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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 - The Sun, playing Hide and Seek!

It's been a while since I have posted here, for various reasons, and what better way to break this silence than this beautiful scene from our trip to Shirdi last week?




The tree, the sun, the clouds, and the play of light, as the sun hid behind the clouds... they all make for a wonderful sight, do they not?



Which makes this post perfect for Skywatch Friday! For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page!

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  1. LocomenteMarch 7, 2014 at 2:58 PM

    It is a wonderful sight indeed...
    Nature is a relentless artist and poet, according me...

    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 10, 2014 at 5:08 PM

      Thank you, Locomente! You have put it so beautifully... Nature indeed is a relentless artist and poet :-)

      Delete
  2. HansHBMarch 7, 2014 at 4:29 PM

    Beautiful photos, well done!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 7, 2014 at 7:59 PM

    Love those rays and that lone tree.

    ReplyDelete
  4. GaleMarch 8, 2014 at 7:12 AM

    The last one is my favorite!

    ReplyDelete
  5. StephanieMarch 8, 2014 at 9:24 AM

    Gorgeous sky shots!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ritesh AgarwalMarch 9, 2014 at 3:21 PM

    Hi Anuradha

    I'd say the solo photo of a lone tree is what makes this image such a powerful one... A plain sky would have looked bland. Very creatively captured

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 10, 2014 at 5:52 PM

      Thank you, Ritesh. I totally agree with you. The tree is the hero of the pic :-)

      Delete
  7. Anuradha ShankarMarch 10, 2014 at 5:45 PM

    Thank you, Niranjan :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anuradha ShankarMarch 10, 2014 at 5:46 PM

    Thank you, Mina !

    ReplyDelete

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