My Way On Highway: Day 55, A Tête-à-Tête With History

Day 55 of our Road Trip meant having to bid adieu to the busy prep work going on in Puri for the magnificent Jagannath Yatra that is to begin on the 29^th of June. It’s a pity that we are running on a tight schedule otherwise we would have loved to stick on to witness the brilliant spectacle that attracts lakhs of people from across the world. But we sure had something to look forward to – the drive to Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha. To make our 60 km long journey even more exciting we decided to stop by various points en route for a tête-à-tête with history. Read on to know more…

Hail the Sun

Starting early at 8:45 AM was a good idea because we covered some 36 kms in about an hour minus any traffic hassles. The route meandered between wide roads that sometimes ran through wildlife areas and then through narrow lanes of the villages. Breezing past the virgin waters of the Ramchandi and Chandrabhaga beaches, we arrived at the famous Konark Sun Temple. This 13^th century intricately carved place of worship was built during the reign of Raja Narsingh Deva I. Crafted from stone in the shape of a chariot, this originally huge structure was designed such that it gave the façade of running on 24 wheels by 7 horses but most of it now sadly is in a state of ruin.

Even after being declared as a World Heritage Site and falling under the purview of the ASI, there is little left from the grandeur of yore. Unfortunately, the repair of the intricate sculptures is not done with care as human bodies in stone end up with square blocks as heads (picture below)! It is locally believed that a huge lodestone at the top of the tomb used to hold the temple walls together but it seemed to interfere with the navigation of ships, primarily European, in the sea which was just 2 kms away. So the sailors decided to walk away with it. Since then incidents of walls crumbling began to occur. The last one took place in the first half of the 20^th century and so British India decided to fill it up from inside. As a result, you can only admire what is left of the Konark Temple from the outside.

It is hard to miss the erotic nature of the stone engravings. The guard told us the reason behind them. Apparently, after the gruesome Battle of Kalinga (261 BC) that shed so much blood that the waters of the Daya River became red, the survivors became ascetics. Raja Narsingh Deva I was concerned about the decline in population and thus, decided upon having the Kamasutra motifs in the temple.

A Lost World

Internet research led us in the direction of Kuruma, a long forgotten Buddhist excavation site that dates back to the 9^th and 10^th centuries AD. Despite the dearth of proper signage and no support from our GPS (Google Maps don’t show any roads leading to the site), we managed to find our way 8 kms SE of Konark, thanks to the helpful locals. Nestled in the calm surroundings of a lake, the brick red of the now abandoned monastery offered a striking contrast to the rain-laden skies. The Buddha statue in the Bhumisparsa mudra was carelessly kept in a small temple. The gross neglect bestowed by the ASI wasn’t hard to miss. I am just wondering how many such ancient finds must be lying in utter oversight.

Stories from Dhauli Hills

By this time we were back on the road leading to Bhubaneswar until we decided to take the slight detour to the quietly dominating Dhauli Hills. Best known for housing beautiful stamps of Buddhism faith, the hills are a treat for history and religious enthusiasts. We started our tour with the massive rock that has 11 out of the 14 edicts of Asoka written with the intent of world welfare. It is a pity though that the stone is kept under both glass and grill such that you can barely see what’s written in there! Another noteworthy element here is the sculpture that has an elephant, symbolic of Lord Buddha, emerging out of a rock.

Dhauli had a special place in the life of Asoka the Great as it was this place where the Battle of Kalinga was fought that changed the emperor forever. Seeing the horrific aftermath of the war, he transformed from a warrior to a follower of peace and harmony. The pristine white Shanti Stupa, built by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha in the 1970s, atop the Dhauli Hills stands for that moment in history. It overlooks the same ground where the aforementioned battle was fought.

Amazed at the complexities of human nature and the power of goodness in mankind, we sped forward to our hotel – Swosti Premium. One look at it assured us that we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect end to our day. Tell you about it tomorrow!

(Pictures courtesy Tariq Khan)