Author:

Dr.Rusav Kumar Sahu
Lecturer in History
Vikram Dev University
Jeypore, Koraput (Odisha), India

Email: sahu.roshank@gmail.com

Abstract:: The twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri (Lat. 200 16′ N; Long 850 47′ Elev. 287ft.)
are located in the western outskirt of Bhubaneswar. The site is surrounded by Baramunda Busstand in the east,Patrapada village in the west, Jagamara village in the north and Chandaka reserve forest in the south. One can approach the site on the right side of the NH-5 leading from Kolkata to Chennai branching at Khandagiri Chowk in Bhubaneswar. The site is famous for the rich archeological treasures like the earliest rock-cut caves in Odisha, Hatigumpha inscriptions of Kharavela, earliest apsidal structure at the summit of Udayagiri hill like Besnagar and
Satadhara in Madhya Pradesh and the earliest figurative representation of Surya and Gajalaxmi on the back wall of Anantagumpha.

Key Words:Besnagar,Gajalaxmi,Khandagiri, Odisha, Temple, Udayagiri etc.