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Odisha Part 10: Bhubaneshwar – the city of temples

Bhubaneshwar is often called the city of temples . It is impossible to know exactly how many temples there are, but it has been estimated that there might be over 700 temples in the city. This number, while impressive, is just a fraction of the original number, which, sometime in the 13 th century, would have been about 7000. Wikipedia has a page dedicated to the Hindu temples of Bhubaneshwar , where 93 temples are listed. All these are ancient temples, built between the 7 th and 13 th centuries CE. Bhubaneshwar was once known as Ekamra Kshetra , the sacred mango grove. We know this name from an inscription at the Ananta Vasudeva temple, which mentions the name of the place, and the main temple (that we now know as the Lingaraja temple) in the mango grove. Ananta Vasudeva Temple, with a sculpture of Trivikrama in the niche It is extremely interesting to note that the Ananta Vasudeva temple is the only temple to Lord Vishnu in this city. Varaha, Ananta Vasudeva Temple Located v...

The Story of my Summer Trip.....

The Summer of 2015 was a memorable vacation. We set out on a trip which took us across the country, starting from Tadoba in Maharashtra to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, and finally, Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu. This was the trip I literally travelled all the way from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean! The trip lasted all through the month of May, but the resulting posts kept me occupied for the rest of the year. I completed the series just before the year ended, and here is a look at the whole journey.... first, through my attempt at Storifying the series.... and with links to all the individual posts...  [ View the story "#Summertrip 2015" on Storify ] The Story of my Summer Trip The Tadoba series The Tadoba Experience Pillars of Tadoba In Search of the Tiger at Tadoba Our Trysts with the Tigers at Tadoba - Part 1 Our Trysts with the Tigers at Tadoba - Part 2  Birds of Tadoba - A Photo Post The Himachal Series Discovering Heritage in Ruins - The ...

Every Woman is a Leader

It was about a month back that I was first approached by Shethepeople.tv to be a part of their ‘Women in Leadership’ and #EveryWomanIsALeader Campaign. I hesitated to jump in, simply because inspirational writing isn’t really my forte. But then, my thoughts turned to some amazing women I have known, and have met, through the years. Here was an opportunity to write about them. Besides, I rationalized, maybe the post would help explain to some of you, why I do what I do, and who inspires me to! So, here I go, trying something new, and hoping you will like it….

Wrapping up.... Our Sikkim Experience

Over the last couple of months , I have been writing about our first foray to the east in December 2014, and most of my posts have been about our trip to Sikkim. These posts have generated quite a bit of interest, and I have been flooded with questions about it, which is why I have decided to write this post as a compilation of my experience there, as well as answers to lots of questions I have been asked.

Birds from my window - Asian Koel

Since the last few weeks, as I have been busy by the comp, writing my Sikkim series, the Asian Koels have been creating a racket! They choose the time I am inspired to write, to call, and I rush with my camera, leaving everything behind, only to see them hide behind the leaves - the male, that is. The female has remained so well hidden, I have yet to see her! And then, this morning, Samhith's bus was late, and I was bidding him goodbye from the window, I spotted this chap.... 

Do-Drul Chorten, Gangtok

It was evening , and the light was fading as we arrived at the Do-Drul Chorten (also sometimes spelled as Duddul Choedten) in Gangtok. Samhith was tired, and all he wanted was to get back to the resort, and to his games with his friends. Leaving him behind in the car, we walked up the short path to the Stupa, which was so recognizable from the photos we had seen.

Baba Mandir, Sikkim - the story of a Soldier-Saint

A young soldier , carrying supplies to a remote outpost, is lost. It is wartime, and with the bad weather and difficult terrain, it is clear he is no more, but his body isn’t found. This, while a sad occurrence, is not really news.

My Nathu La Experience

I clambered up the last few steps , panting, not as much because of the exertion, as the altitude. At 14,140 ft. above sea level, this was the highest place I had ever been to (and probably ever will). A slight feeling of dizziness ensured that all my energies for the moment were concentrated on not falling down, and in a moment, it passed, and I was able to take in my surroundings.