ଗାମୁଛା ପିନ୍ଧିକି, ପଗଡି ଭିଡିକି, ଆଲୁଅ ଜଳେଇକି ଏମାନେ ସବୁ କାହିଁକି ଯାଇଥିଲେ...
Subarnapur, Feb 14: With the world celebrating the Valentine’s Day today with much enthusiasm to remember St Valentine and his sacrifice, an 8th Century temple in Subarnapur district of Odisha also tells an epic story of undying love.
Yes, got it right, it is none other than the impressive monument Sashisena temple located at the heart of Subarnapur. It bears the eternal love story of a dewan’s son Abhimanikya and princess Sashisena of the then Amarabati State.
While a lot of studies and researches have already been conducted on the temple and even a documentary has been made, the epic tells a beautiful yet tragic love story about the Sashisena temple, popularly known as ‘Nimuhin Deula’ (temple without an entrance).
The story goes like this, while Sashisena was madly in love with Abhimanikya, a lady villain entered into the scene. She was Jynanadei Maluni, one of the seven famous tantrik maidens of Saharanpur who had mastered the esoteric art. As Jyanadei was attracted by the physical beauty of Abhimanikya, she hatched a plan and induced him to come to her house one night and then turned him into a lamb. Since then, Jyanadei started satiating her sexual urge by Abhimanikya by turning him into a man every night.
But finally, the eternal love succeeded over the evil seduction and princess Sashisena managed to get back her love from the clutches of Jyanadei and her tantric practises.
The Sashisena temple had been built in 8th Century in the memory of the undying love story of the princess and the dewan’s son. However, the king of Sonepur Biramitradaya Singhdeo rebuilt the temple between 1902 and 1937, after the original eighth century temple got destroyed.
The temple is only seven feet in height and bears beautiful motifs on its walls depicting the epic love story. Visitors can see carvings of lamb, tiger, cobra, youths, soldiers and women with esoteric power on the temple walls.
Like every year, couples in good numbers visited the temple today morning and celebrated their love by exchanging roses to mark the Valentine’s Day.
