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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 - A view from Fort Aguada, Goa

Friday is almost over, but not quite, and the day has been just too hectic...  which is why I am posting this pic now for Skywatch Friday...


This was the view from Fort Aguada, Goa, and that is where my thoughts are, as the weekend looms ahead... a weekend that promises to be even more hectic than the week gone by. No, I am not travelling anywhere, but am stuck at home, with piles of work to do, but lots to look forward to as well! Meanwhile, for those of you who haven't seen it on my Facebook Page yet, I have been listed among the 'Top 31 Professional Indian Travel Bloggers' by the Hop Around India website.  Thank you so much, all of you, for reading and commenting, which is what encourages me to write!

Have a great weekend folks, and for more such beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page! 


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Comments

  1. R Niranjan DasDecember 14, 2013 at 12:51 PM

    Nice shot and congratulations, Anu!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Su-sieee! MacDecember 14, 2013 at 1:25 PM

    I like how you captured the cloud racing across the sky, with the flat bottom of the cloud paralleling the flat landforms. Congratulations on your recognition. That's neat!
    Here's my contribution to SkyWatch Friday -- Take 25 to Hollister

    ReplyDelete
  3. MridulaDecember 14, 2013 at 4:52 PM

    Take care Anu and the sea and sky both look beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownDecember 15, 2013 at 6:33 PM

    Superb picture and a very interesting blog post.

    http://picsonia.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. SheenzkmDecember 15, 2013 at 10:05 PM

    Congratulations, Anu !!!!

    http://sheenzie.blogspot.in/2013/11/sheenzie-goes-parasailing.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousDecember 16, 2013 at 6:16 PM

    What a beautiful Shot with Goa, Look it out some more shots from www.magtaan.in

    ReplyDelete
  7. NaderNovember 10, 2018 at 6:52 AM

    Nice article, thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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