Udayagiri Caves, Bhubaneshwar

Udayagiri means “sunrise hill”. Several of the caves are Udayagiri have some extremely fine carvings which are broadly thought to have been created at roughly the same time, circa 50 B.C. The caves are also known for their inscriptions, the most famous of which is the Hathi Gumpha inscription (Cave 14) . Inscriptions here record a total of 117 excavated by the Jain ruler Kharavela, but the number of caves officially recorded today is just 18. Built in two storeys, the west-facing Rani Gumpha cave is the largest and finest excavation in the Udayagiri complex. The cave takes the form of a three-sided open courtyard with cells on each side over the two levels, several of the doorways have carved guardians.