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Odisha Part 11: Discovering the Jaina Heritage of Odisha at the caves of Udaygiri and Khandgiri

The Hindu and Buddhist history of Odisha , or rather, ancient Kalinga, is rather well known to everyone. Who hasn’t heard of the grand temples of Odisha – Puri, Lingaraj and Konark, or the great war of Kalinga which inspired Ashoka to convert to Buddhism? In contrast, very few know of the Jaina heritage of this region. This is quite a pity, since, just around 7 km from the city, is one of India’s most ancient inscriptions, which throws light on the Jaina heritage of Odisha. This inscription is the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela, in the hills of Udaygiri. Udaygiri and Khandgiri are two hills located opposite each other, and both are testaments to the rich Jaina heritage of Odisha. The caves at Udaygiri are older, while Khandgiri is relatively newer, but has lasted much longer, and continues to be a place of pilgrimage for Jains even today. These hills, from inscriptions and excavations of caves, shrines and rock beds, appear to have been a haven for Jaina monks, right from the ...
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Sky Watch Friday - Skies over Mumbai


The Mumbai Skyline, over-set by monsoon clouds......



Walking along Marine Drive in the pouring rain brings back memories of my college days when I walked the path alone. So many years later, I walked the same path, this time with my husband and son! A memorable experience indeed!!!
For more beautiful skies from around the world, go to the Skywatch Page


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Comments

  1. BhushavaliAugust 5, 2011 at 12:17 PM

    Is Mumbai prepared for the rainy season????
    Celebrate Independance day in Fashionable Khadi

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anu ShankarAugust 5, 2011 at 2:57 PM

    Mumbai is never prepared for the rains! not even a couple of months after the rains begin! but rains are nevertheless one of the things I really love about Mumbai!

    ReplyDelete
  3. chitraAugust 5, 2011 at 3:15 PM

    Was it only cloudy or was it raining. ? Shot from a good angle.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mridula DAugust 5, 2011 at 3:40 PM

    Is it still raining at Mumbai? Here it is so humid but no proper rains.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anu ShankarAugust 5, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    When I took the pic, Chitra, it was just cloudy... the time I walked, it was raining too hard, so I left my camera behind! this pic was taken from a friends house which has one of the best views in bbay!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anu ShankarAugust 5, 2011 at 4:01 PM

    Yes, Mridula, it is still raining, and I hope it continues for the next month or two!! if it rains through september, then usually the lakes are full enough to supply us with water through the year, if the authorities dont mess up, of course!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Indrani GhoseAugust 5, 2011 at 8:17 PM

    Grey over here too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. aartiAugust 6, 2011 at 1:02 AM

    Did it rain??? :) its raining here now[1am]
    btw, i totally love the new look here :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. AlAugust 6, 2011 at 6:56 AM

    That's a nice shot and so different from anything here. Where I live we get a "monsoon" too, as in seasonal moisture. But here the monsoon means that the clear morning skies will usually turn to a thunderstorm in the late afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anu ShankarAugust 6, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    i seem to prefer it when its grey!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anu ShankarAugust 6, 2011 at 10:08 AM

    Oh yes, its been raining of and on since the last few days.... before that it was pouring! glad to hear of the rain there! and thanks! I was wondering if anyone had noticed!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anu ShankarAugust 6, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    Thanks! for us, monsoon usually means 4 months of rain, rain and nothing but rain. we wake up to cloudy skies, and sleep with cloudy skies... and the rain varies from drizzling to pouring!! of course, things are changing, the climate change is showing up now and then, but it still rains quite a bit, so we get to enjoy it for now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Tatjana ParkachevaAugust 11, 2011 at 2:59 PM

    Nice shot.

    Regards!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anu ShankarAugust 13, 2011 at 12:11 PM

    Thanks so much, Tatjana! Welcome here!

    ReplyDelete

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