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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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Memories of 2013 - Travel Vignettes - Gokarna

When I think of Gokarna, this is the image that comes to my mind....




Fishermen at Om Beach in the wee hours of the morning, bringing back their catch, while we sat lazily by the sea, watching them. The lush greenery, the fog, and the colourful boats, all are now etched in my memory forever. It makes me thankful that I didn't cancel the Gokarna trip when things went wrong, and instead, went ahead, with Samhith and my mom for company! If the beach and the sea gave us the relaxation we looked forward to, it was Mirjan Fort which provided the surprise element!



I have yet to write about this fort, which only reminds me that I have lots of writing to do this coming year, to catch up with all the travelling! And yet, I hope the new year brings some more travel along!

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Comments

  1. R Niranjan DasDecember 26, 2013 at 11:26 AM

    Loved that photograph!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Swati SinghDecember 26, 2013 at 12:46 PM

    Awesome photos! the colors of the boats looking beautiful..

    ReplyDelete
  3. CharuDecember 29, 2013 at 12:53 PM

    Love the photo of the fishermen, Anu. Beautiful light and colours. And you seem to have had an exciting year of travel - here is another such one in 2014!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 29, 2013 at 4:37 PM

      Thanks, Charu!! It was an interesting year for sure and hope the next year is even better... and for you too/

      Delete
  4. UnknownDecember 30, 2013 at 3:57 PM

    Thankyou for sharing your memories Mam, It will be great if you would help me how to reach this place and what is the best medium of travelling. Would love to visit this once and capture its beauty in my slr.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 30, 2013 at 6:25 PM

      Thank you, Anoop. pls read the other posts I have linked to. details of how to reach are there in them. also, for me, the best mode of travelling is always public transport :D

      Delete
  5. UnknownFebruary 6, 2014 at 2:54 PM

    Hi, Anuradha loved your blog. I was in Karnataka last month however; I have not visited this beach yet. After reading you blog, I think I will check it out on my next trip. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post and i loved your “Fisherman” picture. Keep writing, i’m wait for your Mirjan Fort post :)

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