Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves
Also known as: Kumari Parvat · Bhubaneswar caves
Two facing hills honeycombed with rock-cut cells cut for Jain ascetics in the first century BCE under Kharavela of Kalinga, whose Hathigumpha inscription here is one of the most important epigraphic records of early Indian history. The Rani Gumpha is the largest and most elaborately carved. This is among the oldest Jain sites anywhere still standing.
- Digambar
- Tradition
- Kala kshetra
- Kind of kshetra
- Bhubaneswar
- Nearest town
- Not listed
- Staying there
Why this place
Two facing hills honeycombed with rock-cut cells cut for Jain ascetics in the first century BCE under Kharavela of Kalinga, whose Hathigumpha inscription here is one of the most important epigraphic records of early Indian history. The Rani Gumpha is the largest and most elaborately carved. This is among the oldest Jain sites anywhere still standing.
Associated with
- Parshvanatha
- Rishabhanatha (Adinath)
Getting there
- By rail
- Bhubaneswar.
- By air
- Bhubaneswar.
We could not find a live official website for this tirth. Most tirth trusts do not have one, and several of the domains that circulate are dead.
Do you know the pedhi office number?
We could not find a telephone number for Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves anywhere we could stand behind. If you know it — or you have rung the pedhi yourself — tell us, and it helps every pilgrim after you.
Give us the numberThe form arrives already filled in with this tirth. The only thing you have to type is the number.
The climb, and what to expect
ASI-protected, on the edge of Bhubaneswar and easily done in a morning. Udayagiri is ticketed; the climb between the two hills is short but steep in places.
Sources
Every entry says where its facts came from. Community directories are often the only place a dharamshala or a landline is written down, so we keep them — and label them.
- Archaeological Survey of India — Udayagiri and Khandagiri cavesGovernment or ASI
- Wikipedia — Udayagiri and Khandagiri CavesWikipedia