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 ...
Navagrahas – the nine planets – Sun (Suryan), Moon (Chandran), Mercury (Budhan), Venus (Sukran), Mars (Angarakan or Sevvai), Jupiter (Guru), Saturn (Shani) and the two shadow planets Rahu and Kethu , form an important part of Hindu Mythology and beliefs. They are believed to govern each and every aspect of our lives, our actions, and even the results of our actions. They inspire varied feelings such as awe as well as fear in the hearts of people, who wonder what effect a particular planet will have on their lives. Every temple in south India has images of the Navagrahas standing in a 3×3 matrix, facing in different directions. However, as we discovered on this trip to Thanjavur and surrounding areas, this is not necessarily true. In many temples in this area, the Navagraha group has Surya in the centre, with all the other 8 facing him. This is the case in most of the Saptha Sthaanam temples, and most Ashta Veeratta Sthalams. Another interesting layout of the Navagrahas is seen in th...