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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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White Browed Fantail Flycatcher

This is one of the birds I usually spot from my window, but this particular one I saw at Hindu Cemetery at Banganga. I love seeing the bird spreads out its feathers, and shows us why it is called the White Browed Fantail Flycatcher!

This is a test post. I am trying to publish posts from my tab, so i can post on the go. Please bear with me, and let me know your feedback on the appearance of these posts so i can improve.

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  1. NatalieGOctober 14, 2014 at 6:08 AM

    This post looks just fine, Anurandha! What a interesting little bird! The colors remind me of the chickadee's we have here, as well as the attitude - they're very feisty and will make very pointed remarks to each other and the other birds around them.

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    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 14, 2014 at 2:35 PM

      Thanks Natalie!these birds are feisty too... its amusing to see a pair cavorting near our house. looks like these birds might be related too!!

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  2. Meghana HassanOctober 14, 2014 at 8:17 PM

    Beautiful, I come across a similar bird from my balcony, with feathers spread out. The bird is always in full swing, it sometimes even troubles crows, wonder if its a flycatcher too..

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  3. UnknownOctober 21, 2014 at 12:26 PM

    Anuradha! It is an interesting post for all nature lovers. The little bird is looking so cute and pretty. I would like to see it daily from my window. Actually I am one of natura lovers and I love to explore these types of places. Recently I came from India after my new york to niagara falls bus tours. During this country trip I saw its many hill stations like Manali, Kufri, Shimla and Darjeeling and furthermore I spent some time in Delhi. It was a great time that I spend in this country. I would like to go there again.

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  4. Preeti DatarNovember 2, 2014 at 10:32 PM

    What a lovely moment captured through your lens! *thumbs up*

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