Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves

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The President of India recently visited Udayagiri caves, situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Key Highlights

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• Udayagiri caves are famous for the Hathigumpha inscription which is carved out in the Brahmi script.
• The caves were constructed by King Kharavela of Kalinga (Present day Odisha) for Jain Monks.
• King Kharavela belonged to the Meghavahana dynasty.
• Udayagiri means "Sunrise Hill" and has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. 
• Stupa at Udayagiri serves as a reference point for the study of the Vajrayana form of Buddhism.
• There are other Vaishnavite caves built during Gupta Period in Udayagiri near Vidisha (Madhya Pradesh).