Page 313 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

ODISHA  311

Bindusagar, is an unusual temple elephants capturing wild ones, VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
with eerie interior carvings. These to the left of the lintel. Set into
indicate that it was probably used the outer walls of the shrine are Practical Information
for macabre tantric rites, including images of both Shiva and other Bhubaneswar district. 480 km
human sacrifice. The main deity deities, among them a superb (298 miles) S of Kolkata.
here is a terrifying, eight-armed potbellied Ganesha, and his * 647,350. n Odisha Tourism,
Chamunda (a Tantric form of brother Karttikeya sitting on BJB Nagar, (0674) 243 2177.
Durga), with a garland of skulls, his vehicle, the peacock. _ Tribal Mela (Jan),
seated on a corpse, flanked by The nearby 10th-century Ashokashtami (Mar/Apr).
a jackal and an owl. Mukteshwar Temple, one of Transport
Built in the 7th-century, the the jewels of Orissan temple ~ 4 km (2.5 miles) NW of city
Parasurameshwar Temple, architecture, is notable for its centre. £ @
on the road to Puri, is the best- exquisite sculptures and elegant
preserved and most lavishly proportions. Its beautiful torana
sculpted of the earliest group (gateway) is deco rated with century Rajarani Temple. It
of temples. The square-towered langor ously reclining female has a particularly striking spire
shrine has a rectangular figures. The jagamohan is decor ated with miniature replicas
jagamohan adjoining it, decorated illuminated by diamond-shaped of itself, rising in continuous tiers
with wonderfully animated latticed windows on around the tower.
bands of dancers and musicians the north and south This temple is
on its west window. The main walls, their outermost renowned for its fine
entrance to the jagamohan also frames depicting sculptures of dikpals
has a fine carving of domestic enchanting scenes of (the guar dians of
frolicking monkeys. A the eight cardinal
unique feature of the directions) perched
INDIAN AIRLINES ST MARKET ST Nandan Kanan Zoo Railway jagamohan is the on lotus flowers. Of
CUTTACK,
decorated ceiling,
these, Agni, the God
Station
1km (0.6 mile)
carved into a lotus
of Fire on a ram, and
Khandagiri & SCHOOL ST SCHOOL ST RAJ PATH GAUTAM NAGAR with eight petals. The Guardian figures, Varuna, God of the
Oceans seated on
sculptures of female
U NIT 1 M AIN ST
Rajarani Temple
Udayagiri Caves P A T H BHUBANESWAR MG PURI CUTTACK RD figures in this temple a crocodile, are
ADIVA SI GR O UND RD
VENUS INN ST
J A N BAPUJI NAGAR MAIN ST KALPANA K A L PA N A R D are remarkable for their particularly impressive. Also
SQUARE
expressive faces, with hairstyles
remarkable are the tall and
Airport U DYA N M AR G and jewellery shown in slender female figures, carved
2 km (1 mile) exquisite detail. The octagonal in high relief on the walls of
Odisha
Mausima State Museum BJB NAGAR RD wall surrounding the temple has the temple.
Temple a number of niches, each contain-
Ramakrishna ing a wheel, a lotus medallion E Odisha State Museum
Math or a delicate scroll. Many of BJB Nagar. Open Tue–Sun.
2ND ST
R O A D scenes from the famous The highlight of this interesting
4TH ST L E W I S the sculptures here also depict Closed public hols. &
6TH ST
S A H I VIVEKANANDA MG Panchatantra tales. museum is its rich collection
8TH ST VIVEKANANDA MARG R O A D Set amidst paddy fields, just of Buddhist and Jain sculptures,
10TH ST BARADA N D A Hanuman BJB NAG AR RD off the main road, is the 11th- coins and painted palm-
leaf manuscripts. There are
ROAD Temple also collections of tribal art,
Vaital Deul
TANKAPANI RD

Temple Uttameshwar Mukteshwar Rajarani traditional jewellery and

musical instruments.
M A H A T A B Bindusagar Temple Parasurameshwar Environs
Temple

BINDU SAGAR R D
Temple

Gouri Park
Kedar
Tank

Temple

and botanical gardens,
Mulapadia Sari Ananta Daya River The Nandan Kanan Zoo
Local Park Temple Basudev 20 km (12 miles) north of
Lingaraj Temple Bhubaneswar, is famous for
Temple L E W I S its white tigers (see p243). The
LINGARAJ TEMPLE RD R O A D 0 metres 500 zoo, surrounded by a thick
forest, enables the animals to
live in natural surroundings.
500
Panthers and gharials (Gavialis
0 yards
gangeticus) have been successfully
bred in captivity here.
GIANI ZAIL SINGH ROAD
Chausath Yogini Temple, The beautifully sculpted torana of the O Nandan Kanan Zoo
PURI, KONARAK,
DHAULI & PIPLI Mukteshwar Temple Open Tue–Sun. & - s
For keys to symbols see back flap
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