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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 - A little house

Stuck at home as the weekend approaches, this is where I wish I was......


Nestled within a vast coffee estate, this tiny house looks inviting, doesn't it? I clicked this pic on our visit to a coffee estate at Coorg.

For beautiful pics from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.
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  1. MridulaJuly 5, 2013 at 2:13 PM

    Lovely atmosphere!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 5, 2013 at 2:56 PM

    So very pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  3. P.N. SubramanianJuly 5, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    Lovely surroundings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJuly 6, 2013 at 10:03 AM

      Yes PNS! I am sure you would have loved it too!

      Delete
  4. chitraJuly 5, 2013 at 8:29 PM

    Reminds me of my native place..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJuly 6, 2013 at 10:04 AM

      Ah Chitra, if you have a house like this in your native place, you are really lucky! i envy you!

      Delete
  5. Balaka BasuJuly 5, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    indeed very cozy.relaxing and refreshing. thanks http://mumbong.blogspot.in/

    ReplyDelete
  6. JoyfulJuly 6, 2013 at 1:21 PM

    It's my kind of place ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. ErcotravelsJuly 6, 2013 at 1:37 PM

    Cool and calm picture!

    ReplyDelete
  8. R Niranjan DasJuly 6, 2013 at 5:51 PM

    Coffee and pepper plantations inviting you home! Gorgeous place.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.com/2013/07/responsible-tourism-and-mature-actions.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. ZielonaMilaJuly 7, 2013 at 1:56 PM

    Amazing place, beautiful photo:) Greetings

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnuJuly 9, 2013 at 3:09 PM

    Anything covered with green surrounding does count for a beautiful landscape! Loved that little house!

    ReplyDelete
  11. JohnJuly 12, 2013 at 5:21 PM

    Amazing pics of incredible india....

    ReplyDelete
  12. NasreenJuly 13, 2013 at 11:32 AM

    Hello anu.. Cool pics.. Really little house is superb...

    ReplyDelete
  13. sudhageeAugust 23, 2013 at 11:51 PM

    Glad that you liked "my" house, Anu :-P

    ReplyDelete

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