The Vaital temple is of the many intriguing temples in Bhubaneshwar. To begin with, the structure itself resembles a South-Indian temple more than the typical Kalingan style that we see everywhere else in Odisha. The temple has been dated to the last quarter of the 8 th century CE. Further , unlike most of the temples in Bhubaneshwar, this temple is not dedicated to Lord Shiva. Inside the sanctum is one of the deities who is very rarely seen in a sanctum – Chamunda, along with the Saptamatrikas. This is evidently a Shakta shrine. However, the presence of Lakulisha on the vimana indicates the connection with the Pasupata sect, which is most prevalent in this region during this time period. Further, the name of the temple – ‘Vaital’, comes from the word ‘ vetala’ , referring to spirits, which were invoked by tantrics to attain siddhis. Thus, this temple is an amalgamation of Pasupata and Shakta philosophy, with a strong emphasis on tantric rituals, and this is reflected in the iconogra...
Walking up the steep path to the Edakkal Caves, I stopped for a while to catch my breath, and leaned against this huge rock - one of many such along the path. "Amma, it looks like a face" said Samhith, and I wondered what he was talking about. It was only when I heaved myself up that I was struck by the look of the rock I had been leaning against! It did look like a face.... in fact, to me, it looked a bit like a gorilla! A throwback to the ancestors who left their mark behind on the caves? What do you think?