BHUBANESWAR: This week’s Gilehrio Trail was kick started at 7th century Mukteswara Temple and concluded at Brahmeswara Temple through 5 majestic temples of Kalinga Architecture here Saturday.
The city, which was celebrated as Ekamra Kshetra in medieval times, had been Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati’s ultimate pleasure garden. It is said that the divine couple had left Kashi, their eternal abode to seek pleasure in Ekamra Van, the land where lived heavenly damsels and was filled with celestial water bodies and pristine forests.
Archaeologist Jitu Mishra embarked on an exploration of the timeless beauty of romance in Bhubaneswar temples and the stories and myths associated with them. During the walk, he said, “Beginning in the late 8th Century CE, images of women make their appearance in the walls of Bhubaneswar temples.”
The temple walls of Bhubaneswar are illustrated with the scenes of pleasure seeking both by the gods in the form of amorous couples and heavenly damsels (alas kanyas).
Mystic idols of Asta Gauri and Asta Sambhu mandir are there around the famous tank Bindhusagar. According to mythology, one must do the Parikrama of these Asta idols before visiting Lord Lingaraj. Once Lord Brahma answered the sages that Ekamra Khestra is a place where beauty resides with feminity.
During the visit, ten visitors from different walk of life joined the trail. Sweta, Sourav, Debashis, Brajesh were students while the rest were professionals from various fields. Every visitor enjoyed the trail as they gained in-depth knowledge from archaeologist Mishra.
