Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves

Two sandstone hills face each other outside Bhubaneswar, and both are cut with chambers made for Jain ascetics in the second and first centuries BC under the Kharavela dynasty. Udayagiri has the larger group, including the two-storey Rani Gumpha with carved friezes of processions, hunts and dancers across its facade, and the Hathi Gumpha, whose inscription by King Kharavela is a primary source for the period, recording his campaigns and public works year by year. Khandagiri opposite has more cells and a later Jain temple on the summit. Monkeys occupy both hills in numbers.

What you actually see

• Rani Gumpha - a two-storey cave with carved narrative friezes.
• The Hathi Gumpha inscription - Kharavela's year-by-year record of his reign.
• The monastic cells - low chambers cut for ascetics across both hills.
• The Khandagiri summit - a later Jain temple with views over Bhubaneswar.

When to go

October to March; Odisha summers are severe and the hills are exposed. Mornings are best. The caves are quiet on weekdays and busy at weekends.

Honest expectations

Cells are low and cramped, cut for sleeping rather than standing. Monkeys are aggressive and take food and bags. The climb between levels is on uneven rock with no railings in places.

Nearby

Lingaraj temple lies east; Bhubaneswar's old town is nearby.