Hathigumpha inscription, Ancient inscription at Udayagiri Caves, India
Hathigumpha is an inscription carved into rock within a natural cave on the Udayagiri hillside near Bhubaneswar. The text consists of seventeen lines in Brahmi script that run across the overhanging rock face, surrounded by moss and weather marks.
King Kharavela of Kalinga had the text carved into the rock face during the second century before the common era to record campaigns and building projects of his reign. The inscription mentions the recovery of a statue from the Nanda dynasty realm, pointing to earlier conflicts.
The rock surface bears traces of the Jain community that once inhabited the hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri. Monks used the caves for centuries as retreats, carving religious motifs into the walls around the text.
The path to the cave leads up stone steps through the hill complex, and sunlight illuminates the text best in the morning hours. Visitors should watch for slippery sections, especially after rain, and bring a flashlight to make out the letters more clearly.
The inscription counts more than one thousand characters and ranks among the longest continuous text records from ancient India in Brahmi script. Despite its age, much of the lines can still be read today when the light falls favorably.
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