BHUBANESWAR: Around 100 visitors made the Monks, Caves and Kings Heritage Trail of the famous Jain monument Khandagiri-Udayagiri a memorable day, with 90 students from Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIT-B) joining the event Saturday.
Students from the Tourism Department of Sri Sri University also joined the trail and enjoying themselves in the process.
Avinash Sharma, originally from Dehradun and a student of Sri Sri University said, “I am really delighted to be at the twin hills. I know the background story behind this place which features kingdom, kings, monks, queens and people.”
Yash Singhal from Punjab added that the guide was excellent and explained the subject clearly making the trip a memorable one for the entire group.
Sri Sri University Professor Ravish Mathew said, “We have come to this place on many occasions, but never had an opportunity to know so many things from history. The students of our tourism department in Sri Sri University would also be updated about the history of this great Jain site.’’
Romit Kesharwni, a student from IIT Bhubaneswar said, “I have heard from my friends, who have visited the site and was eager to come here. We are happy that we got to know so many things on the history of Odisha and the contributions of Emperor Kharavela.’’
Biswarupa Sahoo said, “We are really fortunate to come here and learn the stories behind the caves, historical perspectives, inscriptions and cave art in Hati Gumpha.’’
Rupesh Kumar Pillai termed the tour as a “great experience”. Learning the history of ancient Kalinga, its rulers and people is a thing to cherish, he said.
IIT Bhubaneswar students were part of the cultural exchange programme as students coming from different regions of the country get the rare opportunity to explore local monuments and know facts about these historical sites. The same group will also visit the Ekamra Walks Old Town Circuit Sunday.