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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 - Sunset over the Mumbai Skyline

Summer is here, and Mumbai is sweltering hot! This is not really the best time to travel, for its hot everywhere, but this does not seem to stop us from travelling!! I just returned from two short trips - a week long trip to Gujarat, where we visited Somnath, Junagadh and Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, and another shorter break to Alibag. There is lots I have to write about, and hopefully I shall get started soon.... Meanwhile, another good news is that I have finally upgraded my camera!!! I am now the proud owner of  Nikon P510!! Those of you who are wondering why I didn't finally switch to a DSLR, the reason is that I decided that Samhith was quite enough to handle for now! I didn't want the additional burden of lenses and stuff that had to be cared for at all times! The P510 seemed to be the perfect compromise, and I set off for Gir with the new camera in hand..... I have been agonising over which images to post first, and have finally decided that these sunset scenes over the Mumbai skyline would be the best place to begin, for they marked the beginning of a wonderful trip!




I clicked these images from the Catamaran which took us to Alibag from the Gateway of India... We would have liked to go in the morning, but Samhith's school ensured that we could not leave before evening. We caught the last boat to Alibag, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, for we caught the sun set over the concrete skyline of Mumbai...







For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page!


Alibag is the perfect getaway from Mumbai. It is accessible by road as well as by sea, and though many prefer to drive over, I always prefer taking the boat, for I get to see such wonderful sights along the way!!

Related Posts about Alibag

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Comments

  1. magiceyeApril 13, 2012 at 9:25 AM

    congratulations on the upgrade!!

    gorgeous captures!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 13, 2012 at 11:22 AM

      Thanks Deepak!! and in fact, I must thank you for making the suggestion about the bridge camera!!! its really nice and perfect for me!!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousApril 13, 2012 at 10:03 AM

    Mumbai just became more beautiful to my eyes after seeing the pics!!!! Eagerly awaiting your post on this trip :)

    Kanthi

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousApril 13, 2012 at 10:48 AM

    Wow - these photos are amazing! What a huge and glorious sun!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anuradha ShankarApril 13, 2012 at 12:02 PM

    thanks a lot, Jim!

    ReplyDelete
  5. SteffiApril 13, 2012 at 1:52 PM

    Very beautiful photos for SWF!Thank you for sharing and have a nice weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 13, 2012 at 6:56 PM

      Thanks so much, Steffi!!! have a great weekend too!!

      Delete
  6. ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ/ AshwiniApril 13, 2012 at 2:25 PM

    Great captures. Wonderful evening shots. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AartiApril 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM

    Anu, gorgeous shots.... the Sun looks beautiful indeed :)

    Trust you are doing good!! just remembered, i havent replied to your mail..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 13, 2012 at 6:57 PM

      Thanks Aarti!!! And its perfectly ok.. no hurry at all :D

      Delete
  8. MridulaApril 13, 2012 at 5:01 PM

    Congratulations on your new camera, I am sure you will buy a DSLR at some point :D Loved the close up of the sun and the city skyline.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 13, 2012 at 7:01 PM

      Thanks, Mridula!! When I bought this one, Samhith told me that he wouldnt mind waiting for one of his own,but whenever i bought him one, it should be a dslr!!!! so i if i have to buy one for myself, i have to do it real soon!!

      Delete
  9. Kim, USAApril 13, 2012 at 10:22 PM

    These photos are fantastic! I love it!

    SWF

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sylvia KApril 14, 2012 at 1:12 AM

    These are absolutely breathtaking captures and such gorgeous skies and colors! Superb composition! Thanks for sharing the beauty! Enjoy your weekend!

    Sylvia

    ReplyDelete
  11. zephyrApril 14, 2012 at 6:17 AM

    Hey Anu, thanks for the beautiful images. I have always thought that sunsets and sunrises are best watched in natural settings and not over a concrete skyline and after seeing the giant lollipop and the balloon of a sun, I have changed my mind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 14, 2012 at 8:25 AM

      Thanks Zephyr! I am not a great fan of the concrete skyline either, but the Mumbai skyline seen from the sea has always been something special! u dont see the mess from the distance and the sun's rays seem to make everything glow! which is why i love going by the ferry.. either to elephanta or to Alibag.. in fact, this time, my cousins wanted to drive down, but i pestered them until they agreed!!! and they loved it too!

      Delete
  12. Anuradha ShankarApril 14, 2012 at 8:19 AM

    Thanks so much, chubskulit!! Have a great weekend too!

    ReplyDelete
  13. TripEngineersApril 14, 2012 at 11:57 AM

    The Mumbai Skyline is truly beautiful... But it looks the best when the sun slowly disappears behind the waters of the Arabian Sea.

    As a child I used to think that the sun would sink into the water, and always wonder how it would rise again the next day! :)

    These are very beautiful pictures of the sun set near the Mumbai skyline...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Aarti BadamikarApril 14, 2012 at 8:58 PM

    Awesome pictures! and awesome you!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Pavni TalwarApril 21, 2012 at 11:03 AM

    Awesome pics! beautiful sunset..

    ReplyDelete
  16. Cheap Flights to MumbaiMay 10, 2012 at 8:14 PM

    It's not the traveling that takes courage Tally. I've done much longer trips on my own. It's leaving home.

    ReplyDelete

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