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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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The kite again.......

Here's the kite again..... again with a twig in its beak.. Just makes me wonder how long its going to build its nest. I have seen it carrying twigs and straw for a few months now, and every now and then we are witnesses to serious fights between the kites and the crows. We are left wondering if the fights are for food or the nest, or the eggs in the nest..... Wish I could see the kite's nest!



And hey, I am getting to be more enterprising. I posted this one directly from Picasa!!!


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  1. MridulaDecember 15, 2009 at 10:56 AM

    So they are building a nest near you place! fearsome creatures. When i saw the heading in the reader I thought it was the other kite, the one kids fly!

    ReplyDelete
  2. chitraDecember 15, 2009 at 11:52 AM

    I too thought it was the kite children play abut. Nice pic.
    Nice you have posted it directly frm. Picasa. I too want to do the same thing. May be I can take some lessons frm you.:)
    Haven't seen you for quite a while. was wondering. I have posted about Kanchi.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anuradha ShankarDecember 15, 2009 at 10:03 PM

    @ Mridula & Chitra : guess the title was misleading.... and it is, after all, the season for flying kites.... i hope i get a few pics of those too....

    @Mridula : actually, they arent really all that fearful.. in fact, when u see the crows chasing them, you wonder who is the real predator!!

    @ Chitra: yes, i havent been around in a while now, and have a lot of catching up to do... but that will take some more time... am rather busy with lots of stuff going on at home and with samhith's school....would love to help you out... just send me a mail...
    and ijust glanced at your kanchi post... and wished i was there!

    ReplyDelete
  4. A journey called LifeDecember 15, 2009 at 11:30 PM

    ohh price catch (on camera).. very interesting subject i must say..

    ReplyDelete
  5. LIFE_REFACTOREDDecember 16, 2009 at 1:45 PM

    Very nice. Find out the nest, it will soon be laying eggs and if you are lucky you may even get to snap the little ones when they hatch! Beware of the mommy though!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AartiDecember 16, 2009 at 9:36 PM

    Wow, gorgeous!!:)
    When i saw the title i thought it was abt kites kids play with!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. SapnaDecember 23, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    Hey Anu,

    This is the first time i've happened to comment on your blog.

    I agree the title of the article is a bit misleading, but nevertheless, it is a very interesting piece to read.

    The Kite and the crows must be fighting for the nest coz crows i have heard somewhere that crows are very reluctant to build their own nests and are always on the lookout for some one else's place to lay their eggs.I don't know how far it is true.

    But given the fact that Mumbai always has a space crunch, is it any wonder that even these poor birds have to fight for their own space?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anuradha ShankarDecember 26, 2009 at 6:46 PM

    @AJCL: thanks.....

    @L_R: i guess it would be difficult to see the eggs or the little ones... we tried to last year.....

    @Aarti: guess i really goofed up with the title this time :-(

    @Sapna: Thanks for leaving the comment this time.... hope to see you here more often....

    i wonder if the story abt the crows laying eggs in others nests is true... i have heard that of cuckoos.... anyway, as u say, there is a major time space crunch, even for these feathered ones....

    ReplyDelete

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