Bhubaneswar: Heritage lovers can now explore the Khandagiri and Udayagiri caves as a part of Ekamra Walks, the weekly heritage walk organised in the city.
The first walk to the historic Jain sites was conducted on Saturday, and despite the bad weather, 25 people, including a foreign national, turned up.
The members, who gathered near the ticket counter of the Archaeological Survey of India, received the blessings of a Jain monk as he was passing by the Udayagiri hills.
Nichole Saad, education programme manager with Wikimedia Foundation, who was part of the walk, said: "I had a great time. I got to learn a lot of things about Odisha and the carvings in the caves. It was nice to meet and interact with local people."
Guide Satyaswarup Mishra narrated to the participants the story behind the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri. He spoke about the caves, carvings on them and the emperor Kharavela.
"After Old Bhubaneswar, the addition of the Jain shrine and monument in the list of heritage walk has given the weekend walks a new dimension. As the city is known for its co-existence of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious elements, we must have another heritage walk around Dhauli with the Buddhist sites in focus," said Sweta Mishra, who took part in Saturday's walk.
