Tales of yore etched on rock

The sylvan environs of the picturesque Khandagiri-Udayagiri hills draw hundreds of tourists all round the year, who love to soak in the serenity of the place. The twin hills offer a breathtaking view of the temple city. The caves, for which the hills are famed for, bear testimony to Odisha’s cultural, architectural and martial past. The inscriptions on the rock-cut Hatigumpha or elephant caves on the Udayagiri hills offer a peek into the life and time of the mighty King Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana dynasty of the second century BC.
Historian Sadananda Agrawal said the shape of the caves show they were used as dwelling units. “Jain ascetics lived here. They were designed like dormitories and an incline on one side of the floor indicates the raised side served as a pillow,” said Agrawal, author of the book called ‘Kharavela’.
“The inscriptions and sculptural arts hail the Jain warrior king Kharavela not only as the greatest king of Kalinga, but also as one who played a key role in the power politics of the Indian subcontinent,” said Agrawal.
Hathigumpha, situated to the south of Udayagiri, is a natural cave and was not sculpted. Unlike the other caves, it used to be the favourite abode of prehistoric hunter-gathers as 14 samples of engravings and paintings were found here. The engravings were the earliest inscriptions available in India, detailing the king’s life from childhood to teens.
Sanjay Acharya, head of the ancient history department of Utkal University, said the inscriptions praise Kharavela as a great man in war as in peace. “Although he was a Jain, he patronized Brahminism and Buddhism,” said Acharya.
Another attraction in Udayagiri is the two-storey Ranigumpha, a kind of amphitheatre. The ground floor was perhaps used to stage dance performances. Ranigumpha has sculptural representations of Odissi dance ‘mudras’ and movements. The Anantagumpha in Khandagiri showcases religious sculptures.
Historians say the ornate carvings on the walls of the Udayagiri caves depict scenes of the victory celebrations of the king when he returned from war. Another interesting cave in Udayagiri is Bagh Gumpha, which resembles the mouth of a tiger.
Any visitor to Bhubaneswar would make the twin hills a must on their travel itinerary, thanks to the excellent maintenance of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which has breathed fresh life into the place. Some caves have been ruined but there are 17 caves in Udayagiri and 18 in Khandagiri now.
The state tourism department and ASI have been working together to preserve the historic significance of the site. The tourism department has signed a MoU with the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) for a 30-minute light and sound show at Khandagiri and Udayagiri. State-of-the-art technology will be used to narrate the legends and stories of the two sites during the rule of emperor Kharavela.
Recently, the Khandagiri Anchalika Bikash Parishad, a body formed for the betterment of the two tourist destinations, has involved the local community for the protection of the place. Like any other historical site in the country, the Khandagiri-Udayagiri skyline has faced competition from mushrooming high-rises in the area. “We want the area around the hills to be clean and undisturbed. We tell tourists they have a responsibility to keep it clean,” said Satyabrata Das, president of the Parishad.
“Locals should feel the place belongs to them and ensure its upkeep. For this, we have divided them into groups. Their task is to spread awareness so that tourists do not throw food packets and other items around the place,” Das said.