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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 at Varca Beach, Goa

Physically, I may be stuck in Mumbai, but mentally, I am in Goa, remembering the wonderful time we had there.





We stayed at Club Mahindra's Emerald Palms resort, near the Varca beach. Though it meant we had to walk a short distance to reach the beach, the wide expanse with hardly any crowd was worth it!



Walking around, collecting shells, watching the sun set, it was probably the most peaceful evening we have spent in a long time.



What brought back these thoughts was meeting Sudha Ganapathy and listening to her talk about her recent Goa trip.



I have been to Goa thrice, and feel I have barely scratched the surface. There is so much more I want to explore. Wonder when I will next get the opportunity.



For now, I am settling for going through my piles of photos, re-living the memories, and sharing them with you.

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

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  1. Spoken English Institute In PuneNovember 22, 2013 at 5:31 PM

    I Was Been To Goa But I couldn't Find Such Purity & Cleaning On Beaches Which Is Seen in Your Pictures,Rather I Enjoyed More In Kokan & near By Areas.

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