  We report complex dielectric and Raman spectroscopy measurements in four
samples of $\alpha$- Fe$_2$O$_3$, consisting of crystallites which are either
hexagonal shaped plates or cuboids. All four samples exhibit the spin
reorientation transition from a pure antiferromagnetic (AFM) to a
weak-ferromagnetic (WFM) state at the Morin Transition temperature (T$_M$)
intrinsic to $\alpha$- Fe$_2$O$_3$. These samples, pressed and sintered in
identical conditions for the dielectric measurements, reveal moderate but clear
enhancement in the real part of the dielectric constant ($\epsilon'$) in the
WFM region. However, a relaxation-like behavior in the imaginary part of
$\epsilon''$ is observed only in nano plates or big cuboids. Further still,
this relaxation patten is observed only in lower frequency region, lasting upto
a few kHz and follows Arrhenius law within this limited range. The activation
energy deduced from the fitting is suggestive of polaronic conduction.
Temperature dependent Raman spectra reveal anomalies in all major phononic
modes and also in 2Eu mode in the vicinity of the Morin transition. A peak like
behavior in Raman Shifts, in conjuncture with anharmonic fitting reveals that
the nature of spin phonon coupling is different in pure AFM and WFM regions and
it is tied to the mild variations, as observed in the dielectric constant
of$\alpha$- Fe$_2$O$_3$ near the T$_M$.
