Monday, December 3, 2012

Udaygiri, the Jain Heritage

On the outskirts of Bhubaneswar there are two twin hills and one of them is Udayagiri. 



Here there are large number of natural as well as artificial caves that were constructed from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD.




It is believed that history of the place dates back to the times of Bhagawan Adinatha. During this period the place belonged to the Kalinga region and many brave and strong Jain Kings ruled here. Some of the cave temples were stated at the time of Lord Mahavira and others in the time of emperor Kharvel Ist Century BC and later. 



The prominent sites are:

The ancient idols in these caves stand as a unique example of its kind. We shall soon explore more of this place. 

47 comments:

  1. Are you able to walk back into the tomb areas or is it too dangerous. This is an especially interesting compound of buildings. Love seeing the children. genie

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  2. Very interesting.Will sure visit next time I am in Bhubaneswar.

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  3. Anonymous08:23

    These look fascinating! Can you imagine living in these caves. Do they belong to the government parks now?

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  4. Wonderful and very nicely maintained place .

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  5. Interesting caves. Have you explored them? The terraced shrubs at the entrance, with the name clipped from boxwood (?) are very pretty. So green and in such straight lines.

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  6. Absolutely marvelous!

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  7. Very nice post...never knew about this...I love your blog for taking us through all these places

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  8. Nice post and beautiful photographs.Thanks for sharing.

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  9. great info and photos

    thanks

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  10. Hi Rajesh, beautiful photos. I'm just stopping by to say how delightful your blog is. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
    http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.ca/

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  11. Seems the place is maintained well! Wonderful images, Rajesh

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  12. Anonymous15:47

    wow - awesome captures - Though being a jain I had very little or almost no knowledge about it but got great info about this place here :) :)

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  13. Great place. Would love to visit them someday. Nice photos Rajesh.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

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  14. I also went there, while i went on puri trip. that was an amazing experience..

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  15. Marvelous photos! I would love to visit India one day. I hope I get the chance.

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  16. Wonderful, fascinating captures, Rajesth. What a great place to visit!!

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  17. Beautiful!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  18. The caves would be great to see, my hubby loves to go caving. Great shots! Thanks for sharing your world.

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  19. Once again you introduce us to the wonderful history of your country.If the walls of those caves could talk what a story they would tell.

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  20. Thanks for the tour of this beautiful place. I love all the green in the first shot.

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  21. Your beautiful photos bring mystical imaginings of the people who lived in and around those caves. It is unbelievable that they were able to create such art without machines or technology to help them.

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  22. are the caves going to crumble?

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  23. It's so nice to see these places still intact. These caves and carving are so precious.

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  24. Those dwellings are incredible, and the strength of the structures through time more amazing. I wonder how they differ from those dwellings in Capadocia, Turkey. I also wonder why they lived in caves during those times, maybe the temperatures are too high or whatever!

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  25. Anonymous10:13

    What a fantastic place to explore.

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  26. Beautiful, I like those temple Udaygiri caves.

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  27. Wow! Great pictures.

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  28. I look forward to seeing more of this fascinating place. The carvings look well-preserved, considering the age of this site.

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  29. I especially liked the topiary spelling out of the place's name!

    ROG

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  30. It'd be haunting to go exploring in those caves!

    Leslie
    abcw team

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  31. impressive! i wonder if those caves are still safe to explore. i hope there are no earthquakes in this area.

    U is for...

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  32. Very enriching post and fantastic photography ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^

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  33. Another interesting spot in India. There's always something new to discover in your blog.

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  34. Your posts ALWAYS turn my sense of time upside down.

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  35. Great photos Rajesh. I think it would be fun to explore there.

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  36. informative with good captures...

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  37. Thank you all for appreciating this wonderful heritage. They were inhabited by Jain monks in those days.

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  38. Beautiful captures Rajesh!


    Rose, ABC Wednesday Team

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  39. Calling by as another ABC Wednesday participant, fascinating I always enjoy your posts.

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  40. It looks, and sounds, like a huge complex. I like the topiary.

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  41. It's incredible to have something that is as old as these caves. In fact, I'd say awesome!

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  42. How many more places to visit?

    Thanks for bringing anoter place on the list.

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  43. Wonderful Pics. Gr8 that you shared :)

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  44. Anonymous06:26

    beautiful place

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  45. I've been there..Udaygiri , Khandagiri ..nice captures..:-)

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  46. The images are captured so beautifully. Thanks for sharing.

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  47. Good info with beautiful pictures :-)

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