Travel Buffet

Konark Sun Temple, Orissa Orissa is one of the many states I have travelled in India. From what I heard from my cousin and folklores, I gather that this state is one of the first few states to be formed based on language. It goes without saying that their love for Lord Jagannath is deeply rooted and nothing can take this place and the people away from Him; not the imperial British colonization, not the Mughal invasions, not the innumerous infusions by foreign organizations. These people are so staunch in their beliefs that they pride themselves on it. I stayed in IIT Bhubaneshwar, which was moved to Jatani, 40-minute drive from Bhubaneshwar. The campus overlooked Barunei mountain. Legends have it that the first war against any invasion in India started from Orissa warriors. One more shocking news I learnt was that the warriors back then were actually women. As you can see from the souvenirs I bought , women soldiers of Orissa tribe led by the then Queen Baruni marched down Barunei moun...

After it stopped raining in Konark , we headed to Chandrabhaga beach in Puri. My cousin lowered my expectations of the beach, since we both hail from Chennai, the city with the second longest beach in the world. But he didn't do it well because I was totally unimpressed to see such a small beach. The distance from the road to the water was shorter than the breadth of the road itself. It looked more like a private beach. There was hardly anyone there when we went but that could be because it was the middle of a weekday, not that the beach looked like it could handle a large crowd on a weekend. Small beach for a small family Parking lot There is a time to relax and there is a time to click photos I wasn't in the mood for knee-dipping so I stayed on the sand, sucking in the calm salty air and the sea-breeze. I heard from my cousin that people were not allowed to go swimming in that particular beach anymore due to recent deaths there. The depth of the water is unpredictable apparen...

Konark Sun Temple is one of the most iconic UNESCO heritage sites in the country and to witness it in its ruins was heart-breaking and blood-boiling at the same time. Despite the little and questionable measures taken by the the Orissa state government to protect and maintain this monument, the state of the sculptures still look pathetic. The main temple tower is completely supported by rods to keep the structure in place and intact. No one knows the exact cause of the damage to the monument, which seemed to have happened over the years. But allegations have it that cyclones, tsunamis and the Mughal invasions have played major roles in the damage to this beautiful temple. Majestic lion at the entrance Main tower supported by rods Broken sculpture What looks like a broken Mandapam, not sure what happened here.. The temple itself was built to be a chariot with 24 wheels on the sides of it. Each wheel has 8 spokes. It is believed that the astronomers in olden days used the position of sun...

 Feast your eyes and get into artistic mode to awe mode with the photos that follow.  All in one picture Entrance guarded by lions A slight damage enhanced the elegance Elephants - First animal that comes to anyone's mind about India Intricate carvings Sun-kissed sculptures And the one thing that makes it all - symmetry Damaged surfaces Not just another pillar that withstands the temple, it has a lot of character to it Intimacy with intricacy Shades of grey Erotica as showcased by the designer Yes it's me, as captured by Jaisri Srinivasa Odiya lanterns Souvenir shop at the entrance Read all about this famous Konark Sun temple from my blog and feed your brains too. Photo Credits: Me Visit: 13.07.2018