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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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Coppersmith Barbet

I keep hearing them all the time, but have realized that they are not all that easy to spot. Some time back, a friend reported that a pair seemed to be nesting on a tree outside her house, but I was unlucky again, for whenever I went there, they didn't make an appearance. I finally managed to get a good look at the pair sometime back when, thanks to the local temple celebrations, we spent hours on our terrace, partly watching the festivities, and partly birdwatching! Here are the pics of our colony's elusive Coppersmith Barbets....







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