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 ...
One would generally not associate Tirupati with anything other than temples, and neither did I, until I happened to read about a rare geological formation on the hills. I was impressed by the photographs I saw on the net, but wondered about how accessible the place would be, and whether it would be possible to visit. This was quite a few years back, and since then, my trips to Tirupati had been so hectic that I couldn’t even try to find out more about it. This year, with all the time I had at my disposal, this was one place I wanted to visit, and set off as soon as we got a brief respite from the rains. Sila Thoranam literally means ‘garland or festoon of rocks’. It is a natural stone arch which was found by archeologists excavating a geological fault in the area. Located just around 1.5 km from the Venkateswara temple, this arch is naturally compared to the divine serpent Adishesha. Legends have recently sprung up around the place, with comparisons made to the different rocks m...