ORISSA
Orissa does not top most people’s places-to-go-before-they-die list but is an interesting place to go for a vibrant mix of history, culture, sun and sand. We started our journey in Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar is a city with a long and interesting history. There were early Jain and Buddhist settlements in Bhubaneshwar in the last two centuries BC as is evidenced by the archaeological remains at Dhauli, Udayagiri and Khandagiri. With the decline of Buddhism and Jainism in the area Saivism came into prominence. Between the seventh and the twelfth century there was a proliferation of temple construction especially around the Bindu Sagar Lake. Many of the temples were destroyed in Mughal attacks on the city but even today around 500 temples survive in Bhubaneswar, the reason why it is known as the city of temples.
The first temple we visited was the Rajarani Temple. The temple is called so because of the yellowish beige sandstone that has been used to build the temple is called rajarani. The temple has a tiered jagamohana typical of many temples in Orissa. The heavily sculpted sanctum stands diagonal to the jagamohana. There are beautiful sculptures of the ashtadikpala or the guardians of the eights directions, Indra, Agni, Varuna, Yama, Vayu, Kubera, Nirriti, Isana around the shrine. Also adorning the exterior of the sanctum are voluptuous nayikas with secretive smiles and luxuriant hair, in various typical poses, looking at themselves in a mirror, petting a parrot, fondling a child, playing the mridanga. These are very similar to statues of nayikas in Hoysala temples in Karnataka and Chandela temples in Khajuraho.
From there we went to the Siddheswara-Mukteswara temples. The Mukteswara temple built in the tenth century AD has an elaborately sculpted torana archway with scrollwork, floral patterns and female figures. The exterior of the sanctum is prolifically adorned with sculpture. On two sides of the jagamohana are jaali windows. Nearby is the Siddheswara temple which is as yet incomplete and therefore much less ornamented. The sculptures of Ganesha and Karttikeya around the tower are striking though. The Museum of Tribal Arts and Artefacts is well worth a visit if one has enough time in the city. Weapons, clothes, jewellery and household implements of the many tribes of Orissa are displayed here.
The Lingaraja Temple is the most striking of the temples in Bhubaneshwar. A priest offered to show us around the temple, an offer we accepted only to regret it later. He had a very general understanding of the structure and practically no idea of its history. The complex houses about fifty shrines. The imposing 54 metre high Lingaraj temple built in the nagara style is dedicated to Tribhuvaneshwara the lord of the three worlds. The jagamohana and the garbagriha date back to the seventh century AD but the nata mandap and bhog mandap are later additions. The presiding deity is the hari hara linga representing both Shiva and Vishnu. The spire of the temple has tiers and is surmounted by a round top. There are replicas of the spire itself in between the tiers. While we were admiring the intricate sculpture on the temple walls we saw an extraordinary sight. A priest was climbing the spire sans any kind of support with practised ease to change the flag at the top. Our priest guide told us that it was a regular occurrence and the priest chosen for the task would offer prayers to the deity and would then climb the spire to change the flag.
Our next stop was the temple town of Puri. Puri used to be a popular halt for hippies as an alternative to Goa in the 1960s and 70s, who were drawn here by its beach and plentiful supply of reality-altering substances. Today the crowd is more subdued, mostly pilgrims or boisterous Bengali tourists. The Jagannath Temple is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus, Puri being one of the char dhams (the others being Badrinath, Rameswaram and Dwarka). The annual rath (chariot) yatra of the temple draws multitudes of pilgrims. A massive rath carrying the idols of Krishna, Balram and Subadhra is drawn across Puri commemorating their journey from Gokul to Mathura. The word juggernaut originates from Jagannath describing the massive chariot under the wheels of which, legend has it, pilgrims would throw themselves. The main spire rises above the garbagriha where the deities are placed. Visitors must be prepared to face an assault of priests offering to guide them around the temple. In case you decided to hire the services of one of the priests it is best to discuss with him what you will pay for right at the entrance to avoid any rude shocks once you are in the temple.
In the evening we decided to visit the beach. This long beach is a hub of activity in the evening with tired pilgrims dipping their feet in the cool sea and vendors selling everything from souvenirs to snacks. If one wanders a little one can find spots which are less crowded. But in order to really avoid the crowds come early in the morning. Along the beach is an esplanade which has alot of shops selling traditional textiles and handicrafts from Orissa.
The Sun Temple of Konark near Puri is a world heritage site. Built in the thirteenth century this temple was built in the shape of a chariot with twenty four wheels drawn by seven horses, for the god Surya. At the entrance to the temple is the natmandir where devdasis used to perform. The shikara over the sanctum has fallen. The guides there say that there was a floating idol of Surya inside the temple which was kept afloat by magnets and that these magnets were powerful enough to draw ships to the shore. This story adds to the mystique of the temple but is not backed by historical record. Outside are three statues of Surya made out of chlorite representing the rising sun, the midday sun and the setting sun. On the roof are some large free standing statues of female musicians. The base is the temple is ornamented with elaborate sculpture. The lowest level has a continuous frieze of elephants. Nayikas in various poses appear here like the temples of Bhubaneshwar. Other sculptures are of court scenes, hunting, mythical creatures and dancers. Of course what catches the attention of most visitors is the profusion of erotic sculpture ranging from amorous couples to orgies of people in very contorted positions. Various explanations have been advanced for the presence of such eroticism in religious art including that it was meant to be an inspiration to the people to increase the population after a war or that it was meant to keep bad spirits away. But the very need to explain it at all comes because we are judging the sculpture from the context of our morality and notions. Rather than look for any explanation one should admire them for what we know them to be, great pieces of art.
The next day we set out early for Chilika Lake, the largest brackish lagoon in Asia. In winter flocks of migratory birds including herons, pink flamingos and grey legged geese come here. We hired a boat from the village of Satpada to take us around the lake. We were first taken to a spot known for sightings of the highly endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. The Irrawaddy dolphins with their protruding foreheads and short beaks are some of the few river dolphins left in India. The boatman turned off the engine and we waited for the dolphins to appear. The dolphins move in schools and their heads appear above the water to breathe. But they quickly disappear and the muddy water makes it difficult to spot them under water. Unlike their marine counterparts they do not oblige you with mid air somersaults but we were still glad to have caught these brief glimpses of them.
The next day we headed back to Bhubaneshwar. On the way we stopped at the sites of Dhaulagiri, Udayagiri and Khandagiri. Dhaulagiri is the site where Ashoka famously abjured violence after the battle of Kalinga. There is one of Ashoka’s edicts here inside a grill and glass enclosure. There is also a Shanti Stupa built by the Japanese. The stupa has panels with stories from Buddha’s life. The hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri have Jain rock cut temples. Most of them were used as residences by Jain monks. The Ranigumpa is the most impressive. This double storeyed temple has some interesting friezes. The Hathi gumpa is not architecturally impressive but it has a famous inscription of king Kharavela engraved on it. The inscription records the expeditions of king Kharavela including victory of Magadha and retrieval of Jaina cult image taken away by the Nanda king.
The Nandankanan Zoo on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar is famous for its white tigers. We went for a lion and tiger safari there which turned out to be quite a disappointment. The appearance of the lions and tigers from behind the trees seemed very staged. The lions and tigers looked emaciated and listless like they had been put on a vegetarian diet. In the evening we went to Ekamra Haat. Ekamra Haat is the place to go if you want to shop for traditional art and craft of the state. Modellled on the lines of Dilli Haat there are various stalls where artisans sell their wares. Whether you’re looking for sambalpuri material or the beautiful patachitra paintings and tribal jewellery you will be spoilt for choice here.
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