Odisha is yet to take a place as a mainstream tourist destination in India. Most people, especially those who are not from the eastern India, are not aware of the rich history, heritage and natural beauty the place has to offer. If you start planning a trip with a limited timeline, you will find it hard to select few places from the vast options of beach cities like Puri, Gopalpur (Odisha has one of the largest coastline in India), places with heritage significance like Konark or Khandagiri, countless tribal villages, the hills of Daringbadi (it is called Kashmir of Odisha for its weather) or the unexplored Simlipal National Park.
As a kid, Puri, a famous beachtown in Odisha, used to be our favorite holiday destination. But moving out of West Bengal made me ignorant about the state. Few years back, I got a chance to visit Bhubaneswar again courtesy of a friend's wedding. Though I had only a few hours to spare, I did not miss the chance to visit the twin hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The two hills were curved into building residential blocks for Jain monks during 1st century BCE. Udayagiri, the sunrise hill, has 18 caves and Khandagiri has 15. Some parts of the caves are ruined but you can still see the paintings and figurines built in the cave wall. Isn’t it unbelievable that people even 2000 years ago were skilled enough to create such a beauty out of a hill?
If you would like to check it on my Instagram, please see below.
