Konark, Jagan and the 64 yoginis

This was a work trip. I stayed back a couple of days and made it more than work, shhh. My first trip to Orissa, at a time when the insight of my love for all things mythology was well hidden. I pinged my ever favourite travel companion and said, 'want to come to Bhubaneswar', she said, 'why the hell not', so there we were two of us with two days in Orissa.

During the trip:

Temples Visited:

3!

Places we stayed at:

Trident, Bhubaneswar

Food I ate: My friend tried very hard to get us local food, pestered the driver till we went into a beaten down place (his understanding of local), came out unsure of what local was in Orissa.

People who got irritated at me: 3 (work related and the driver was more annoyed at my friend)

People I got irritated at: my brother who kept bothering me with some nonsense problems

The Sun temple

We left early in the morning with me praying that the driver was not too irritated with our incessant local food chatter and wouldn't drive us off a ledge or some such thing. Dipped our toes in the sea and walked through the gates of the Sun temple as the sun was rising. Let us pause for the magic to hit you like it hit us. We were the first ones in and the only ones for a whole minute.

Brilliant. Kalinga Architecture.

Renovated and given support as the temple saw destruction around the 16th, 17th century. Experts are unable to pinpoint how/why it gave in. So, currently propped up but refuses to let go of its majesty and grace.

Surya himself with the early morning light giving him the bluish edge, I am no good with filters.

Had read about the Sun temple in school, was an item on my must-see, but never thought I would. I am the person who is just happy adding things to my list, I never insist on making it happen. I do lack that ambition. Glad work was useful for something more than, you know, work. Was a memorable morning in 2014.

Puri Jagannatha

On our drive back to the hotel, we stopped on at the temple. It was not on our list, but we realised we had a little time before it closed. Walked in leisurely and I got excited that there was a Vishwanath temple at the entrance, paused there, wondering if it was the same as being in Kashi, was dragged away as the main temple was closing.

We were two clueless people who got so lucky that you would want to believe that it was the hand of God that pulled us in. Someone randomly put two tickets in our hand, and a guard pushed us in throw a door, we were expecting a line but we were standing right in front of

Overwhelming alive. And we were 5 feet away. It was visceral. A true tribal deity who made it happen. I still tear up and I do not know why.

Went back to hotel unsure why we got lucky. I always question good fortune, never bad. Bad is a given, just look around the world. But good, why did I deserve it?

Sixty four yoginis

Maybe it was my mother's stories about Yellamma or the fact that I had to pass her shrine everyday whenever I was in Mahabubnagar (it is a real town, please look it up) but the fear, admiration and curiosity of the local goddesses was always high. So when this little not often visited shrine was suggested, I jumped.

It was early evening, again rarely anybody in the vicinity.

1. tantric. 2. 64 represents different arts. 3. Mahamaya is the main deity. 4. They helped kill Raktabeeja the Rakshasa. 5. Possess secret knowledge and magical powers.

I walked around looking, thinking and trying not to let the myths get in the way of basking in the serenity of the evening light.