16/18 ☼ Exploring Temples, Caves, Ghats, and an Imambara: A 3000-Mile Adventure
Twin hills - Udayagiri and Khandagiri
Situated approximately 10 kilometres from the city, this destination was a top priority on my travel itinerary due to the famous Elephant Cave (Hathigumpha) with its intricate inscription on the ceiling detailing King Kharavela's life. It is valuable historical evidence that sheds light on the Nanda, Maurya, and Mahameghavahan dynasties, depicting images of contemporary North and South India, and even the story of foreign invading Yavans.
Every year, hundreds of sadhus make their way to the historic twin hills of Khandagiri to celebrate the spiritual rejuvenation of the Kumbh Mela. These twin hills have a rich religious history, with evidence of the presence of two Jaina Tirthankaras, Parswanath and Mahavir, who were drawn to the prominence of Jainism in the area. Mahavir even introduced his Dharma-chakra from the top of Udayagiri hill. The entry fee to twin hills is quite affordable, and the attendant strongly recommended using GPay for a 5 Rs. discount. Upon arrival, I encountered monkeys, prompting me to urge visitors to refrain from littering or feeding them.
Contents
Khandagiri Jain Temple
Udayagiri Cave
Nandankan Zoo
Khandagiri Jain Temple
As I began my ascent up the hill, the scorching heat made it unbearable. On top of it, upon reaching the summit, I encountered a few steps that I had to walk barefoot due to the presence of a temple. This hill is renowned for its intricate rock-cut Jaina caves, which King Kharavela commissioned in the 1st century BCE. The Archaeological Survey of India now safeguards these caves and houses a collection of sacred Jaina Tirthankara images.
Udaygiri Cave
The cave had a gentle slope, providing ample support and making it much easier to ascend compared to Khandagiri. The Hathigumpha Inscription holds various connotations in terms of time, place, religion, society, culture, language, and locality. It mentions historical figures like the Nanda King and Tibas Sat and describes the military expedition of Kalingadhipati Kharavela, including the attack on Asikanagar. It also speaks of the existence of Brahmans in Kalinga villages and their role in the region. These inscriptions provide valuable insights into the temporal, geographical, religious, socio-cultural, linguistic, and local aspects of the period.
Neela Madhav informed me that Jain monks would meditate indoors and only emerge for highly spiritual gatherings.
Nandankan Zoo
The zoo wasn't originally on my agenda, but I decided to check it out since I had some free time and heard great things about it. I booked a group cab service to take me around and had a blast exploring the zoo, especially with all the adorable animals that caught the attention of the kids around.
ABOUT NANDANKANAN
Taken from the Entrance Poster
Amidst the lush green forest along the banks of the Kanjia lake lies Nandankanan, a beautiful Park that got its name from 'Nandan Van' meaning the 'Garden of the Gods'. This Zoological Park established on 29th December 1960, is set in a beautiful natural setting and is one of the finest parks in the country. Unlike conventional zoos, Nandankanan spreads over a vast expanse of undulating topography, where the natural moist deciduous forest is still intact. Most of the animals, birds and reptiles live in open, large-moated areas surrounded by vegetation and undulating terrain. This helps the inhabitants of the zoo to live in a habitat close to their natural one and also helps in making it more and more natural. In Its 62 years of existence, the park has successfully bred many of the endangered species like Tiger, Leopard, Asiatic lion, the three Indian crocodilians, Brow-antlered deer, Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Indian Pangolin, Ratel, Mouse Deer, and many land and water birds. It has the distinction of being the host Zoo in the world for the captive breeding of white tigers out of normal coloured parents independent of Rewa origin as well as for ever captive breeding of Gharial in the year 1980. The zoo has successfully bred many white tigers and some of them have gone to various zoos within India and outside. It has been internationally acclaimed for its highest collection of white tigers in the world. First zoo in the World where melanistic tigers were born in captivity.
The Park is also the first captive breeding centre where Gharials were bred in captivity in 1980 with the cooperative of Frankfurt Zoo in Germany, which donated a breeding male named 'Bajrabahu'. The Park has the distinction of releasing crocodiles bred within the Park to nature. The Park specializes in successfully keeping animals of the Indian sub-continent and has been able to disseminate the lessons learnt through the publication of a large number of research papers for the benefit of the zoo communities.
With the help of Captain Neel, I managed to buy an authentic Pattachitra, a traditional painting originating from the enchanting village of Raghurajpur in the Puri district of Odisha. In my upcoming posts, I will delve into the Parshuram temple and share my observations from this memorable journey. Stay tuned for more updates!