Post our Sun temple tour; we looked ahead towards exploring Konark further. Despite the clouds, the weather was humid, thus decided upon coconut water before heading to Varahi Devi Temple. Since the temple was shut and opened at 5.30 pm, we stopped for lunch at a local Dhaba. While eating our lunch, the sky got covered with dark clouds, and a sheet of rain poured from them. We waited for 30min for the rain to cease, but to our luck, it did not.
Hence we decided to retort back to Puri & do the rest Konark exploration tomorrow. We did not keep Chilka lake in our tour as it had not opened completely; a few boats were operating at a high cost. The evening was spent leisurely at the hotel, enjoying the rain & the high tide of the sea.
The following morning we left for Konark after an early breakfast. The day was cloudy, but luckily it was not raining. The drive was majestic as the eye could witness greenery where ever it seemed.
Yesterday we missed visiting Ramachandi Beach; hence we started our trip with the beach. The beach is located at the merging point of Kushabhadra River and the Bay of Bengal, covered with golden sands and substantial palm trees, and the beach is ideal for taking long walks and collecting shells.
At the mouth of the Kushabhadra river is this graceful Chandi temple known as Ramchandi. The temple is much senior to the sun temple because Goddess Ramchandi is believed to be the presiding deity of Konark, and benevolently she is called Chandi. The Idol of Goddess Ramachandi is seated on a lotus in the sanctum. I paid homage to the synagogue & took a good look around. The temple was built facing north with sandstone, laterite and bricks. Jagamohana part of the temple is hidden behind the picturesque Casuarina plantation, while Vimana could be seen painted in white & red colours.
As per folklore, during the 17th century, a young Brahmin named Kalapahad took Islam as his faith & vowed to destroy all temples. One fine day after producing the destruction of the Sun temple, he approached Ramachandi temple. To safeguard the temple, Goddess Ramachandi, dressed as a Maluni (maid), asked Kalapahad to wait at the door till she brought water from the river for the Goddess. Kalapahad waited anxiously for her reappearance. After a long wait, when the Maluni did not return exhausted, Kalapahad entered the temple and found an empty throne. He imagined the maid taking away the deity, so he followed her in anger. However, upon arriving at the Kushabhadra River banks, he found the Goddess idol floating in the middle of the river. Since the river was outpouring and Kalapahad could not pass, he returned.
Later that night, Goddess Ramchandi came in the dreams of a priest and consecrated him to construct a temple on the Kushabhadra River banks. Hence the Ramchandi temple was made; I walked along the Marine Drive Road, which leads to Konark. The spot was so serene, ideal for poets & photographers. Though today, it’s a loved picnic, sailing, boating, swimming and sunbathing area.
Later we drove to Kuruma, a small village at a length of 7.5 km from Konark Sun temple. Initially, I could not find it because the ASI landmark was hidden under a heap of grasses. After confirming a local, we finally found the spot, which proved not many people visit this spot.
The ancestry of this place dates back to the 8th-9th century AD and is a primary archaeological site. Kuruma has been cited in many Buddhist texts from Ashoka and Ceylon; it even appears in the Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang’s writing.
A stone slab with a beautiful sculpture of Lord Buddha’s image was found along the bank of Dharma Pukur initially, where Buddha is seated cross-legged with a right hand in the Bhumisparsa mudra while the left hand is placed over his left knee. The image also wears a beautifully carved crown and a necklace. Two other photos were found along with the Buddha, one of them identified as Vajrayana deities Heruka and Dharma. And the other one is identified as Yama; however, experts believe it to be of Yamataka, Yama’s equivalent in Tantric Buddhism. Hence this place was influenced by both the Mahayana and Vajrayana sects of Buddhism.
The site was first reported by a school teacher named Brajabandhu Das. This led to excavation by Archaeology from 1971 to 1975. During the hole, a Buddhist Monastery with 12 cubicles was found. It has an open courtyard and a shrine chamber for prayers. There were three rectangular ovens discovered on the ground floor, indicating the habitation in the area. Other antiquities recovered are mainly pottery of redware and beads placed in a modest shed.
The monastery is abandoned, and sadly this beautiful statue has lost most of its intricacy and elegance. The situation is also poorly maintained as portions have overgrown vegetation. The locals use the site to store hay and cow muck, making some pieces inaccessible. Karma once used to be a Buddhist centre frequented by traders coming by the sea route, directly at the mercy of humans and nature.
Spending some time around the area, we drove towards the Varahi Devi Temple. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in the Prachi Valley. This temple exhibits the typical Odisa nomenclature- Khakhara style of architecture. The temple is spread across 2 acres of land. It has an east-facing temple- with two sections, Vimana and JagMohana. The walls of both chambers are delicately decorated with figural and arabesque motifs—the charismatic balanced rhythm is showcased with two latticed windows on either side of the Jagamohan.
Walking around the temple, I observed it presents a Pancharatha type both in plan and construction. Here the shrine is rectangular, and the Shikara has semi-cylindrical ridge crowns. A beautiful statue of Lord Surya is installed in the niche. Significant relief is found on the walls of the temple. Ramayana has scenes like killing off the illusory deer, the abduction of Sita, the killing of Jatayu, and the uprooting of seven palm trees. Even the murder of Vali and the construction of the bridge over the sea have been delicately sculptured.
This temple is unique in more than one way. The image enshrined is considered a masterpiece among the pictures of the deity found all over India. It was built during the Somavamsi rule in the first quarter of the 10th century. Here Varahi is believed to be the Sakti of Varaha locally known as Matsya Varahi. The Idol is seated on the pedestal, holding a fish in her right hand and Kapala in the left hand, while her right foot is resting on her Vahana( vehicle) buffalo.
The Idol bears a boar’s face and a divine woman’s body. Her big belly indicates that she held the entire universe in her womb. The beauty of the Idol is the third eye tightly engraved into her forehead, which is prominent. I was amazed looking at the Idol. Though we were not allowed to enter the shrine hence stood at the entrance & offered our prayers. We skipped Ma Mangla Temple, situated at Kakatpur; instead, we drove to Raghurajpur– A heritage crafts village in Odisha.
How to Reach
By Air:
The nearest airport is the Bhubaneshwar airport- Biju Patnaik. Puri is nearly 64km from the airport. Most metros are well connected with Bhubaneshwar airport. So you can book a cab or take the buses for Konark as the roads are well combined.
By Rail:
Konark does not have a railway station. Hence the closest railway station is Bhuwaneshwar and Puri. The Bhubaneswar railway station is 61.7 km from Konark, while the one in Puri is 35.3 km away. And both direct train services are available from many cities in India. So you can book a cab or take the buses for Konark as the roads are well connected.
By Road.
Several buses run by OTDC connect Konark to other towns and cities within Odisha. There are private buses & Volvo that ply from Puri & Bhubaneshwar at regular intervals.
Superb site you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any forums that cover the
same topics discussed here? I’d really love to be a part of community where I
can get opinions from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any recommendations, please let me know.
Bless you!