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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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Scenes from a small railway station in the hills

Passing via Kangra Railway Station en route to the Kangra Fort, it was impossible for us to simply pass by, without taking a closer look. 




Ideally, we would have loved to take the train... the Kangra Valley Railway is one of the Heritage Hill Trains of India, but time was a big factor, and the train timings didn't match our schedule. We settled instead for just a peek at the railway station. The next train was due only an hour later, and our delight at the old world charm of the station provided quite some amusement to the few passengers patiently awaiting it. Here are a few scenes from the station... take a look, and I am sure you will agree that these tiny stations are truly charming, compared to the steel cages our new ones are! 

A view of the main station from the platform.. and the manual track changing apparatus...


What a pretty shop this is, isn't it? with the vines growing all over? Shankar went to take a look at what was available, and the gentleman's eyes simply followed him, while the lady in the shop stared at me. They were probably wondering why we were there, clicking photos of their local railway station!  

The ticket counter... quaint, isn't it? 


The Time Tables, painted in the old style. The idea is two-fold.. to remind you of a time when all stations had such painted boards.. and to help you if you ever plan a trip here and want to take the train!

Take a look at these fares too. They are current fares, and at Rs. 20 and 25, are a steal, for journeys lasting half a day!! And the First Class Fares makes me want to go at once!! Hope I can visit Dharamsala again soon! 



Finally, this pretty structure stood aloof, probably a cabin used by the station master, but there was no board, so I have no idea what it is. 


Pretty and picturesque as it is, the Kangra Railway Station is not unique. We see such old railway stations across India, on the mountains as well as plains. Built in colonial times, they share a similar architecture, which today charms us by its rarity. Our new railway stations might have digital screens and latest technology to hasten and make safer our train journeys, but there is something about these which draws us again and again! 


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Comments

  1. TravellingcameraAugust 19, 2015 at 12:49 PM

    I have visited Kangra, Palampur and Dharmshala many times, but never got a chance to visit the railway station. I did few journeys on Shimla-Kalka route but this is something I have to plan in near future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. R Niranjan DasAugust 19, 2015 at 6:13 PM

    Such a pretty station. It still exudes the old world charm. Nice post.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TusharAugust 20, 2015 at 9:04 AM

    Old is Gold - They say. Nice observation. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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