Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/776538
great temples of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. It's impossible to visit all of Bhubaneswar's 700 temples (of the 2,000 built here between the eighth and 12 th centuries), but the few I did see struck me by how different they were from the ones I'd seen in other parts of India. Temples in Odisha are dominated by colossal cylindrical or sometimes pyramid-shaped towers rising skyward in multiple tiers, covered with elaborate stone carvings and guarded by huge sculptures of seated lions at their entrances. The 11 th -century Lingaraj Temple, the city's oldest and largest, is dominated by a 55-metre-high spire. Located in the city's atmospheric old town and set inside an enormous 2.2-hectare compound full of dozens of smaller temples and shrines, it is dedicated to Harihara, a form of the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu. On my visit, the area in front of the temple complex bustled with flower and coconut sellers as a steady stream of worshippers passed through its gates. Thousands visit the temple every day, however I could only admire this famous temple from outside its walls because non- Hindus are not allowed inside. But not all of Bhubaneswar's temples are off limits to foreigners. The much smaller but delightful 10 th -century Mukteswar Temple is one of them. With no crowds milling about here I could enjoy the quiet atmosphere and take in all the stunning architectural details. Entirely built in red sandstone, this Shiva temple has an arched gateway and is completely covered with intricately sculpted figures of holy men, smiling celestial maidens, mischievous monkeys and peacocks. Every January, a three-day dance festival takes place here, with the temple's ancient red stones providing a dramatic backdrop. SUN WORSHIP "Jai Jagannath!" With these words uttered by the driver, we were off. The taxi made its way to Konark, 70 kilometres away, with me squeezed in between two fellow dance students from France and the U.S. on the back seat. While Bhubaneswar is known for its hundreds of temples, Konark's sole and unique temple is one of India's best known. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 13 th - century Sun Temple was built to resemble Surya the sun god's celestial chariot, outfitted with 24 giant wheels pulled by seven horses (although only one remains today). Though visibly corroded by time and the sea air, the sculpted friezes of human figures, mythical creatures and floral motifs covering the temple are still breathtakingly beautiful. We spotted rampaging elephants, military processions and hunting scenes, as well as a few erotic encounters between amorous couples here and there—not uncommon in Hindu temples. A stone staircase, flanked by the ever- present seated lions, took us to the natya mandir, the dance hall where temple dancers once performed. Here we observed sculpted musicians playing the mardala drum and cymbals, and dancers with one hip jutted out in tribhanghi pose, the other Odissi position we knew well from dance WINTER/SPRING 2017 DREAMSCAPES 13