Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves guide, Odisha

This Udayagiri Khandagiri caves guide covers a pair of low, rock-cut hills about 6–8 km west of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, where ancient cells were hewn for Jain ascetics more than two thousand years ago. It is one of the easiest half-day trips you can add to a Bhubaneswar temple itinerary: a short drive, a modest climb up stone steps, carved caves to read slowly, and a hilltop view at the end.

Udayagiri and Khandagiri are two adjacent hills near Bhubaneswar holding roughly 33 rock-cut caves, cut mainly in the 2nd–1st century BCE as monastic cells for Jain monks under the Kalinga king Kharavela. Udayagiri is ticketed and ASI-protected; Khandagiri is free and topped by a later Jain temple.

About the caves: your Udayagiri Khandagiri caves guide

Udayagiri (“sunrise hill”) and Khandagiri sit either side of a road on the western edge of Bhubaneswar. According to Odisha Tourism, Udayagiri has 18 caves and Khandagiri 15, which matches the count scholars most often quote. They are not grand cathedrals of stone; they are small, austere cells (lena, a monk’s dwelling) cut into soft sandstone, some plain, a few carved with lively friezes.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protects the site and lists it among its “Must See” monuments. Udayagiri, the richer hill for carvings and inscriptions, is the ticketed side. Khandagiri, per local reporting, is free to enter and crowned by a working Jain temple with a view back over the city. Allow two to three hours to do both hills justice.

A short, sober history

The caves were cut as residential blocks for Jain monks during the reign of King Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana line, who ruled Kalinga (roughly today’s coastal Odisha). The usual dating is the 2nd–1st century BCE. The monks used the cells for shelter and meditation during the rains; the cave floors slope and the ceilings are low, suited to sitting, not standing.

The key historical record here is the Hathigumpha (“elephant cave”) inscription in Udayagiri. It is a long Prakrit text in Brahmi script, carved on an overhang, giving a year-by-year account of Kharavela’s reign and his patronage of Jainism and public works. The inscription itself carries no date. According to the scholarly consensus summarised by sources such as Wikipedia, palaeographers place it from the middle of the 1st century BCE to the early 1st century CE; the reading is debated because several of its 17 lines are damaged. James Prinsep first deciphered it in 1837.

Some Khandagiri caves were reworked much later. Scholars note additions of Jain Tirthankara (a “ford-maker” or liberated teacher) figures during an 11th-century Somavamshi-era renovation, so what you see there spans more than a millennium of Jain use.

Best time to visit

Go between October and March, when Bhubaneswar’s weather is dry and comfortable for climbing and reading carvings. The sandstone traps heat, so a summer midday climb is genuinely unpleasant; afternoon highs in the pre-monsoon months regularly cross 40°C. Early morning is the calmest and coolest slot in any season.

How to reach the caves

The caves are a short hop from central Bhubaneswar, which is why most people treat them as a half-day add-on rather than a destination in themselves. For wider trip planning, see our Bhubaneswar travel guide and the state-wide Odisha travel guide.

• By air: Biju Patnaik International Airport (BBI) in Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport, listed by the Khordha district administration as about 3 km from the caves. It has frequent domestic flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and more.
• By rail: Bhubaneswar is a major stop on the East Coast line, well connected to Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Visakhapatnam. The Khordha district site puts the nearest station (Master Canteen / Bhubaneswar) about 5 km away.
• By road: Autos, app cabs and taxis run from anywhere in the city; the caves sit on the road to Khurda/Nayagarh. Baramunda bus stand is the nearest major bus terminal, roughly 1 km away per the district administration.

What to see at the caves

Start on Udayagiri, the ticketed hill, where the best carvings and the Hathigumpha inscription are. Cross the road afterwards for Khandagiri and its hilltop temple. Cave numbers below follow the standard ASI/scholarly numbering.

• Rani Gumpha (Cave 1, the “Queen’s Cave”). The largest and most ornate cave on Udayagiri, cut on two storeys around a courtyard, with sculpted friezes of royal processions, musicians, dancers and animals running along the walls. It is the single carving you should not rush.
• Hathigumpha (Cave 14, the “Elephant Cave”). A natural overhang carrying Kharavela’s famous inscription (see the history section). The text is weathered and protected; you read the setting more than the letters.
• Ganesha Gumpha (Cave 10). Flanked by carved elephants, with reliefs that scholars link to an old love-story narrative. A later Ganesha image gives the cave its popular name.
• Bagh Gumpha / Vyaghra Gumpha (Cave 12, the “Tiger Cave”). Small, but its entrance is carved as a tiger’s open mouth — an easy favourite with children.
• Jaya Vijaya (Cave 5). Named for its carved figures; worth a look for its sculpted panel and the plain monk’s cells around it.
• The ascetic cells. Many caves are deliberately bare: low, cramped rooms with sloping floors and raised stone “pillows”. These are the point of the site — ordinary monks’ quarters, not showpieces.
• Khandagiri hill — caves and temple. Across the road, Khandagiri’s caves include Ananta Gumpha (Cave 3), carved with women, elephants and geese, and later caves such as Navamuni and Barabhuji with rows of Tirthankara figures added in the 11th century. A flight of steps leads to a Jain temple at the top with a wide view over Bhubaneswar.

A half-day itinerary from Bhubaneswar

The caves pair neatly with the city’s temples. A sensible half-day:

• Early morning: Reach Udayagiri near opening, before the heat and the tour groups. Work slowly through Rani Gumpha, Hathigumpha, Ganesha and Bagh Gumpha.
• Mid-morning: Cross to Khandagiri, see Ananta Gumpha and the later caves, then climb to the hilltop temple for the view. Come down and rehydrate.
• Late morning / lunch: Drive back into Bhubaneswar for the Lingaraj temple precinct (view from the platform if you are non-Hindu), the small, finely carved Mukteswar temple, and the Odisha State Museum for context on Kalinga history.
• Optional afternoon: Add Dhauli (Ashokan rock edicts and the Peace Pagoda) or Nandankanan Zoological Park. With a full day to spare, Konark and Puri make a longer coastal run — see our Konark Sun Temple guide.

Where to stay

There is no reason to stay at the caves; base yourself in Bhubaneswar, which has the full range of hotels and is central for temples, Dhauli, Nandankanan and day trips to Konark and Puri. Rough, dated bands below (per night, double room, October 2026 — treat as planning estimates and reconfirm):

• Budget (~₹900–1,800): Simple hotels and guesthouses near the railway station, Master Canteen and Kalpana Square.
• Mid-range (~₹2,500–5,000): Business hotels around Jaydev Vihar, Saheed Nagar and the airport, many with restaurants and parking.
• Upscale (~₹6,000–12,000+): Branded four- and five-star properties in the newer parts of the city.

Book ahead around major festivals (Rath Yatra season, winter weekends) when the city fills up. Full area-by-area options are in our Bhubaneswar travel guide.

Food to try

Eat Odia while you are here. A few things to look for in Bhubaneswar after the caves:

• Dalma (lentils cooked with vegetables and a tempering of cumin and panch phoron) — the everyday Odia staple.
• Macha besara (fish in a mustard-paste gravy) and other freshwater fish dishes.
• Chhena poda (a baked, caramelised fresh-cheese dessert) — Odisha’s best-known sweet.
• Dahibara aludam (soft lentil fritters in spiced yoghurt with potato curry) — a popular street snack.
• Pakhala (fermented rice in water, eaten with fried sides) — a cooling summer meal, often on local menus.

There are small snack and drink stalls near the cave entrance, but carry your own water for the climb.

Budget breakdown

The caves themselves are cheap; most of a day’s cost is transport and food. The table assumes two people on a half-day trip from a Bhubaneswar hotel.

Permits, rules and the monkeys

No special permit is needed — this is open ASI heritage, not a restricted zone. The practical rules are straightforward, but worth knowing:

• Tickets and timings: Udayagiri is ticketed; Khandagiri, per local reporting, is free. As of October 2026 several tourism listings put the Udayagiri ticket at ₹25 for Indian visitors and ₹300 for foreign visitors, with children under 15 free (the ASI’s standard monument band); some listings mention online/QR e-tickets. We could not open an official ASI figure this session, so treat the amount as indicative and confirm at the counter. Reported opening hours vary between roughly 8 am–5 pm and 9 am–6 pm; ASI monuments usually run sunrise to sunset. Reconfirm current timings before you go.
• Photography: Still photography is normally fine; tripods, professional shoots or video may need permission and a fee. Do not touch or lean on carvings or inscriptions.
• At the Khandagiri temple: Remove footwear before entering the shrine and dress modestly, as at any working place of worship.
• The monkeys: Both hills have bold rhesus monkeys. Do not carry food or drinks openly, keep snacks zipped away, and do not tease or feed them — they will snatch bags, phones and glasses.
• The steps: Both hills are climbed on uneven stone steps with low railings in places. Wear grippy shoes, take the Khandagiri temple climb slowly, and skip it in the rain if the steps are wet.
• Eco sense: Carry your litter out; avoid single-use plastic on the hills.

Practical tips

• Timing: Come at opening. It is cooler, quieter and the low morning light suits the Rani Gumpha friezes.
• Carry: Water, a hat and sunscreen in any season; the hills are open and shadeless in parts.
• Cash and UPI: Bhubaneswar is well served by ATMs and UPI is widely accepted in the city, but carry some small cash for the gate, parking and stalls.
• Network: Mobile coverage is good across the city and the caves.
• Health: Bhubaneswar has large public and private hospitals (Capital Hospital and AIIMS Bhubaneswar among them) within a short drive, so this is a low-risk day trip medically.
• Accessibility: The stepped climbs make both hills hard for wheelchair users and those with knee trouble; Udayagiri’s lower caves are the most reachable.
• Solo women: Bhubaneswar is generally comfortable for solo travel; the caves are busy by mid-morning. As anywhere, prefer the daytime, keep to the main paths and use app cabs with trip-sharing.
• Guides: A guide adds a lot at the inscriptions and friezes. Agree a fixed price before you start.

Nearby places

The caves slot into a rich cluster of sights around Bhubaneswar and the coast.

Frequently asked questions

How much time do you need at Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves?

Plan two to three hours for both hills. That covers Udayagiri’s main carved caves and the Hathigumpha inscription, a crossing to Khandagiri, its caves, and the stepped climb to the hilltop Jain temple and viewpoint. Come near opening to beat the heat and the midday crowds.

Is there an entry fee for the caves?

Udayagiri is ticketed and Khandagiri is free, per local reporting. As of October 2026, tourism listings indicate about ₹25 for Indian visitors and ₹300 for foreign visitors at Udayagiri, with children under 15 free. We could not confirm an official ASI figure this session, so reconfirm the current amount at the ticket counter.

Who built the Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves?

They were cut mainly in the 2nd–1st century BCE as cells for Jain monks under the Kalinga king Kharavela. His reign is recorded in the Hathigumpha inscription at Udayagiri, which palaeographers place, per scholarly consensus, from about the mid-1st century BCE to the early 1st century CE. The dating is debated.

How do you reach the caves from Bhubaneswar?

The caves are about 6–8 km west of central Bhubaneswar. The Khordha district administration lists them roughly 3 km from Biju Patnaik Airport and 5 km from the railway station. Autos and app cabs run from anywhere in the city, and Baramunda bus stand is about 1 km away.

What is the best time to visit?

Visit between October and March, when Bhubaneswar is dry and comfortable for climbing stone steps and reading carvings. Avoid the April–June heat, when the sandstone bakes and afternoons can top 40°C. In any season, early morning is the coolest and quietest time on the hills.

Are the caves suitable for children and elderly visitors?

Yes, with care. Children enjoy the tiger-mouth Bagh Gumpha and the monkeys, but keep food hidden as the monkeys snatch bags. Both hills are climbed on uneven stone steps, so visitors with knee trouble should take it slowly and may skip the Khandagiri hilltop temple climb.

Last updated and sources

Go if you like history you can walk through: this is a calm, inexpensive half-day for anyone based in Bhubaneswar, best between October and March and best started at opening time.

Last updated: 1 October 2026. Fees, timings and permits change — reconfirm with official sources before you travel.

Sources: Khordha District Administration, Odisha (Khandagiri & Udayagiri tourist page); Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism), Khandagiri & Udayagiri Caves; Odisha Tourism, Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves; Hathigumpha inscription (overview and scholarly dating); Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves (cave numbering and features); Orissa Post (ASI management, ticketed vs free hills, visitor facilities). Accessed October 2026.

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