Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves - Odisha


Just 7 kms west of Bhubaneswar are the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udaygiri facing each other, honeycombed with caves.From 1st century BC the sandstone caves were excavated by Jain and Buddhist ascetics . The hills are literally filled with caves and over recent years the preservation of the rare carvings and general structure of the site has been the focus of a great deal of attention from the Archaeological Survey of India. Across the road just a few minutes walk leads to Khandagiri Caves, the Ananta Vasudev Cave , with its decorated pilasters and carved figures,is most interesting . A short but steep path leads to the top of the hill from where a panormic view of the city is obtainable. Caves 1 and 2, also known as the Parrot caves because of the figures of birds carved on its entrance are other must visits.

By Air : Just 3 km From Bhubaneshwar airport.425 Km from Vishakhapatnam .

By Rail : Bhubaneshwar railway station is located at the centre of the city. Delhi trains from Delhi to Bhubaneshwar include the Purshottam Exp. and Kaligautkal Exp. The journey from Delhi takes around 16 hours.
By Road : The Baramunda bus stand is located just 8 km from the city centre. State transport buses provide regular services to all the major cities across the state. Alternatively, taxis can also be hired from any of the major neighbouring cities to reach Bhubaneshwar. Once inside the city, taxis, auto-rickshaws and cycle-rickshaws are the available means of moving around.

October to March are the best time to visit this cave. Around this caves Bindu Sagar Lake, Lingaraja Temple, Nandankanan Zoo are the major attraction.

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