eskay
Sandeep Kaul
It is the month of February. The weather is perfect in Delhi. Hardly the time to think of a trip. But, that is what happens and a party of four is ready for a new adventure in the east. We do not have the luxury of time. Just three nights and five days. So, driving down and back is not feasible. Flights are booked. Hotels are scouted. One night in Bhubaneswar. Two nights in Puri. And, a bit of driving around in between. The car we are offered is a one-year old Honda City courtesy a friend who is based in Bhubaneswar.
Come the morning of 21 April, Doc P and his better half and your's truly and your's truly's better half get up at an unearthly hour to leave for the airport to catch a 7am flight. The sun rises as we make our way thought the innards of T3 and get on the plane.
Can you see the exclamation mark?
Well, this just makes an interesting picture, as I learn from the Guru that I am travelling with.
Time passes. I doze. I eat a warm meal. I look out of the window - a difficult feat considering I'm in an aisle seat, I doze again and then we land.
We have car waiting for us at the airport in Bhubaneswar. We pile in and leave, no, not for the hotel, but the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves. We find ourselves a guide and set about to the first discovery of our Odisha trip. The caves date back to the 1st century BC and quite a marvel.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Udayagiri caves. Those pillars have come in much, much later (read the ASI) to support the cave roofs.
A wider angle with three on the trip protagonists in the frame and one behind the camera.
Such a pretty corner.
Some more corner carvings.
A view of the Khandagiri structures from Udayagiri.
Ornate doorway.
You may not believe it but we are on the first floor now!
Now you can see the scale of the caves.
The walls tell stories.
In India how can you not have elephant guards outside the Ganesh cave?
Moving on, can you see the tiger mouth cave?
Rocks, rocks and rocks.
Jain teerthankars at the top and Hindu Gods and Goddesses below.
Temple window at Khandagiri.
We didn't spend too much time at Khandagiri.
After a drink of coconut water, we are back in the car for a drive to, no, still not the hotel but the Lingaraja temple.
Outside the temple our driver asks us to leave our footwear and cameras/phones in the car itself. So, no pics of the temple. The lack of footwear results in immediate impact on the soles. Of my feet, not my shoes. So, it is a painful walk to the entrance of the temple. It does not get any better once inside but once I am in the shade my feet breath a sigh of relief.
From the temple we do reach the hotel and I am able to get some repairs done on my soles!
Next on the agenda is lunch. Followed by some more sightseeing.
Until then, let me put my feet up and restore my soles as much as I can...
Come the morning of 21 April, Doc P and his better half and your's truly and your's truly's better half get up at an unearthly hour to leave for the airport to catch a 7am flight. The sun rises as we make our way thought the innards of T3 and get on the plane.
Can you see the exclamation mark?
Well, this just makes an interesting picture, as I learn from the Guru that I am travelling with.
Time passes. I doze. I eat a warm meal. I look out of the window - a difficult feat considering I'm in an aisle seat, I doze again and then we land.
We have car waiting for us at the airport in Bhubaneswar. We pile in and leave, no, not for the hotel, but the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves. We find ourselves a guide and set about to the first discovery of our Odisha trip. The caves date back to the 1st century BC and quite a marvel.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Udayagiri caves. Those pillars have come in much, much later (read the ASI) to support the cave roofs.
A wider angle with three on the trip protagonists in the frame and one behind the camera.
Such a pretty corner.
Some more corner carvings.
A view of the Khandagiri structures from Udayagiri.
Ornate doorway.
You may not believe it but we are on the first floor now!
Now you can see the scale of the caves.
The walls tell stories.
In India how can you not have elephant guards outside the Ganesh cave?
Moving on, can you see the tiger mouth cave?
Rocks, rocks and rocks.
Jain teerthankars at the top and Hindu Gods and Goddesses below.
Temple window at Khandagiri.
We didn't spend too much time at Khandagiri.
After a drink of coconut water, we are back in the car for a drive to, no, still not the hotel but the Lingaraja temple.
Outside the temple our driver asks us to leave our footwear and cameras/phones in the car itself. So, no pics of the temple. The lack of footwear results in immediate impact on the soles. Of my feet, not my shoes. So, it is a painful walk to the entrance of the temple. It does not get any better once inside but once I am in the shade my feet breath a sigh of relief.
From the temple we do reach the hotel and I am able to get some repairs done on my soles!
Next on the agenda is lunch. Followed by some more sightseeing.
Until then, let me put my feet up and restore my soles as much as I can...
