We turned up at the OTDC counter by 8:15 AM and started our Puri-Konark trip in an Innova this time. There were only 5 people for the tour including the old couple. We drove thru Pipli village, which is famous for its applique art. We thought we could shop here on our return journey. First we went to Puri.
Puri is about 65 kms from Bhubaneswar and it took us a little more than an hour to reach. The vehicle had to be parked a km away from the temple and we had to board a private bus to reach the temple complex. Cameras and mobiles weren't allowed inside the temple, so had to be deposited in the lockers. As soon as we reached the temple, we were surrounded by local 'Pandas'. Uncle hired one of them as they couldn't stand in queue and thought he would take around the temple easily. We also joined them.
The majestic temple of Lord Shri Jagannatha at Puri is said to have been built by emperor Anangabhimadeva, during the 11th Century. The temple consists of four structures called (a) the Vimana or Bada Deula sanctum sanctorum) (b) the Jagamohan or Mukhasala (the porch), (c) the Natamandir (the audience hall) and (d) the Bhogamandap (the hall for residuary offerings) built in a row in an axial alignment in east-west direction. The temple faces the east. In the vast open area in front of the main eastern gate, there is a monolithic pillar about 10 meters high. This pillar is known locally as the Aruna Stambha. In Hindu mythology Aruna is the the charioteer of the Sun-god. The world famous Konark temple was designed in the form of a stupendous chariot and this monolithic pillar with the beautifully carved Aruna seated on its top was installed right in front of the porch of that temple. When the temple was abandoned and there was no presiding deity in it, this pillar was removed from Konark to Puri and was fixed in front of Jagannatha temple where we see it now. The temple stands on a high pedestal though a major portion of it is buried in the ground. The visible portion shows three mouldings, which are richly carved.
Lord Jagannath, the symbol of universal love and brotherhood is worshipped in the Temple along with Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, Madhaba, Sridevi and Bhudevi on the Ratnabedi or the bejewelled platform. The Deities, Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan are made of margosa wood. There is a wooden pillar on top of which Lord Garuda is placed, and one has to pay obeisance to the Lord standing behind it. We had a glimpse of the 3 deities over there, as it was at some distance and couldn't be seen with full eyes due to the rush. This temple was also so commercialized that to go a few steps nearer, the Pandas were demanding Rs. 50 per person. And everywhere around the temple, its the money which counted!
There are other smaller shrines around the main temple including Lakshmi, Ganesha, Surya, Sakhi Gopal among others. We visited all of them. Next, our Panda took us to the kitchen hall where food was being prepared as offering to God. The Panda told that daily food would be prepared in fresh earthen pots placed on 12 steps above burning fire. About 100 quintals of rice would be prepared daily and distributed to people in evening after Aarti. We were surprised to hear that daily 56 varieties of dishes will be served to God first! He then showed the southern entrance where a life size statues of Bhima and Dushyasan of Mahabharat fame stood.
After seeing the entire complex, we came out of its premises to the front entrance and paid the Panda. In some website, I had read about a library from which the entire Jagannath temple could be seen. I spotted the Loknath library just opposite the main temple, paid the librarian Rs. 50 as donation and climbed to the top of the building. The view of Jagannath Mandir from this spot was splendid. The Grand Road (Bada Danda), where the Rath Yatra is held also could be seen.
Uncle was also interested in seeing this and photographing it. So I bought them again with me claiming they were her parents. We couldn't take our eyes off from it.
We shopped for a few items on street and proceeded towards car parking by the same bus. We asked the driver to stop at a good restaurant for food and he did it. The lunch at Puri was perhaps the best lunch we had on our trip. Post lunch, we asked the driver to take us to Puri beach. The sun was on top of our head but still we enjoyed getting wet in the sea. Puri sea beach was calm, with hotels by the road. We thought we could see some sand sculptures by the famous artist Sudarshan Patnaik, but we couldn't. As time was running out, we left for Konark by 2:30 PM.
We drove thru the marine drive and reached Konark which is 35 kms from Puri, at about 3:15 PM. On the way, we saw the Chandrabagha beach, but didn't get down as we wanted to spend time at Sun Temple. We had to walk thru a small lane of shops from the main road to get to the Sun Temple. There was an entry fee of Rs.10 as it was maintained by the Archeological Society of India. The first view of the Sun temple stunned us.
The name Konark is derived from the Sanskrit word Kona (meaning corner) and word Arka (meaning sun). The Sun Temple, built in the thirteenth century, was conceived as a gigantic chariot of the Sun God, Surya, with twelve pairs of exquisitely ornamented wheels pulled by seven horses. The temple takes the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the Sun God, and is heavily decorated with stone carving. This is built in black granite by King Narasimhadeva-I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. At the entrance of the temple is a Nata Mandir (Dancing Hall). This is where the temple dancers used to perform dances in homage to the Sun god. The main sanctum (229 ft. high) which was constructed along with the audience hall (128 ft. high) having elaborate external projections. The main sanctum which enshrined the presiding deity has fallen off. The Audience Hall survives in its entirely but of the other two viz the Dancing Hall(nata Mandir) and the Dining Hall (Bhoga-Mandap), only small portions have survived the vagaries of time. The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: "Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man."
The huge wheels carved at the base of the temple are one of the major attractions. The spokes of the wheels serve as sundials and the shadows cast by these can give the precise time of the day. Each wheel has 8 spokes and in between these spokes, there is a line of 24 beads representing 24 hours of the day.
The temple is famous for its erotic sculptures similar to the temple in Khajuraho, which can be found primarily on the second level of the porch structure.
Legends describe a lodestone on the top of the Sun temple. Due to its magnetic effects, vessels passing through the Konark sea were drawn to it, resulting in heavy damage. Hence, this temple was also called as "Black Pagoda". According to the legend, the image of the deity or the statue of the Sun God was built of a material with iron content with 1 large magnet on top of the temple, 1 in the basement and 4 large magnets in the interiors to make the statue hang / float /suspend in air.
Now as per the locals, both the magnet and the idol of Sun God rests in the British Museum in London.
After having a look at the ruined temple complex, we bought souvenirs of a few miniature stone models of Puri Jagannath temple and the Sun dial of Konark. It started getting dark by 5:30 PM and so we left back to Bhubaneswar. On the way, uncle asked us if we had any plans for the next day tour. We told we were planning to go to Ghatgaon trip which was specially conducted only on Tuesdays by OTDC, as we had a day to spare. He suggested we could join them for a tour of Cuttack which was only 35 kms from Bhubaneswar and see places around it and be back by 6 PM, as they had a train to Kolkata to catch at 8. We instantly agreed to this tour.
We reached Bhubaneswar by 7 PM and got a taxi booked for the next days' Cuttack trip in the same OTDC counter. We then came back to the hotel, had early dinner and slept.
No comments:
Post a Comment