A Rs 4.4 crore light and sound show at Odisha’s historic Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves was launched by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on World Tourism Day, creating a new visitor facility at one of the state’s major heritage sites. The immersive presentation will run twice daily from Monday, with each show accommodating up to 120 visitors.
Executed by India Tourism Development Corporation, the 16-minute show uses projections, lighting and multi-channel sound to present the history of Emperor Kharavela and the evolution and spread of Jainism in the region. The presentation will be available in Odia and English, allowing visitors to experience the history of the caves through both narration and visual interpretation.
The show projects visuals onto the rock surfaces, bringing the caves, sculptures and inscriptions into the presentation. The facility is intended to connect the physical heritage site with an audio-visual account of its historical and religious significance, while retaining the caves and their features as the central setting.
The Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves are associated with the history of Emperor Kharavela and Jainism in the region. Their sculptures and inscriptions form the principal heritage elements used in the presentation. The new facility adds a scheduled evening-style visitor attraction without altering the reported format of the caves themselves.
The tourism department and officials of the Archaeological Survey of India had recently inspected the facility and reviewed the audio-visual presentation before the launch. The project was developed in consultation with ASI, according to the report, with the stated aim of complying with heritage conservation norms.
The two daily shows will begin from Monday, with a maximum capacity of 120 visitors per show. The launch makes the operating schedule and visitor capacity the first key parameters for the facility as it moves from project development into regular public use. Further details on ticketing and show timings were not provided in the supplied report.
