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MONUMENTS & SCULPTURE 300 B.C. TO A.D. 300
PART 1 the religion had a footing in Kalinga as early as the fourth century B.C. is proved by the Hathi-gumpha (one of the caves of the Udayagiri hill near Bhubaneswar) inscription' of Khåravela (first century, according to a less probable view second century, B.C.), the third king of the Mahameghavahana family of the Ceti dynasty of Kalinga. In this inscription, which preambles with an invocation of the Arhats and Siddhas, this powerful ruler claims to have brought back to Kalinga the Kalinga-Jina which had earlier bocn wrested away by a Nanda king. It is not unlikely that this sacred Kalinga-Jina had originally been installed on the Udayagiri hill itself and also was, after its Fecovery, reinstalled there by Khåravela. This low hill, along with the abut. ting hill of Khandagiri, was a Jaina centre from a very early period. The prime considerations for the selection of this twin hill for the site of the Jaina establishment were, evidently, their secluded situation ensuring a proper atmosphere for meditation and monastic life and proximity to the populous capital (identified with Sisupalgarh, 10 km. south-east of the hills) of Kalinga, where the monks could easily go on their missionary rounds and from where the devotees might come to pay homage to the ascetics and perform worship at the sanctuary
The Jaina establishment on the Udayagiri and Khandagiri hills flouTished tremendously during the rule of Mahămeghavahanas. From the Hăthigumphā inscription it is evident that Khåravela, who professed Jainism, championed the cause of the faith with great zeal. In the thirteenth year of his rule, he not only excavated caves for the Jaina ascetics in the Kumäriparvata (present Udayagiri) but erected on the prägbhdra of the hill, close to the monastic retreats, a costly structure (presumably a shrine) with stones collected from distant quarries and a pillar having cat's-eye gem in its core. Though there are no doubt a good number of monastic caves of the period of Khäravela, due to the lack of inscriptional evidence it is not possible to identify the particular caves excavated at the instance of this king. Other members of the royal family also took active part in the pious donations of caves. Thus, from the dedicatory inscription on the facade of the upper storey (locally called
· Edited and commented upon by many scholars, including Dines Chandra Sircar, Select Inscriptions bearing on Indian History and Civilization, 1, Calcutta, 1965, pp. 213-21.
For the Udayagiri-Khandagiri caves, see James Ferguson and James Burgeu, The Cave Temples of India, London, 1880, pp. 55-94; Rajendralala Mitra, Antiquities of Orisse, LI, Calcutta, 1880, pp. 1-46; James Fergusson, A History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, London, 1910, pp. 9-18; Debala Mitra, Udayagiri and Khandagiri, Now Delhi, 1960,
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