Bhubaneswar Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves - Enjoy an Adventurous Tour
People looking for adventure will instantly fall in love with these caves. The Khandagiri and Udayagiri hills located in Bhubaneswar houses some of the brilliant caves for exploration. Most of the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves in this area have been carved out by the artisans of the Kharavela King and by Jain monks. Once you visit these caves, you will be convinced of the genius architecture that the talent and artisans possessed in the ancient times. The carvings in the cave are not just an example of architectural beauty but also a symbol of compassion, love, and religious tolerance. The Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves are considered as some of the genius discoveries of India from the first century BC.Quick Glance
Location: Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India
Entry Fee: Foreigners INR 300-500, video INR 50
Hours to explore: Dusk - Dawn (8:00 am – 5:00 pm)
The History of Udayagiri and Khandagiri
Before exploring these incredible Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves in Bhubaneswar, you must have some background of the place or an origin story to make the most out of your visit. You will be surprised to know that the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are the oldest surviving caves in India and it dates back to the 1st or 2nd centuries. These two caves are right in front of each other on top of the hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri. In the early days, these caves also served as a place to stay for the Jain monks.Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves hold great importance in the Jain culture and as mentioned earlier, these were carved during the rule of King Kharavela.
Why It Must Be Visited?
If you have a taste to explore unique places, then this question is well-answered. You will love the simply carved architectures of these caves that will take you centuries back. Both places have incredible things to offer in terms of adventure and art. The researchers have reported about Khandagiri to have 15 caves, and Udayagiri to have around 18 caves. These caves are filled with artistic details like paintings, motifs, engravings from the court scenes, many interesting hunting expeditions, and royal possessions.Udayagiri Caves
These caves in the hills of Udayagiri have over 18 caves and the largest one named the Rani Gumpha or the Queen’s cave is the most visited cave. The name of this Udayagiri means the hill of sunrise and it has one of the stunning views of the surrounding places. You will find two storied monastery with many terrace and columns. People who love to explore art and architecture will love the beautiful carvings of the royal entourage, musical instrument, and dancing women. There are some other interesting carvings in these caves that you will love to explore.Talking about the most famous cave that is Ganesa Gumpha is considered to be a rare cave for having multiple terraces and dwellings. Some of the other attraction is the Ganesha sculptures inscribed on the walls of the cave along with elephants and other Jain Tirthankaras.
These complexes have one of the most historic caves called the Hathi Gumpa. This cave reflects the back story of the reign of Kharavela from the 1st century BC. The elephant caves inscriptions are brilliant to look at and it explains the stories and glories of the Kharavela rule. The caves also have inscriptions of the Namokar Mantra, which is the sacred chant of the Jains. The lines start with describing the king and his power over the throne-like ‘the worshipper of all religious orders, the repairer of all shrines of gods’.
This interesting back story of the temple is another reason while tourists are most attracted to this temple, apart from the famous Hathi Gumpha, numerous other caves represent incredible details about the bygone era. People who love exploring the historical facts about the ancient time visit this place quite often.
Khandagiri Caves
Khandagiri is another place that has some famous caves because it used some of the brilliant inscriptions done with the use of colorful pigments. You will enjoy the visit to this cave because it displays some famous Jain motifs as serpents and Swastikas. Along with these displays, this cave also depicts nine Jain-Tirthankaras and Digambara Jains. You will also find a lot of depiction of the Hindu deity in this temple.Due to these interesting attractions of the cave, it receives numerous tourists from around the world. The dark and artistic set up serves as a visual portal to the ancient time. Don’t forget to carry the camera to capture the brilliant architecture and inscriptions of this place.
Selective Famous Caves
Now that you have a brief idea about the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves, you must also have an idea about some of the famous caves in this area. Some of them are as follows:
Cave 14 and 10
In the Udayagiri hills, you will find these famous caves called the Hathi Gumpa and Ganesha Gumpa. These have a specialty and known for their brilliant treasures of art and sculptures.
Queen's Palace cave, cave 1
Raninka Na'ara has extensive carvings and the cave highly embellished with sculptural friezes, and you enjoy the stunning view over Bhubaneswar from the summit
Cave 3
The Ananta cave is more famous for depicting carved figures of elephants, women, athletes, and geese carrying flowers.How to Reach This Temple?
You don’t have to struggle to reach this location, because the place is well connected with many major cities to help reach this destination easily. You will find brilliant roadways, railways, and airways.
By Flight:
The Biju Patnaik International Airport is in close distance to this location and connected with major Indian cities.
By Train:
Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orisha and it is very well-connected with expanded Indian Railways network. If you like traveling via trains, you will enjoy the journey to this destination.
By Road:
This location can be well-traveled by road as well. The nearest metro city to Bhubaneswar is Kolkata (446 km, 277 miles) and you will be able to reach the place in around 12 hours. The Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are famous for its multi-tiered, rock-cut caves. These caves are nicely preserved because of its brilliant architecture and art. Most of the ancient carvings, sculptures, and art didn’t survive the test of time, but these caves have some of the major artwork remaining and it is well-preserved for exploration. Since you won’t be able to find your way easily inside into and out of these caves, it is suggested to take a guide along for navigation and details.