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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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Indian Bullfrog

Frogs blend in so beautifully with their environment, that we would have completely missed seeing this one if I hadn't been trying to get photographs of a bunch of weeds this one was hiding in. 


Trying to identify this one, I realized that what we studied in school about them was just the tip of the iceberg. I had no idea that there were so many different species in India alone. A quick course in frog species being out of the question, the closest I could come to an identification, based on size and photos on the net, was that this was an Indian Bull frog - apparently quite a common species - the one we hear with the arrival of the rains. But apparently, even these plentiful amphibians are under threat, because they are poached for their legs!! What a sad state of affairs! The most interesting article I came across while researching for this post is this one. Do read it, and post your comments on what you think. 

And, if you happen to be a frog expert, and know the actual name of this one, please do add your comment, and enlighten us too! 
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  1. Edgebanding MachineNovember 11, 2013 at 6:47 PM

    Agreed There Is 100 Of Species Of Frog In India.Even Some Day Before i came Across a White Frog Which Was Completely Sticking My Room Walls & jumped When I pushed Him.He Was Jumping Like Flying In Air he Jumped More Then 12ft.

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