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A Day at Kalabhoomi - an unique repository of Odisha's rich legacy of handicrafts and hand-looms

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Appreciations and frequent recommendations from friends and acquaintances about the new museum in the city, Kalabhoomi, the Odisha Handicraft and Handlooms Museum made me plan a visit to the place with my six year old son Omm on a Saturday. However, as it happened, the museum was closed for second Saturday when two of us friends with kids arrived at the aesthetically built laterite stone made entrance gate. We came back distraught, but may be that was how it was destined to be for good. Over the next couple of days there was Kalabhoomi in discussions all around me, mostly for a colleague who had planned a sketch walk at the place while my son's favourite storytellers Bakul Foundation planned a craft conversations ala storytelling session over the next weekends. As it panned out, the weekend morning started with watching Jurasic World at the theatres. Finished with hour date with the dinosaurs, it was a family tour of all three of us at the super special museum Kalabhoomi. T...
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Odisha #TempleTales #01 : Charisambhu - The twin temples of Lord Vishnu and Shiva at Gandharadi in Boudh

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In the hey days of Kalingan Temple architecture, temples showcased artistic excellence across the length and breadth of Odisha. One such example is Charisambhu Temple, also known as #Gandharadi temple owing to its location at Gandharadi village on the bank of river Mahanadi near Boudh town in Odisha. Interestingly the twin temples of Sidheswar (Lord Shiva) and Nilamadhab (Lord Vishnu) have been built on a single elevated platform, which is a rare phenomenon among Indian temples.  Considered as architectural marvels from the ancient era, these twin temples are living temples of Hari and Hara with Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu worshiped everyday. Believed to be constructed in 8th Century AD by the Bhanja rulers, these two ancient temples, almost seems like exact replica of each other. However, one aspect differentiates the twin temples. Unlike other Shiva temples the Sidheswar Temple has a Shiva Linga installed at its top instead of the regular Trident or Trishul placed at top of mos...
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Talasari - A memorable rendezvous in the lap of nature along Odisha coast

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The scenic river bank and Talasari beach in Balasore, Odisha. Pic @ Krushna's  Looking for an weekend family outing in the lap of nature in the hot summer month of May, me and a childhood friend, a property consultant by profession, zeroed on Talasari beach in Balasore district, a tiny coastal tourist destination close to Odisha - West Bengal border. As none of us had ever been to the place, whatever little knowledge on the place was courtesy the promotional advertisements of Odisha Tourism featuring the unique red crab and through reference search online and via local acquaintances. The iconic red crabs at Talasari beach. Pic @ Krushna The initial thought was to stay at the border town of Digha in West Bengal and a site-seeing visit to Talasari which was just 10 kms away, mostly influenced by the search results of 300 plus hotels in Digha, in sharp contrast to hardly any good accommodation available on online searches at Talasari except the Odisha Tourism Development Cor...
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Location: Talsari, Balasore, Odisha
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The interesting tales of Ananta Vasudeva Temple in Bhubaneswar

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The majestic Ananta Vasudeva Temple standing tall on the banks of Bindusagar in old Bhubaneswar. Pic @ Krushna's As a child I had always flooded my father with numerous questions about various aspects of temples whenever we used to visit one. The answers in the form of narrations and stories always fascinated me and further increased my quest for knowing more about them. The same childlike curiosity within me continues as I always get super excited whenever I get an opportunity to listen to the ever fascinating temple tales. As it happened, on a Sunday morning, while participating in the weekly heritage walk 'Ekamra Walks', I walked into the abode of Lord Ananta Vasudev, the only ancient Vishnu temple in the Ekamra Kshetra or the Old town area of Bhubaneswar. Standing tall on the banks of pristine Bindusagar lake, I had been to this Maha Vishnu temple nearly hundred times over the years, once in a while to pay obeisance to the deities and mostly to relish on t...
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Location: Ananta Vasudev Temple, Bhubaneswar
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