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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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Faces in the Crowd - Business in the rain


The monsoon at Mahabaleshwar is a sight to see. The pouring rain, the dense fog, lush green valleys and mountains everywhere your eyes can see.... and vendors selling hot tea and corn at every turning. 

Some have a temporary shack, like the vendor selling corn-on-the-cob, but this man just has his bicycle, and his Aluminium steamer. He goes around, wearing a raincoat, selling plucked and boiled corn till he runs out of stock, which seemed to be quite huge considering the number of customers he had!

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Comments

  1. ArtiJanuary 20, 2013 at 5:44 PM

    Ah! Garma Garm Bhuttas in the rain :) A treat, that is :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJanuary 21, 2013 at 11:28 AM

      I would love bhuttas in this cold too, Arti!!! but its a pity cant seem to see them anywhere in mumbai these days!

      Delete
  2. krishnaJanuary 20, 2013 at 9:38 PM

    this is my India!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Timeless Memories - My Bygone !January 20, 2013 at 11:26 PM

    Just Perfect.. there is nothing like having a hot bhutta ceremoniasly pasted with lemon & mint on a rainy day..!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJanuary 21, 2013 at 11:47 AM

      oh, absolutely, Devil Incarnate! and the thought of it makes me salivate even now!

      Delete
  4. Bhavesh ChhatbarJanuary 21, 2013 at 12:00 PM

    Poor people

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJanuary 21, 2013 at 2:53 PM

      True, Bhavesh... we do feel sorry for people like him who brave the weather to make our lives easier... and there is no doubt that it is people like him who make our memories that much more memorable!

      Delete
  5. R Niranjan DasJanuary 23, 2013 at 1:01 PM

    Tough life!

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete

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