The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c16.8

v2.c16.8

[2] To the antiquarian the most interesting parts of these hills are certain excavations which are to be met with on some of them. These excavations or cave dwellings are similar in many respects, to the farfamed rock-cut caves of Ellora, Ajaṇṭā, and other places in Western India. They abound most in Udayagiri. Khaṇḍagiri has, likewise some caves, but neither so numerous, nor nearly so elaborate. To those who are familiar with the notices of these antiquities in the pages of the *Researches* and the *Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal*, and elsewhere, this remark may appear incorrect, inasmuch as they have generally seen the most elaborate sculptures described as existing on Khaṇḍagiri; but the apparent error will vanish when they are told that in those writings the generic name of the group has often been used instead of the specific names of the different hills. Captian Kittoe, in his *Journal*,¹ notices the antiquities of the two hills separetaly; but others have not been so careful, and even James Prinsep in his *Notes on Inscriptions at Udyagiri and Khaṇḍagiri in Cuttack* confounds the two, and before commencing his remarks on the large Hātigumphā inscription, says: "But first I would call attention to a number of short inscriptions in the old character which he (Kittoe) discovered on the occasion of his first visit, in the various caves of the neighbouring hill called Udayagiri,"² when in fact both the short and the long inscriptions alike came from Udayagiri, and only two have as yet been discovered on Khaṇḍagiri. Elsewhere the same error may be frequently noticed.