Caves, Crafts, Tributes, and Sweet Endings: A Day Through Odisha’s Living History

Overview: Our day in Bhubaneswar began early, knowing it would be one of the most packed and enriching days of our journey through Odisha. After breakfast, we set out with curiosity and anticipation, ready to explore layers of history, culture, and legacy, all unfolding within a single day.

Udayagiri & Khandagiri: Where Stone Sheltered Faith

Our first stop was the ancient Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, located just a few kilometres from the heart of Bhubaneswar. Among the two, Udayagiri is better maintained and houses a larger number of caves, so we hired a guide there, an excellent decision that brought the carvings and inscriptions alive.

Dating back to the 1st century BCE, these caves were carved during the reign of King Kharavela of Kalinga as residential shelters for Jain monks. Together, the twin hills house 33 existing caves: 18 at Udayagiri and 15 at Khandagiri, though inscriptions suggest many more once existed.

The most striking among them is Rani Gumpha (Queen’s Cave), a double-storeyed monastery adorned with detailed reliefs depicting royal processions, animals, musicians, and scenes of daily life. Equally significant is Hathi Gumpha, famous for the Hathigumpha inscription, a 17-line record in Brahmi script that offers invaluable insight into Kharavela’s reign and achievements.

Other caves like Vyaghra Gumpha, with its tiger-mouth façade, and Ganesha Gumpha, known for its guardian sculptures, added layers of fascination. Standing amidst these rock-cut shelters, it was humbling to imagine ascetic lives unfolding here more than two thousand years ago. No wonder the ASI lists Udayagiri-Khandagiri as a “Must-See” Indian heritage site.

Kala Bhoomi: A Celebration of Odisha’s Crafts

From ancient stone, we moved to living art at Kala Bhoomi- Odisha Crafts Museum. Spread across a sprawling 12.68 acres, this thoughtfully designed museum is a tribute to the state’s extraordinary artisan communities.

Built using local materials like laterite stone, Kala Bhoomi seamlessly blends architecture with purpose. The museum is divided into two main blocks, Handicrafts and Handlooms, along with open-air theatres, workshops, and galleries.

From terracotta, stone and wood carving, traditional paintings, to tribal crafts, pre-weaving techniques, and Jagannath-centric art, every gallery told a story of skill passed down through generations. The “live” sections, where artisans demonstrate their craft, made the experience especially immersive. We spent a long, unhurried time here, and still felt we could have stayed longer.

Odisha State Tribal Museum: A Living Museum of Communities

Our next stop was the Odisha State Tribal Museum, often described as one of the finest tribal museums in India, and rightly so. Established in 1953 and located within the green campus, the museum celebrates the lives of Odisha’s 62 tribal communities.

Traditional tribal huts, galleries on art, livelihood, belief systems, and the dedicated PTG World gallery on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups make this a deeply educational and moving experience.

The herbal gardens, shrine craft zones, and audio-visual spaces further enrich the visit, offering insight into cultures that continue to thrive alongside modernity.

Cuttack: Remembering Netaji

Post lunch, we headed towards Cuttack, beginning with a visit to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Birthplace Museum. Housed in his ancestral home, the museum is both dignified and deeply moving.

Personal belongings, letters, photographs, and rare documents trace Netaji’s journey, from his early life to his leadership of the Indian National Army and his uncompromising role in India’s freedom struggle. Walking through the galleries, one cannot help but feel inspired by his courage and conviction.

Barabati Fort: Echoes of a Forgotten Capital

From there, we visited the ruins of Barabati Fort, built in 987 CE by Maharaja Markata Keshari of the Somavanshi dynasty. Strategically located between the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers, the fort once protected the city of Kataka (modern-day Cuttack).

Though only ruins remain today, moats, gateways, and the earthen mound of a nine-storeyed palace, the site still whispers stories of royal grandeur. Archaeological excavations have revealed palace foundations, terracotta figurines, pottery, iron tools, and even fragments of Chinese porcelain, pointing to Odisha’s ancient global connections.

A Sweet Full Stop: Rasagola

As dusk settled, we drove back towards Bhubaneswar and ended the day the best way possible, by tasting the famous Odisha Rasagola at Pahala. Soft, spongy, mildly sweet, and soaked in light syrup, it was the perfect closing note.

Deeply associated with the Jagannath Temple tradition, where it is believed to have originated as Khira Mohana, the Odisha Rasagola carries both culinary and spiritual significance.

After a day that moved from rock-cut caves to living crafts, from freedom struggles to forgotten forts, this simple dessert felt like comfort, tradition, and pride, all rolled into one.

Some days don’t just show you places.
They show you the soul of a land.