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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 - Tree and Light

In a forest filled with trees, this one stood out. Its girth, its height, in every way, it loomed over the others, clearly a patriarch towering over the rest.





The forest canopy was thick enough to shade us from the harsh glare of the sun, though the rays sometimes managed to find their way between the leaves. I have seen beautiful images of sunburst taken by other photographers, but I have rarely tried to click one myself. Here are my maiden efforts.....





I clicked these photos on my recent trip to Wayanad, when we ventured into the forest for a brush with the wilderness. As to how 'wild' it was, you have to wait to find out! Meanwhile, this post is part of Skywatch Friday. For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page. 
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Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 31, 2013 at 3:52 PM

    Beautiful sparkles!

    ReplyDelete
  2. From The HeartMay 31, 2013 at 4:13 PM

    Great shots. Love the big trees!

    ReplyDelete
  3. IndraniMay 31, 2013 at 5:32 PM

    Nice capture of light.
    Wyanad is a beautiful place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JoyfulJune 1, 2013 at 3:31 AM

    Beautiful photos. I do love your first shot :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sankara Subramanian CJune 1, 2013 at 9:27 AM

    Nice shots! Looks like the teak forests of Wayanad. Some of these trees grow really wide and tall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 4, 2013 at 1:34 PM

      Thanks Sankara! they are indeed the teak forests of Wayanad. and so nice to see u here after so long!!

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJune 1, 2013 at 10:33 AM

    Beautiful. Always refreshing to see forest-pics on my desktop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 4, 2013 at 1:35 PM

      Thanks bnomadic!!! they always brighten up our day, dont they!

      Delete
  7. R Niranjan DasJune 2, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    Nice captures.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  8. TeamgsquareJune 3, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    Wonderful captures.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anil YadavJune 5, 2013 at 11:53 AM

    Anuradha, your post has brought the temple alive from the ruins!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pranav ChandraJanuary 20, 2014 at 1:04 PM

    Wayanad is definitely on my my bucket list of places to visit! Great pictures, I absolutely love trees!!!

    ReplyDelete

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