Udaigiri Caves

The Udaigiri Caves are cut into a sandstone hill and feature 20 Gupta cave shrines. Two are Jain and the rest are Hindu. Buddhist monks also inhabited these caves in 2 BC.

Cave 1, the Rani Gumpha or "Queen's Cave", is tucked away around the corner. The best sculpture is found on the pillars, arches and to the rear of the courtyard on the lower level. On the back wall of the upper story, a long frieze shows rampaging elephants, panicking monkeys, sword fights and the abduction of women.

Caves 3 and 4 are double-storied caves that contain sculptures of a lion holding its prey, elephants with snakes wrapped around them and pillars topped with peculiar winged animals.

Cave 5 has an impressive image of Vishnu as