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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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Little Green Heron

Walking around the Club Mahindra Cherai Beach Resort, I noticed a flash of feathers as a bird rose out of the water and flew to a tree. Curious, I waited till the bird returned, and I realized that it wasn’t wading in the water as I had thought, but stood at the edge of the water, on the boundary wall….




Even as I watched, it stretched out its neck, and pecked off something from the surface, and flew back to its perch, to eat in peace!



I was so fascinated by the sight, that I stood there for quite a while, watching the Little Green Heron catch its breakfast!



I spotted it again, later in the evening, this time perched on one of the Chinese Fishing Nets.




The Little Green Heron is apparently quite a common bird, seen frequently in these parts. For me, however, this was a first time sighting, one I thoroughly enjoyed! 

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Comments

  1. SumitOctober 8, 2014 at 1:19 PM

    Great example of photography. Loved each one pics. Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  2. divsiOctober 10, 2014 at 7:49 PM

    Lovely capture. This is also commonly known as the Pond Heron?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 10, 2014 at 10:25 PM

      Thanks Divsi, but nope, this isnt a pond heron.. a close cousin though :D

      Delete
  3. krishnaOctober 13, 2014 at 5:34 AM

    Beautiful bird.. also beautiful writing and photography..

    ReplyDelete
  4. Marcia @ CuracaoVacationAccommodationOctober 16, 2014 at 1:52 PM

    And I have also seen this bird for the first time through your photos. Thank you for that.

    ReplyDelete

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