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Orissa 
– Where the Nature of India Comes Alive – 2

But the story of temples will be incomplete if no mention is made of the Konark Sun Temple. Selected by the UNESCO as a world heritage site this Black Pagoda, as referred to by some eminent tourists, is one of the most important temples of India. There are very few Sun temples in India and Konark holds a special place in all respects. As Sun God is mythologically believed to be traversing the sky on a 12-wheeled chariot drawn by seven horses, the very structure of this temple depicts this basic belief and the interiors are beautifully designed with the paintings of natural scenes, dancing women and there are even some amorous depictions not unlike the famous Khajuraho. This aspect is surprising because Sun has never been associated with any erotic expression of life. It may, therefore, be inferred that the amorous motifs were the result of Tantrik3 influence. The tantriks who abounded in Orissa used to worship 'Shakti' - the mystic deity believed to be a superpower symbolized in woman form. As for the 12 wheels and the seven horses they are the symbols of 12 months of a year and 7 days of a week, respectively. Much has been written about this 13th century marvel of India. Suffices it to say that this delicately built great structure took some 12 years to complete as a magnificent temple while hundreds of devoted laborers worked for it continuously.

In the Lap of Mother Nature

While the forces of modernization are rapidly changing the world everywhere, most parts of Orissa are still the reminiscences of aboriginal culture. With an optimal view, Orissa is a tribal paradise as a large population is still in Mother Nature's lap - away from urban cunningness, deprived of basic facilities and yet contented. Age-long traditions are still alive. And compared to other states in India, Orissa has the largest variety of tribal population - each of them distinctively sustaining their identity. This brings to Orissa a rich panorama of tribal dances, folk arts, rituals and languages, handicraft and wizardry, festivities and life-styles - adding to its charm and revealing its unity in diversity that is the hall-mark of India.

In this lap of Mother Nature, wild animals live as freely as tribal people. Orissa abounds in jungles teeming with scarce birds and creatures, elephants, panthers, leopards, cheetals, sambhars, and above all, the Royal Bengal Tigers - one of the rarest tigers of the world. Naturally, Orissa is full of wildlife sanctuaries including the one in Mayurbhanj district where one can see a number of Royal Bengal Tigers. The most famous of these sanctuaries is Nandan Kanan which is an extensive natural resort for a wide array of wild animals, birds and reptiles. And here in Orissa one finds great bands of elephants teeming in the vast Chandaka forest. Nowhere in the world can we find such a rich natural resort for the biggest animal on land. 

Orissa has beautiful beaches especially in Puri and Konark. Orissa has everything which can easily attract a wayfarer. So, next time you plan to make a trip to India, visit Orissa if you have no time to visit the whole of India. Because if you have seen Orissa, consider you have seen India in a nutshell. 

– Suniti Chandra Mishra
October 12, 2000

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* I take shelter in the Faith of God. 
1 Trinity stands for the Hindu belief in the 'triple' divinity of God as a unified Supreme Power: Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Nurturer) and Shankar or Shiva (the Destroyer). Some believe that even the word 'GOD' refers to this triple divinity of God as 'Generator' (G), Organizer (O), and Destroyer (D).
2. 'Shastrartha', a Sanskrit word, means a scholarly debate to reveal the inner meaning (Artha) of the religious scriptures (shastra). Tales go about numerous 'shastrarthas' of Shankaracharya. In some of them, he took several continuous days and nights to persuade his opponents. 
3. The very word 'tantra' means mechanism. The tantriks believed in the efficacy of certain occult devices and methods which may be likened with today's remote control system. 

Please Note: The author is not at all a scholar of history or religion nor his purpose is to push forward any of his personal beliefs. The simple purpose of this write-up is to make people aware of the significance of some places in India and arouse their interest in these places. Although sincere efforts have been made to base the write-up on verified facts, no accuracy of any historical reference or other details is guaranteed. For any comments, suggestions or queries, the author welcomes your emails or letters.   

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