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...
It was Sankara , who put the idea of visiting Jaldapara into my head. I was in the process of planning my December trip to Kolkata, Darjeeling and Gangtok, and, happening to meet him, asked his advice. “Why do you want to go to Darjeeling?” He asked. It is so crowded. Why don’t you try Jaldapara instead? You will like the jungle experience. Besides, you just might see some Rhinos!” That word clenched it. I altered my plans, and made time for Jaldapara.