Located on top of three hills, about 100km north of Bhubaneswar and 65km northeast of Cuttack, are these ancient Buddhists ruins.

Lalitgiri, dating back to the 9th century, contains different sculptures, including a large sculpture of a head of the Buddha. A stone box with some gold and silver artifacts was found in a stupa believed to contain relics of the Buddha. There is a small museum containing sculptures found in the area (Tues to Sun 10 am to 5 pm; often closed).

At xe "Udaigiri:(OR)"Udaigiri, there is a large brick stupa, with a carving of the Buddha on each side. There is a group of monasteries. One monastery has carved doorways and a large, seated Buddha in the main shrine. The Lokeswar Buddha statue is 3m (10 ft) high.

Ratnagiri, there are the ruins of two large monasteries dating back to the 6th to 12th centuries. There is a large stupa, believed to have contained relics of the Buddha. There are large carvings of the Buddha, and some carved doorways. Ratnagiri is 20km from the main road.

Practicalities

There is the OTDC Rest House near Ratnagiri, which has basic rooms. Panthasala Tourist Bungalow, near Lilitgiri Hill, has rooms for Rs 150, which can be reserved at the tourist office in Cuttack.

These places are basically inaccessible by public transportation. The best way to get to them is to rent a car in Bhubaneswar (about Rs 750) or Cuttack. Buses go only to Lalitgiri.

To visit these places you could take a bus to Chandikol (45km from Cuttack) and then take an auto-rickshaw to these places for (Rs 300 for all three places).