#Queen of Lalatendu Kesari

[swiggywala]

Dating back as early as the 2nd century B.C, Udayagiri Caves are a fascinating set of deep cut sandstone caves 3km W of Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Built by the Jain ruler Kharavela, the caves were part of a large Jain monastic complex. Whilst many of the caves appear to have been converted into shrines, originally it is believed they served as dormitories and study areas for monks. The west-facing Rani Gumpha (Cave 1) is the largest and finest excavation in the Udayagiri complex. The word ‘Rani’ means Queen, some believe that the queen of king Lalatendu Kesari once occupied this cave. The superb sequence of relief carvings on the upper floor are quite mysterious and remain unidentified, potentially from a lost epic. Themes here are replicated in the Ganesh Gumpha (Cave 10) as well as other caves in the complex. Image 2 - Initial scene depicts an attendant carrying a multitude of items on his tray and in his arms. Image 3 - This is followed by a group of three elephants cowering before a group of ten people, including a man holding a club and a woman whose arms are raised as if to strike the animals. Image 4 - Further along are a man and a woman fighting with swords and shields, and what appears to be a woman being abducted, she is being carried away in the arms of an armed male. Image 5 - Next to that is a horse sheltering under a parasol with three attendants, with an archer (possibly a king?) taking aim at a winged deer which is accompanied by two fawns. This archer (the same one?) is seen again next to a naked woman climbing down from a tree. Image 6 - The final scene that is well enough preserved shows a music and dance performance in a court. At one end are the king and queen with accompanying attendants. The musical party appears to involve six women, three of which are playing cymbals, a harp, and a mridangam (a double-sided drum). There appears to be further scenes to the right which are unfortunately now lost. Some scholars have speculated that these scenes depict the personal life of King Kharavela. #swiggywala #localguides @googlemaps #IncredibleIndia #indianhistory #heritageofindia #tourismindia #jaintemple #jainism #jain #odishaclicks #orissa  https://www.instagram.com/p/CcKxgEMv0e6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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