Link: https://www.exploreourindia.com/udayagiri-and-khandagiri-caves#%3A%7E%3Atext=There+are+several+inscriptions+on+the+walls+of%2C2nd+Century+at+the+orders+of+King+Kharavela.

There are several inscriptions on the walls of these two twin caves, with the one considered to be the most important being the Hathi Gumpha inscriptions, which are believed to have been carved during the 2nd Century at the orders of King Kharavela. Other important inscriptions besides this are found in the caves of Mancapuri and Sarpa Gumpha.

These inscriptions narrate King Kharavela’s love story with his second wife while one another depicts the conversation the king had with another famous historical figure, Alexander the Great. It is greatly believed that the contents of the inscriptions of Hathi Gumpha are true records of King Kharavela’s reign, as these contain symbols of the Jainism religion that have truth as its core value.

This is further proved by the fact that the inscriptions begin with the salutation to the Arihantas (victors) and the Siddhas (pure souls). Hence, it is said that a king like he was; someone who had a deep faith in religion, could not have mentioned anything but the real truth.

The inscriptions depict several historical events from the reign of King Kharavela in chronological order. One of the most interesting inscriptions found in these caves is that of the infamous Kalinga War, which has been deeply etched in the history of Odisha. These inscriptions not only talk about the political episodes but also about the social, cultural, and religious conditions prevailing in that period.

The language of the inscriptions is Brahmi, which is quite similar to the Pali language. The written style is Kavya (poetic). The inscriptions found in the famous Hathi Gumpha present Kharavela as a great king, conqueror, champion of culture, and patron of Jainism.