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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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Butterfly

The most natural thing to do when it starts raining is to go looking for shelter, especially when it pours cats and dogs....... Most of us prefer watching the rain from the safety and comforts of our homes, and I have seen the same instinct in many birds which huddle among thick leaves, attempting to find some sanctuary.... However, every now and then I come across something which makes me wonder if these creatures actually want to get away from the rain, or if they,unlike us, are equally comfortable even when it pours.... like the kingfisher which patiently awaited its prey even though it was drenched.....

And just a couple of days back, I happened to notice this butterfly flitting around a tree (incidentally, a curry leaves tree - does it hold a special fascination for butterflies???), while it poured and poured. At first, we thought it was trying to find a place to settle, but it simply refused to sit in one place, going round and round, from one branch to another, intermittently visiting other trees before returning to this one.....

We observed the butterfly for almost half an hour, and Samhith actually started worrying if its wings would get destroyed by the rain beating down..... but the butterfly seemed to be least affected by the rain.....

Here are some pics.....




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Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2010 at 5:00 PM

    Very nice observation. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I guess few require shelter but kingfisher seems to be enjoying rain.

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  2. AartiAugust 26, 2010 at 5:11 PM

    Lovely.... Butterflies i love, and can sit stare at em, or follow them around for hours!! :)

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  3. chitraAugust 26, 2010 at 7:43 PM

    Good photos. You have a keen sense of observation.

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  4. MridulaAugust 26, 2010 at 7:52 PM

    I too love watching butterflies but have never observed the rain phenomenon.

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  5. cyclopsevenAugust 27, 2010 at 8:52 AM

    Something to ponder about. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  6. annucool15August 27, 2010 at 11:16 AM

    it's always very pleasant to watch butterflies! i had a dragonfly at my balcony this week... i just uploaded the pic (http://pic-k-s.blogspot.com/) and stumbled on to your blog!

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  7. smAugust 28, 2010 at 11:34 PM

    very well written
    nice shots

    ReplyDelete
  8. IndraniAugust 29, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    Butterflies hide under leaves when it rains, my mother told me so when I was a kid.

    ReplyDelete
  9. P.N. SubramanianAugust 30, 2010 at 1:42 PM

    Beautiful observation.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anil PAugust 31, 2010 at 1:44 AM

    And monsoons bring in a lot of moths as well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Legend ReturnsSeptember 1, 2010 at 1:48 PM

    Great blog Anu..you've got some real useful stuff here. Visit my blog http://mybioscope.blogspot.com/ whenever you've got time. Some weeks back I had been to Maharashtra Nature Park where I had photographed lots of butterflies. Hope you like them!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rama AnanthSeptember 3, 2010 at 8:32 AM

    Lovely pictures and a well written piece.
    I am always fascinated by rains.
    It makes one feel so romantic.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jesson BalaoingSeptember 11, 2010 at 8:14 AM

    great post...like this photo!

    ReplyDelete

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