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...
Navagrahas – the nine planets – Sun (Suryan), Moon (Chandran), Mercury (Budhan), Venus (Sukran), Mars (Angarakan or Sevvai), Jupiter (Guru), Saturn (Shani) and the two shadow planets Rahu and Kethu , form an important part of Hindu Mythology and beliefs. They are believed to govern each and every aspect of our lives, our actions, and even the results of our actions. They inspire varied feelings such as awe as well as fear in the hearts of people, who wonder what effect a particular planet will have on their lives. Every temple in south India has images of the Navagrahas standing in a 3×3 matrix, facing in different directions. However, as we discovered on this trip to Thanjavur and surrounding areas, this is not necessarily true. In many temples in this area, the Navagraha group has Surya in the centre, with all the other 8 facing him. This is the case in most of the Saptha Sthaanam temples, and most Ashta Veeratta Sthalams. Another interesting layout of the Navagrahas is seen in th...