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...
It was just a long-overdue social call which ended up with something I had been wishing for, all week! We had been to Matunga, to my aunt’s parents’ place, and my uncle (mama) volunteered to drop us back home – nothing so special about that, right? But what was special was a ‘slight’ diversion – so we could go over the newest landmark of Mumbai – the Bandra Worli Sea Link! Since the last few months , we have been looking forward to going over the much-awaited bridge (the plans for the bridge began when I was in college….), and we saw the previews to the inauguration on TV enthusiastically, wishing we were there, especially during the fireworks, the night before the ceremony!! If this had been a few years earlier, I would have been among those who jammed the bridge on the first day, eager to be among the first to go over it. Now, however, it is another matter, and I waited patiently for my turn, knowing that once the toll collection started, things would be much easier…. Sunday’s was...