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...
There are so many places to visit in and around Binsar that it was difficult to decide which to see on this trip and which to keep for another… for one trip is surely not enough for such a wonderful place. Faced with the prospect of Bageshwar-Baijnath and Kausani v/s Patal Bhuvaneshwar, for only one could be completed in the only day we had left, we decided to settle for Patal Bhuvaneshwar, giving precedence to spirituality over tourism. Looking back, it was a good idea, for the trip to Patal Bhuvaneshwar was truly unforgettable, and Kausani is a place we can visit at leisure another time! The trip began on a positive note , the scenery on the route being even more beautiful than anything we had seen so far. The snow capped mountains were visible just over the peaks of the nearer mountains, and I tried vainly to get them on my camera. Unfortunately they were still too far off to be captured, and by the time we approached them, they were enveloped by clouds, refusing to show us ev...