautiful temples in this area. It forms a sort of trinity along with two other grand temples – the big temple at Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram. While it was Raja Raja Cholan who built the Brihadeeshwara Temple at Thanjavur, it was his son, Rajendra Cholan who was responsible for the beautiful architecture of Gangaikonda Cholapuram. His son, Raja Raja Cholan II is the one who built this beautiful temple at Dharasuram. Thus, across three generations, from grandfather to grandson, they kept alive the tradition of creating beauty aligned with faith, and leaving behind stones which speak more about their creators than records will ever do. Dharasuram is the place where Indra’s elephant Airavata performed penance and was blessed by Lord Shiva. Hence the main deity is Airavateswarar, and his consort is Periyanayaki. Here is a photo blog about this wonderful temple. From Diwali 08 - Thanjvur ...