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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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Anegundi Part 7 - A Walk along the Tungabhadra

It is impossible to miss the Tungabhadra , especially at Anegundi . The shortest way to get there is to cross the river by a boat or coracle, and most of the places there are located somewhere along the river. The last place we visited at Anegundi was on our way back to Hampi after visiting the Pampa Sarovar . We crossed a makeshift bridge made of fallen pillars laid across a stream merging into the Tungabhadra, and climbed up a hillock which would take us to a point right opposite the ghats of Hampi. On the way, we were told, was the cave where the monkey king Sugriva lived. We briefly entered the cave through the temple-like structure built at the entrance before moving on to other, more interesting things….
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Anegundi Part 6 - On the Tungabhadra

The Tungabhadra flows between Hampi and Anegundi , and makes her presence felt all over the place. That the land is so fertile even months after the rains is evidently due to her, and the fact that even in January there is enough water is a sight which makes us smile.
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An Unforgettable Encounter

We were just leaving the Pampa Sarovar , when we were hailed by an old man wearing a dhoti and a saffron kurta. I wouldn’t have called him a saint or a holy man, but he wasn’t a tourist either. He wanted a lift to his hotel, and since our driver said it was on our way, we agreed. We started talking, starting with Shankar’s favourite question – “Where are you from?”
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Anegundi Part 5 - Pampa Sarovar

Much as I wasn’t inclined towards temples (quite unusual for me, I know!), our driver encouraged us to visit the Pampa Sarovar , and I agreed, simply because there was no climbing involved, and the story of Pampa was intimately linked to that of Hampi. In my post on the Virupaksha temple , I had mentioned the story of Goddess Parvati, who, as Pampa Devi, meditated on Lord Shiva, and married him at the place where the Virupaksha temple stands today. The Pampa Sarovar is believed to be the place where Pampa Devi meditated. There is a small pond here filled with lotuses, which is the highlight of the place…
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Anegundi Part 4 - Prehistoric Cave Paintings

I first heard of prehistoric cave paintings at Anegundi through Lakshmi’s blog . It was especially interesting, since I was then planning a visit there, and decided to add it to my agenda. We had seen prehistoric cave paintings earlier at Lakhudiyar, on our trip to Binsar , and wondered what it would be like, here. As our rickshaw driver drove along the roads lined with hillocks on one side and fields on the other, I thought of the differences between the two places.  Lakhudiyar, though situated amidst the hills, was located among the only outcrop of boulders in the area, which had no foliage covering it. The rock overhanging the cave was shaped like the hood of a snake, and was distinctly visible, even from a distance, while here, there were boulders everywhere, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine which one of them had been the abode of our prehistoric ancestors!
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Anegundi Part 3 - Gagan Palace

This is the Gagan Palace at Anegundi . .. Once, the home of kings, today it houses officials who run the town....Apart from them, there are of course, these cows and cowherds who are most at home! Related Posts: Hampi Posts Anegundi Part 1 - Navabrindavanam Anegundi Part 2 - Durga Temple
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Anegundi Part 2 - Durga Temple

It’s been a while since I wrote about my Hampi trip, so those of you who have forgotten about the series, please read…. My Hampi Posts and Anegundi Part 1 - Navabrindavanam We had just half a day for Anegundi, and once we had visited the Navabrindavanam, we were eager to see as much of the ancient city as we could. We asked our rickshaw driver to ignore all the usual temples and also the places which would involve any strenuous climbing, and to take us to some interesting and different places that we could cover in the time we had with us. For a minute, the driver seemed to be at a loss. In a small town where you see only boulders no matter where you turn, it surely must have been difficult for him to think of a place he could take us to! At last, he agreed to show us some places which would involve a minimum of climbing, and would also be worth the effort. The first among these was the Durga Temple .
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