Udaygiri & Khandgiri

Udayagiri and Khandagiri- most important cave sites in Orissa. Just 8 kms from Bhubaneswar are twin hills of Udayagiri and Khandagiri.

Both these hills are important archaeological sites of India and served as the site of an ancient Jain monastery.

Udayagiri hill is 135 feet tall. In Udayagiri there are 18 caves, amongst them Hathi gumpha (elephant cave) is most important.

Khandagiri Hill is 118 feet tall and it has 15 caves of which Ananta Cave is the most impressive one.

One can see a 117-line inscription on the cave walls related to the exploits of King Kharvela who ruled over Orissa. Khandagiri is predominantly influenced by Jainism and here most of the caves have a Jain influence. From the hilltop you may get a breathtaking view of Bhubaneswar.

The caves are open from sunrise till sunset. There is a nominal entry fee for the caves.