PANDAVA CAVE, Khordha
20.150000,85.633300
Description
The south-facing Pandava Cave (note 1) near Khorda or Khurdha (note 2) appears to be a modified natural sacred rift cave (temple cave) of unknown dimensions in unspecified rock (note 3), which contains inscriptions (note 4) ascribed to »ascetics who have at different ages scratched their names and short sentences on the "sthans" or hewn seats [note 5] within the cavern« (KITTOE 1838b: 683). SITUATION: The cave is said to lie on the southern face of »the great hill« (note 6) about »two miles« (KITTOE 1839a: 368) in an unspecified direction (south-east) from Khurdha. To reach the site, KITTOE 1839a: 368-369) had »… to crawl in many places through jungle thicket, and reached the foot of the ascent, which is by a broad path, at a spot where under some stately Bur [Ficus indicus] and Peepul [Pipal, Ficus religiosa] I saw a very elegant image of Surya [the sun], in his chariot with many horses, driven by Arjuna … ascending for a quarter of a mile [400 m], I found myself in a beautiful glen, in its centre is a small and rudely built temple [note 7] through which flows a beautiful spring of fresh water…[I continued] the steep ascent to the top of the hill… [and] had to descend some way on the steep southern face.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1838.1: A »natural cavern« (KITTOE 1838a: 438). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1838.2: A »large cleft in the rock forming a kind of cavern« (KITTOE 1838b: 683). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1839.1: A »cave« (KITTOE 1839a: 368). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1839.2: A »cavity« (KITTOE 1839a: 369). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1839.3: A »mere cleft in the rock« (KITTOE 1839a: 369).
NOTE 1: The cave called »Pandeb Garha or Pancha Pandava« (KITTOE 1838b: 683) is »… attributed to the Pandavas« (KITTOE 1838a: 438). NOTE 2: Khurdha or Khordha N20°11': E085°37' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003), »Kurda« (KITTOE 1838a: 438), »Koorda« and »Koordah« (KITTOE 1839a: 368-369) is indicated as »Khordha« on the India Road Atlas (India Road Atlas, Eicher Goodearth 2006: 89 F3) at a travelling distance of about 30 km or 35 km along the National Highway NH5 approximately south-west of Bhubaneshwar (N20°14': E085°50'). NOTE 3: »Khurda Subdivision.-- Western subdivision of Puri District, Bengal [now: Khorda district, Orissa state] … The subdivision adjoins the south-eastern fringe of the Chota Nagpur plateau, and detached hills of gneiss occur, the plains between them consisting of laterite and alluvium. … At Bhubaneswar are situated the celebrated Lingaraj temple … and the Khandgiri and Udaygiri hills contain many caves and rock temples« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 15: 295). NOTE 4: KITTOE (1839a: 369) »hoped to find some valuable inscriptions, but there were none except a few short sentences, and the names of ascetics in various characters …« which KITTOE (1839a: 369) »did not deem worthy of being copied: they were mostly in Kutila character, Telingam [Telugu], Canara [Kannada], &c. &c.« BARUA (1929) studied the Brahmi script inscriptions. NOTE 5: »… with "asthans" or seats for ascetics cut within the cavity« (KITTOE 1839a: 369). NOTE 6: The »the great hill two miles [3.3 km in an unspecified direction] from Khorda« (KITTOE 1839a) seems to be indicated as »Barnal 1002« near N20°09': 085°38': 305.6 m asl on AMS sheet NF45-14 Cuttack (U502 series, 1959 edition) at a linear distance of about 3 or 4 km approximately south-east of Khurda.NOTE 7: »There is a fine spring of water issuing from the northern face of the great hill; near the summit, there is a small temple with an image of Siva [Shiva] from the navel of which the water is made to run; a short way beyond this spot, over the top of the hill, and on the southern face …« (KITTOE 1838b: 683).
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1838.03.07, circa 05h35: Lieutenant Markham KITTOE (1838a: 682; 1838b: 682-683) arrived by dawk from »Poree« (Puri N19°48': E085°51', left at 16h00 the previous day) at Kurda and gathers information. 1838.04.27: KITTOE (1839a: 367-369) visited the »cavern« (read: natural cave).