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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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Skywatch Friday - Reflections




For skywatch today is this photo which I clicked from the salt pans which line the Eastern Express Highway, near Mulund. The Reflection of the tall buildings in the water accumulated in the salt pans was a sight I could not resist.


These salt pans don't just provide a change from the monotony of the tall buildings, but also attract a huge variety of birds to this concrete jungle. The Bhandup Pumping Station, which is on a lane leading towards the creek from these salt pans, is a favourite birding spot, especially for water birds. To see the variety of birds even an amateur like me spotted, and managed to photograph, click here.


For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.
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