A Simple Offering

As  non-Hindu, I was not allowed inside the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. Instead, I wandered around the area, circumnavigating the wall of the temple complex. Nearing the completion of my walk, I suddenly spotted this woman, humbly clasping her hands as she paid her respects to a cow she had just fed. Without being obtrusive, I quickly snapped a photo with my D-SLR and moved on. It wasn't until I zoomed in on the photo on my computer that I realized that her arms, hands, and face revealed scarring from burns. What was her story? Regardless, the tender moment was one I'll cherish.

Watercolor on handmade paper, 2009

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Mukteswar Temple

By the time we arrived at the Mukteswar Temple, the warm glow of the sun had disappeared. No matter, as the 10^th century temple was something to behold in and of itself. Slightly below eye-level on the main temple were sculptures of graceful female figures, with expressive faces and careful attention to hairstyles, and jewelry. Like the Lingaraj Temple, the deul (10.3 m high) had vertical ribs. One of the more notable elements of the complex is the beautiful torana (gateway).  Two female figures gently reclined on the gateway appearing to smile at those who entered through the opening. On each side was the head of an elephant-like creature, its trunk appearing to trumpet and announce the arrival of visitors. The ceiling of the jagomohan (assembly hall) was most unique, carved into a lotus with eight petals (most ceilings are plain). It reminded me more of the Jain temples I had seen in India. A bit of light still shone through the diamond-shaped latticed windows. Once again, time quickly sped by and we were asked to board the bus. Our day trip had come to an end. For me, this was the final day of my travels in Orissa. That next evening, I would be back in Chennai.

See more photos of Mukteswar Temple on my Flickr page

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Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar

The sun now getting heavy, we arrived at our second-to-last destination – the Lingaraj Temple. It is one of more than 400 temples remaining in Bhubaneswar, part of the 7,000 that once stood here. Like the temple in Puri, non-Hindus were not allowed entrance. This magnificent 11^th century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva represents the pinnacle of the Orissan style. Towering high above the surrounding wall is the 55m high deul (spire), its surface textured with vertical ribs and a few bulbous creatures. According to our guide, it is the tallest temple structure in the world. Other details described in the guidebook must have lay further down; female figures, animals, and friezes of ceremonial processions. The pyramidal rooftops of a few of the 100 shrines could be seen. In structures closer to the wall, I could see one of its common themes – a lion pouncing on a cowering elephant, believed by some to be a royal emblem.

Nearby was the large Bindusagar temple tank that is believed to have water from every sacred river in India. It is here where the main deity of the Lingaraj temple is brought for an annual ritual bath. The sun was now very low, silhouetting some structures and casting a warm glow onto others. Outside the walls of the complex women sold baskets of marigolds. Garlands of orange and yellow marigolds were strung in garlands, also to be used for performing religious ceremonies. Beggars parked themselves on blankets made from rice sacks, their aluminum bowls extended for donations. A thin-limbed sadhu with its dreadlocks appeared lost in meditation, perched cross-legged on a wall. A shawled older woman placed before a young cow a bowl of food, folding her hands together as she paid respect to the animal. Alas, the hour had quickly gone by. We had to move on.

See more photos of Lingaraj and other temples of Bhubaneswar on my Flickr page

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Orissa State Museum and Nandan Kanan Zoo

One of the negative parts about going on an organized tour is going to places you would have otherwise skipped. One such spot for me was the zoo.  Perhaps it’s because of prior experiences in foreign zoos where the animals are kept in tiny fenced in areas, emaciated and pacing back and forth. Or, worse yet, the pens were empty, the captive animal dead. This zoo was surrounded by a thick forest, with many of the animals in a rather natural surrounding. Most of the animals were those found in India, including some rare species. Unfortunately, many of the white tigers and other famous animals were taking their mid-day snooze. Others were pacing back and forth at the far end of the pen, making it difficult to photograph. Our guide took us through a bushy path and pointed out a large spider web, identifying its creator as a Black Widow spider. I found the Indian Gharial Crocodiles rather curious, with their narrow snouts ending in a bulbous protrusion by the nostrils.

We also stopped at the Orissa State Museum. Unfortunately, much of the museum was closed for renovations, including the Buddhist and Jain sculpture rooms. We did see some beautiful palm leaf manuscripts, coins, musical instruments, and collection of rocks & minerals.

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Dhauli, Battle Site and Peace Pagoda

Located amidst lush paddy fields just a short 8 km from Bhubaneswar is Dhauli, the site of a bloody battle in 260 BC. The emperor Ashoka won the war, but his remorse over the injury and death around him caused the emperor to give up military conquest and embrace Buddhism. One of his rock edicts promoting non-violence, justice, and compassion is at the base of Dhauli Hill. At the top of the hill is the stark white Shanti Stupa “Peace Pagoda,” built in the early 1970’s by Japanese Buddhists. From here, one had a great view of the surrounding rural landscape and the banks of the Daya River where the bloody battle occurred.

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Udaigiri and Khandagiri Caves

On my day tour of Bhubaneswar, our first destination was the Udaigiri and Khandagiri caves. These twin hills located just 6 km NW of Bhubaneswar were naturally honeycombed, providing great places to create retreats for Jain monks already in the 1^st century BC. Although there are a series of caves on both sides of the road, the most impressive one is the Rani Gumpa or “Queen’s Cave.” The top corridor was particularly beautiful, with relief carvings of figures and animals adorning the upper portion of the walls and around the arched doors. Whereas carvings in some places looked rather static and figures separate, the frieze here was highly animated and fluid, with the interactive figures nearly melding into each other; musicians, dancers, royalty, elephants, monkeys, and more. Nearby is the Chhota Hathi Gumpha “Small Elephant Cave” with its six sculpted elephants guarding the front of the cave. Perhaps the most creative cave is the Bagh Gumpha, shaped like a tiger’s head, its mouth wide open and beckoning (or daring) those to enter.

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Saliasahi Tribal Village

Before finishing our journey, the taxi driver took me to a nearby tribal village. Just driving up the tiny dirt road to the village, I could tell it was going to be a poor village. Homes were small and simple, many made from mud brick and thatched roofs. Many of the villagers were not quite sure what to make of me; I suspect that many (particularly the kids) had not had much if any contact with white people. I didn’t feel comfortable in taking photos of the village itself and I could tell many of the villagers weren’t the type who would want their photos taken either. A few were willing though. I wished that they would have looked more “tribal,” but I couldn’t ask them to dress into something that wasn’t part of who they were. Alas, I wouldn’t see the colorful tribal people so famous in other parts of Orissa. As I walked past a rather high wall, one woman poked her head out and gestured for me to take her photo. A rather wild-looking woman who appeared to have cataracts joined her, both eager to see their photos. I did get some smiles and giggles, some curious onlookers, and those who excitedly showed off their photos to others. That in itself is worth it.

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Konark Sun Temple - part 1

The highlight of the trip was the Sun Temple in Konark. Located about 60 km from Bhubaneswar, this 13^th century temple is deservedly on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Dubbed the Black Pagoda by sailors who had frequent shipwrecks along the coast, the temple is in the shape of a massive chariot, pulled by seven galloping horses (one for every day of the week) whose mission is to carry the Sun God across the sky. Only parts of the horses remain, but the twenty-four wheels each of which are 3m high are in remarkable condition. The horses and other parts of the many structures at Konark were victims of a Muslim army sacking in the 15^th century.

A long walkway leads up to the temple, emphasizing the importance of the scene and causing increased anticipation as if one was coming to visit a king. Reaching the temple, the wait was not in vain. Here before me was a structure with a profusion of carved images and scenes of varying sizes and subject matter, all seemingly wriggling with life. The sheer volume of images could easily cause one to become overwhelmed and lose focus on anything, but for those that take the time to actually look and see, the details are a treat for the eye. You could close our eyes and snap away with your camera and get a wonderful picture no matter where you photographed. Here one will find dancing figures and those playing instruments, whose details give us a glimpse into the jewelry, clothing and hairstyles of the day. Throughout the temple one can see vividly erotic scenes based on the Kama Sutra including sexual acts – sometimes between a man and woman, one man and several women, with animals, and more. One theory is that the erotic art was meant to symbolize the ecstatic bliss enjoyed by the soul when it unites with the divine. Just next to some of these erotic scenes are more calm carvings of snake goddesses.  Other scenes are more of everyday life – a woman leaving for pilgrimage, another washing her hair, playing instruments, and fondly caressing a bird. Others are more religious, including images of various Hindu cults – an indication of religious tolerance at the time for different sects. Our guide pointed out the court scene – a relief carving depicting the king being presented with a giraffe – an indication of the maritime trade with Africa. Another shows a king seated on an elephant, leading a discussion to nobles & priests whose elephants and horses stand below. Lining the base of the temple platform are friezes of hunting scenes, military processions, elephants uprooting trees, attempts to capture elephants, rows of athletes, ladies cooking, and other everyday life scenes.

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On to Orissa, Rajarani Temple

Another overnight train later, I arrived at the Bhubaneswar train station in the state of Orissa. Located two states north of Tamil Nadu, Orissa is famous for its ancient Hindu temples and large tribal population. Originally I had planned to visit some of the tribes, but due to renewed tribal violence and tensions, decided that the photo opportunities were not worth the risk. Instead, I would base myself out of the capital city of Bhubaneswar and take a couple day trips from there. At the train station, a sister of one of our local Indian teachers warmly met me. It was quite easy to spot me, as I was the only redhead around and perhaps the only white person as well.

On the way to the guest house where I would be staying, I immediately noticed at how much cleaner Bhubaneswar appeared than other Indian cities, including Chennai. Very little rubbish was thrown about, murals featuring Orissa’s traditional designs, musical instruments, sights, and Hindu mythology cheered up the walls. It also seemed a bit calmer; I guess less traffic and wider roads helps.

Rajarani Temple
That evening after setting up the tour itinerary for the next few days, my gracious Orissa host took me to one of Bhubaneswar’s ancient Hindu temples – the 11^th century Rajarani Temple. Set a pleasant walk on the far side of a walled grassy area, this temple had beautiful carvings on its spire. The sun was setting, filling the sky with warm colors and casting its colors onto the stone structure. The scene was tranquil, enhanced by a beautifully manicured lawn, flowering bushes, and trees. While the bottom part of the temple was rather plain, there still was a detail feast for the eyes, including some slender female figures and guardian figures. Not knowing that we would be doing any sightseeing, I hadn’t brought along my camera. The very substandard photos taken with my cell phone would have to do. Inside the temple was bare – no presiding deities here. It smelled a bit of urine (hopefully bat and not human), so I didn’t linger long.

Later that evening, we enjoyed ourselves at a café where we met yet another sister, exchanging thoughts and ideas. I even tried some local “fast food” with the encouragement of my hosts. It was filling and tasty.

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