Udaygiri, in Madhya Pradesh , is a hitherto unspoilt tourist attraction in the locales of Madhya Pradesh. This place is famous for its rock-cut caverns and voluminous carved out sanctuaries in the hills of sandstone located in the Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh.
As far as cavern art and carvings are concerned, the caves of Ajanta and Ellora take the cake. But the not so widely acclaimed Udaygiri caves are also similar in splendour to the aforementioned sites. The word Udaygiri, means the 'Hills of Sunrise'. Indeed, they are built in such a manner so as to welcome the first rays of the rising sun.
Udaygiri caves are located approximately four kilometers from the town of Vidisha and about thirteen kilometers from Sanchi, which boasts of a stupendous Stupa, or Buddhist shrine. It is estimated that these caverns were carved during 4th to 5th century A.D. At that time, the monarch of India was Chandragupta II. Thus, this can also be called another marvelous specimen of Gupta art. The grand entrance, the motifs and the intricacy and finesse of the artwork makes one wonder about the zenith of excellence reached by the artisans of this bygone era.
The caves have several statues of Lord Vishnu, one of the gods of the divine trinity of the Hindu faith. There's a statue of Lord Vishnu as the Varaha Avatar (or the Boar Incarnation) and also one of the reclining Lord Vishnu.
To sum up, Udaygiri is a treat for tourists with an eye for architecture and sculpture and bears testimony of the grandeur of the Gupta era that augments the enjoyment factor of the excursions form Bhopal.
Last Updated on 23 July 2012
