language of stone

the ah-ha moment for me the last visit to Orissa was not when i was jostled by thousands of rapturous devotees at the rath yatra. it was fortuitous indeed to have a two week field-trip right when caged gods were given their annual day out.

it was not my four hour long bonding with my rickshaw driver, which ended at midnight, us staring at burning bodies in the crematorium, chugging old monk rum from a bottle. the living and the dead burning.

it was when i saw this face of the konark sun temple, where as Tagore puts it, "here the language of stone surpasses the language of man". this 13th century temple is evidence for trade links with africa. can you locate the giraffe? stop staring at amorous poses and see middle panel.

ah-ha revelations aside. that night at puri burial ground, the dead in flames, the quiet, mutual inebriation and the spontaneous friendships we make, will remain unforgettable.