Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves

Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, twin hills on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, contain an extensive complex of rock-cut Jain monastic caves dating back over two thousand years, among the earliest surviving examples of Jain architecture in India. The most significant structure, the Hathigumpha (Elephant Cave) at Udayagiri, bears a lengthy inscription recording the achievements of King Kharavela, considered one of the most important epigraphic records of ancient Odishan history.

The caves' carved facades, chambers and cisterns reflect a sophisticated ascetic monastic tradition, and the site's proximity to central Bhubaneswar makes it one of the most accessible major heritage attractions in the city, easily combined with a visit to the Lingaraj Temple and other central Bhubaneswar sites.

The caves were excavated primarily under King Kharavela of the Chedi dynasty in the 1st-2nd century BCE, with the Hathigumpha inscription providing crucial historical documentation of his reign and military campaigns, making the site as significant historically as it is architecturally.

In Bhubaneswar, easily reached by road within the city.