It is said about Odisha that every stone has a story to tell and we went to Odisha not knowing what stories the region known as Utkala in our national anthem would unfold for us. The moment we reached the Vizag train station and rushed to the waiting room with our burgeoning luggage we were welcome with unfriendly glares and had to fight for getting a seat which seemed to be reserved for people who were nowhere in the horizon. After much struggle we could sit and as things started easing out and looking at the language people were speaking around I already felt a little alien. As the express train arrived the help we had hired jostled in the crowd and promptly suspended our stuff in the appropriate place and we rightfully gave him much more than he demanded due to the really herculean and staggering task he seemed to have completed. After a really sleepless night with some outlandish sounds for company and the moment I seem to have managed to go into deep slumber the TTR rudely awakened us saying that we have reached Bhubaneshwar. As I alighted from the train I was appalled to see how much filth was there in the tracks and it was as if I went back fifty years. Odisha’s tourism tag line read.. India’s best kept secret. In my mind I was asking .. really ???? As I came out of the station I was more aghast to find out that however each state in India is different with its diverse culture and heritage the auto drivers seem to be the same in fleecing the customers with money totally disproportionate to the distance covered.
My initial impression was that I am in some rustic village despite the fact that hotel Kalinga Ashok was a makeshift stay till we reached Sterling Puri in the afternoon. In our Puri trip a young couple aged 82 and 75 joined us. Firstly I was astonished that they were brave to travel to places which required endless walking and climbing and was praying that they pull through this rigour. As we reached Sterling Puri I felt I was getting into a better terrain and the resort is built in a vast expanse of land with the magnificent Puri beach as its backdrop. We then headed to see the Dhauli Santi Stupa . It is located 8 kms from Bhubaneshwar on the Dhauli Giri Hills. Braving the blistering heat when I stood in front of the Stupa I felt amazed by the dome shaped Santi Stupa or the peace pagoda built with massive stone panels displaying Lord Buddha’s footprints and the Bodhi Tree. I noticed that the dome had five umbrella’s displaying the five elements of Buddhism. I felt glad to have visited the oldest rock cut sculpture in India (3rd Century BC) which shows the head and forelegs of an elephant. The area around Dhauli was where the Kalinga war was fought and this was also the place where the great warrior underwent a complete transformation. Though he won the war he was distressed to see the ravages it had created and he had realised the ephemeral nature of life and decided to dedicate the rest of his life to the spread of Buddhism. The rock edicts carry inscriptions how Ashoka changed from a ruthless warrior to a benevolent soul and carries instructions about how to govern and administer his subjects. The inscriptions on these rocks are extraordinarily clear even after a whopping 2000 years.
The shopaholic in me couldn’t wait to get to the Pipli Village and I had heard so much about the applique work also called as Chandua. The word Applique is derived from the French word “appliquer” which means to put on. As you enter the village there are numerous shops lining both sides of the road and even before we could get off the car we were enticed to get into the very first shop which seemed little dusty on the outside but when we went inside we were in utter consternation to see the kaleidoscope of colours in products like lampshades, lanterns, umbrellas, bags ,bed linen etc. For a moment I wanted to whisk away everything that was there and then I immediately thought about the limitation to carry these in the flight. I simply marvelled at the applique work which is about cutting various pieces of cloth in different sizes and shapes and then it is sewn on the surface of another cloth. To accentuate the look, beautiful needle work, sequins, and mirror work are added to the design. The syle of stitching varies from one product to another but the six basic styles are called Bakhia, Taropa, Ganthi, Chikana, Button Hole and Ruching. The Village I came to know has about 150 such craftsmen and about 500 girls doing the very nuanced and delicate needle work.
After returning to the resort we prepared for our visit to the Puri Jaggannath Temple. Surprisingly I dint study the detailed history of the Temple and went without any expectations regarding the experience I had in store. The cabs had to be parked at quite a distance from the main temple and then there was a bungee to drop us near the temple precincts. Sure there was no leather wallets and mobiles allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum and everything you carry had to be left behind. Fortunately a priest in New Jersey had referred us to a pandit in the temple and we had to depend on him for entering the temple. As I entered the outer precincts of the temple I realised the vastness of the temple area which is roughly about 37000 sq.metres or 4 lakh square feet. We stood near the west entrance of the temple waiting for the Pandit to make his appearance and stood gazing at the visible parts of the temple structure. There were lots of pushing by the people around and I kept wondering about why any sort of queue system was completely absent. Fortunately the pandit made his appearance and took us via the west entrance and as we entered the main temple precincts my first view of the tall and majestic spire or shikara that rises to a height of 190 feet which is roughly equivalent to a 45 storey building was simply breathtaking. I just couldn’t take my eyes away from the Kalingan style architecture built by Anantavarman of the Chodaganga dynasty. According to the priest we first finished the Ganesh Darshan and then had the darshan of Bimala Devi which is one of the four Shakthi peedams. As we went around the mammoth temple premises there were hordes of people lighting lamps with sounds of Jai Jaggannath reverberating in the air.
Even before we entered the sanctum sanctorum a sense of mysticism engulfed us and I kept thinking about the several mysteries associated with the most holy shrine of the Vaishnavites. Made it a point to notice the flag on top of the spire which always flies in the opposite direction of the wind. Kept pondering about how on earth did they manage to keep a 2 tonnes chakra on top of the spire and how the engineering marvel doesn’t emanate any sound of the beach or waves inside the temple and how no birds or airplanes hover around the top of the temple and how the temple spire or pagoda never casts a shadow. The list of the magical mysteries about the temple continues unabated. Though some scientific explanations are given for these phenomenon for a pilgrim these things still remain a well guarded secret. After we went around the impressive temple premises we were waiting to enter into the Garba Griha and with the help of the priest barged into one of the entrances and there was simply a sea of people ferociously chanting Jai Jaggannath and trying to enter in with no semblance of any queue or whatever. I started to worry about the elderly couple and they seem to be managing fine in the midst of unbelievable crowd. From that moment onwards I think we can do very little and you are constantly pushed by the sea of people and as you reach the steps leading to the main deities of Jaggnannath, Subhadra and Balaram , you need to mind the stone steps and the surging crowds keeps pushing you towards the sacred deities without you actually doing much. Yes the moment you get the darshan you definitely feel a sense of rejuvenation in every cell of your body and before you remember to say all your prayers the security guard tries to push you away. Nevertheless we managed a good darshan of the wide eyed and half completed supreme powers and a sense of jubilation occurs that you finished a great darshan in this historic architectural marvel and masterpiece. I suddenly thought of the etymological origin of the word Juggernaut which simply means a massive inexorable force that crushes anything that comes its way. It is derived from the sanskrit word Jaggnanath which truly refers to an all powerful and supreme force and you feel that power of these deities are no doubt humongous and seriously larger than life. We quickly reached the outer precints and as I was still soaking in the experience remembered to ask the Pandit to capture us in this unforgettable and historic ancient heritage temple. He was also kind enough to give us the divine mahaprasad which is cooked in a unique way without any garlic or onions and daily lakhs of devotees were fed. After the inimitable and exceptional spiritual experience from a 2000 year old temple world renowned for the Rath Yatra and hundreds of other rituals and ceremonies. Another interesting facet about the temple is that the deities are carved from neem logs known as daru and the deities are seated on a bejewelled platform and the deities are recreated and the ritual is performed every 8th, 12th, or 19th year after the previous Nabekalebara. ( The ritual for replacement of the deities)
After that soulful and spiritually uplifting experience in the magnificent temple , the next day we proceeded to the Chilika lake which is the largest brackish lagoon in Asia and the second largest coastal lagoon in the world. As we were approaching the lake there were several small water bodies and which looked little dried up and we were wondering what would the level at the lake be. When we reached the lake we found it quite expansive and after some hard bargain with the local boatmen we decided to go ahead with OTDC and another family of six joined with us. After we did some acrobatics to get into the boat and were settling down for a three hour drive, the boat was gently gliding amidst the still waters. It was an ecstatic moment to feel the winds gushing in and a flock of sea gulls in such close quarters. Whenever we fed the seagulls they flocked in great numbers and it was a spectacle to see them fly in close proximity to us, The entire people in the boat had to scream in child like exuberance whenever they spotted an Irrawady Dolphin emerging from the deep waters. We were in fact fortunate to spot many and of course there were repeated screams from all of us. We could also spot several migratory birds including the flamingos from a distance. We were then taken to some island and as we disembarked we were asked to walk a stretch for about 10 minutes to reach the classic beach . The approach road to the beach was strewn with plastic bottles and several other things and I was wondering how people have the heart to spoil even remote beaches and why Naveen Patnaik’s team the only man featuring in the flex boards all across Odisha did nothing about it. But thankfully after panting due to walking in the blistering heat when we approached the beach we were the only people in the pristine beach and it was ecstatic to feel the waters and get sunk in the beach sand and the enormous stretch of the ocean sort of engulfs you with its tranquility. After few picturesque moments we started walking back to the boat . This breathtaking bio diversity spot sure left an indelible impression and the varied flora and fauna is sure a traveller’s delight and not to be missed during the visit of the eastern region.
As the sun was setting we headed to the renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site… the Konark Sun Temple…..built in the thirteenth century by King Narasinghadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The architecture is Kalinga Architecture and the chief architect is supposed to be Bishu Maharana about which I have only read during geography days in school. We sort of felt haggard after a gruelling day and was even surprised that the oldest member in the group even volunteered to stand in queue to get tickets for the laser show in the evening. The first image of the temple from a distance itself was mesmerising with the red hot sun making its appearance next to the grand temple . As we approached the entrance of the temple designed in the form of a chariot ,it just got bigger and I stood amazed at the exquisite architecture and the intricate stone carvings which was very visible despite the fading day light and there was some artificial lights to help our cause. The legend goes that the charioteer of the Sun God was Aruna and he drove the chariot carrying the Sun God with seven horses and the Chariot had 12 pairs of wheels. All these were depicted in stone and the famous Konark wheel has 8 spokes and each spoke represents a pahar (3 Hours)By watching the shadow on the spokes people were able to accurately guage the time accurately to the minute. As I went around the temple surrounded by these intrinsically carved stone wheels I was awe struck by the architectural masterpiece and couldn’t fathom how all these was done thousands of years ago. All the sides of the temple looked truly gigantic and as we approached the front part again we got ready for the laser show. On the flip side I dint understand how a monument like this is going to be preserved for eternity and the swarm of mosquitoes chasing you was bit of a major concern spoiling the experience. We were not warned to carry any repellent or creams as a first line of defense. May be if we are destined to visit again we shall go fully armed. We sat there battling with the menacing mosquitoes as the history, folklore and the myths of the architectural grandeur of the Sun Temple was being explained. Learnt that the Sun God is never worshipped . The son (Dharampada) of the chief architect ( Bisu Maharana) was successful in placing the stone on top of the temple which the 1200 stone carvers were not able to in the 12 years of the time given to them by King Narsinghadeva. To save the beheading of the 1200 stone carvers if the king came to know that a small boy has placed the stone, the boy is said to have climbed to the top of the temple and jumped into the Chandrabhaga river. His death was considered inauspicious and hence no puja is performed here. The magnificent wonder in stone overlooking the Chadrabagha beach is a perfect example of how each stone weaves its magic in unfolding before us the stories of different stages in human life. The magnificence of this gigantic temple and the innumerable tales of extraordinary courage and valour it portrays definitely gives you several exhilarating moments which is truly one of a kind pleasing not only your aesthetic senses but also fills your mind and soul with unlimited euphoria.
The final day of our visit we managed to go to Rahgurajpur a renowned village which is the birthplace of Pattachitra which in Sanskrit means cloth picture/painting. The moment I got off from the vehicle there was a middle aged man enquiring us about the artefacts we were interested to purchase. We were sternly and staidly asking him if he was some sort of an agent or a broker to which he immediately replied “I am neither and I am an artiste”. We were stunned to hear this. He said that since his house is located in the last part of the road not many visited him and for the interest he showed in us we managed to walk that extra mile for him not withstanding the fact that we were slightly panting for breath due to the enormous heat. As we reached his humble abode we were not initially impressed by his display. He quickly drew the image of Krishna with a flute just for us to endorse him as a pattachitra painter. Slowly he unravelled the hidden gems and displayed all varieties of paintings which mostly had motifs from the Ramayana and Mahabharatha. We were literally stunned by his artistry and the images his family members and him drew on palm leaves was extraordinary and the minute details and intricacies in the paintings was beyond imagination. This kind of artistry is sort of unparalleled anywhere in the universe and I thought their tribe deserved more respect and recognition. The entire row of houses carried some delicate and exquisite paintings even in the outer walls and I was informed that some Padmashree awardees and the recipients of other highest civilian awards resided there. Well we purchased few paintings which suited our wallet and left the village completely mesmerised and spellbound to say the least by the sheer creative genius of the artisans at work. For me these painters were way more precious than the Raphaels and the Rembrandts of the world and sure our walls should adorn their paintings with a sense of nationalistic pride.
As they say “In Odisha every temple tells a tale and every beach whispers tranquility. Odisha is a tapestry of unique experiences where art and nature harmonize to create unique masterpieces”. Well there are always scope for minor improvements in terms of giving an elevated feel for the tourists in certain epic monumental wonders. Barring that most of them would leave the state with a grin having witnessed such grandeur in art, culture and the excellent eastern heritage.
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