Saturday, November 08, 2008

Ananta Vasudeva Temple, Bhubaneswar

A vaishnava temple of 13th century which enshrines lord Balarama (Ananta), Krishna (Vasudeva), and Subhadra.

a side view of the main temple ...

The temple is very popular, like many others in this region for its profusely carved exterior and finished appearance. But now unfortunately much of the carvings are faded due to the softness of the stones. Going back to history, it was erected by Chandradevi, the daughter of Anangabhima III during the rule of Bhanudeva in 1278 AD.

The interesting thing someone could notice between this temple and the Sri Jagannath temple in Puri, there is one similarity the way prasad (holy food) are sold/offered to to the deities. The place where the food is sold/served is called as Anand Bazaar.

The temple is located very closely to the eastern corner of the Bindu Sagar lake, which offers a magnificent view and another highlight of the visit. And if you walk still further for few minutes, on your right hand side you will find Lingaraj temple, the famous temple of lord Shiva (more on this on a new post).

Due to lack of time, I didn’t able to spend my share of time with the camera but nevertheless these few pictures will serve as a reminder to me that I have to visit that place once again.

11 comments:

~vagabond~ said...

The temple in the middle of the lake is just beautiful! *sigh* wish I could see it for myself.

alok said...

vagabond, indeed it is!! And yes anytime if you are in this part of the world then don’t miss a chance to visit any of these temples. You will be pleased by discovering about their architectures all by yourself.

Lakshmi said...

My Orissa trip is pending and I hope you finish your posts by then so that I can figure out my itinerary by then

indicaspecies said...

What a fascinating place that must be. Thanks for sharing. Reminded me of Khajuraho temple art work.

alok said...

lakshmi, hopefully :) and thanks for the comment.

alok said...

Celine, my pleasure. Thanks for the comment :)

Nandita Bayan said...

surely tats an awesome place to visit i guess...

Anonymous said...

The last photo is very nice.This photo reminds me that I should also go out somewhere else I am definitely missing all these beautiful places.

Time to shut down the Laptop !!!! :)

-Himanshu Sheth

alok said...

Nandita, for sure !!!


Himanshu, thanks for the comment. And hey, I bet you do, even bugs have life :P

Diana Sahu said...

My place....I love these temples

Dimpy Roy said...

Lovely pictures. To behold stunning architecture of Bhubaneshwar, check out Lingaraja Temple. Also, the Nandankanan Zoo is another mind blowing attraction from amongst various Bhubaneswar places to visit. Check out more about Lingaraja temple.