DIAMOND TRIANGLE OF ODISHA

The Diamond Triangle of Odisha tour begins with hotel pickup at 8 am in a private air-conditioned vehicle from Bhubaneswar. The three sites are located approximately 90 to 110 kilometres from Bhubaneswar in the Jajpur and Cuttack districts.

Ratnagiri, the Hill of Jewels, is the first destination and the most extensively excavated of the three sites. Set on a serene hilltop, Ratnagiri was a grand centre of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist learning from the 5th century CE to the 13th century, and the remains of its monasteries, stupas and sculpture speak directly to the extraordinary cultural and intellectual life that was sustained here for over 800 years. The carved doorways of the monasteries are among the most refined examples of Buddhist decorative carving in eastern India, their intricate scrollwork and figural panels comparable in quality to the best work at Nalanda. Hundreds of votive stupas of varying sizes are scattered across the hilltop. The Buddha and Bodhisattva sculptures discovered here, now displayed in the on-site museum, span eight centuries of artistic development and include pieces of exceptional beauty and sophistication. Your guide explains the Vajrayana tradition that flourished here, its relationship to Tibetan Buddhism and why these hilltop monasteries were so much less well known than their western and southern counterparts despite their equal importance.

Udayagiri, the Sunrise Hill, is the largest of the three sites of the Diamond Triangle of Odisha and the most dramatically situated — a sprawling complex of monastic remains spread across a landscape of picturesque hills that gives the site a sense of space and grandeur that the more compact Ratnagiri does not have. Two major monasteries, stupas of impressive size and rock-cut sculptures are the main attractions. The scale of the ruins and the quality of the carved details in the surviving stonework give a clear sense of how significant and how wealthy this institution once was. The surrounding landscape of the Odisha hills, visible from the monastery platforms in every direction, is one of the most beautiful settings of any Buddhist site in India.

Lalitagiri is the oldest and most sacred site of the Diamond Triangle of Odisha, with Buddhist remains dating from the post-Mauryan period — from the 1st century CE — making it one of the oldest continuously occupied Buddhist sites in Odisha. The discovery of relic caskets within the main mahastupa containing what are believed to be bone fragments of the Buddha makes Lalitagiri a place of profound spiritual significance. The mahastupa itself, partly excavated and partly restored, stands at the highest point of the site with views across the surrounding countryside. The site museum contains the relic caskets and several extraordinary sculptures recovered from the excavations. Your guide explains the significance of Buddha relics in Buddhist practice, the relic cult that drove the construction of stupas across Asia, and why Lalitagiri’s relics make it one of the most important sacred sites in India that most Buddhist pilgrims from outside Odisha have never heard of.

Hotel drop by 5 pm.