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 ...
Dubare is known for its elephant camp. Located on the
picturesque banks of the Kaveri, this was where the elephants used in the
Mysore region were trained.
Those were the days of extensive logging, and before the
times of six wheel drives, and elephants were invaluable. That was also the
time when the Mysore Dasara celebrations were at their most ostentatious, and
there was a lot for the elephants to do, and to be trained for. Times changed,
as they are wont to do, and the elephants were rendered jobless. They are still
used during the Dasara celebrations, but not in numbers like in those times. Besides,
the elephants still had to be fed and taken care of, for the rest of the year. Someone,
along the way, had the brilliant idea of opening the camp to visitors, and they
have struck lucky with it. Today, Dubare sees loads of visitors, who rush to
enjoy a chance to bathe or feed the elephants, or simply to enjoy a joyride on
one of them.
We visited Dubare in March this year, and, though it wasn’t peak
season, the place was still packed with squealing adults and kids. Yes, that
included my excited son, who was scared of the elephants, but still wanted to
go near; didn’t want to get wet, but couldn’t stay away from the water; was
saddened by the chains on the elephants, but couldn’t help smiling when he
could go near and scrub the elephant, reassured by those very chains.
As for
me, I simply stood afar, trying desperately to get some decent photos – without
the crowd in them!
Information:
- The Tourist arrangements at Dubare are handled by JungleLodges and Resorts. They have a resort in the camp, though it is not necessary to stay there to enjoy the activities. Most of the crowd are visitors, who make day trips to the camp. Apart from the activities involving the elephants, it is also possible to go rafting on the Kaveri, or on treks inside the forest.
I have not stayed at their Dubare resort, by going by my
experience of their other resorts, I
would think that staying there would give us time away from the crowds. That,
to me, can only enhance the experience of Dubare!
Heard a lot about this place, yet to visit..
ReplyDeleteIts nice, Meghana, but a bit too crowded for me :D
DeleteI am yet to go there..but very soon I will..Thanks for reminding me what I missed :)
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Ankita! look forward to reading about your experience!
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ReplyDeleteLove the third photo of the elephant sitting in the water. Where is Dubare, btw? Near Kabini?
ReplyDeleteGreat piece of information, especially on the history of Dubare . I just wanted to add a couple of points for the benefit of the readers who wish to reference this blog if they are travelling to Dubare. While the place is most famous for elephants, one can spot other animals like spotted deer and sambar. The river is home to some crocodiles too. Having a local expert always helps. For birdwatchers, there’s a feast awaiting in the form of woodpeckers, kingfishers, and partridges. Being in the Coorg district, mornings are especially beautiful and weather is simply great throughout the year.
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