Udayagiri Caves

Twenty rock-cut sanctuaries were cut into a sandstone hill at Udayagiri around 400 AD under Chandragupta II, and they matter because they are among the earliest surviving Hindu temple sculpture and carry dated inscriptions that anchor the chronology. Cave 5 holds the great relief: Vishnu in his boar incarnation, Varaha, some four metres high, lifting the personified earth from the ocean while ranks of gods and sages look on and the rivers are shown flowing at his feet. Other caves hold Durga, Ganesha and Jain figures. The hill also carries a passage cut to channel light at the solstice.

What you actually see

• The Varaha relief - a four-metre boar incarnation lifting the earth.
• The Gupta caves - twenty sanctuaries with early Hindu sculpture.
• The dated inscriptions - records fixing the site to around 400 AD.
• The hilltop ruins - temple foundations and cut channels above the caves.

When to go

October to March; Madhya Pradesh summers are severe and the hill is exposed. Morning light falls into the caves better. The site is quiet and usually combined with Sanchi.

Honest expectations

Several caves are damaged or defaced, and some sculpture is heavily weathered. Signage is minimal. There is little shade on the hill and no facilities.

Nearby

Sanchi lies south; Vidisha is east.