Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri— to tourists, these are known in the pages of history as the 'Diamond Triangle'. When talking about Odisha's famous three Buddhist monasteries, these three places are the first to come to mind. However, many may not know that there is another lesser-known Buddhist monastery in that state at Pushpagiri. The famous half-smiling 'Samadhi Mudra' of Buddha is also found here on the slopes of Langudi Hill.
Buddhists also lived in the areas adjacent to Langudi Hill. However, this was first known in 1766. At that time, T. S. Motte had come here to work for the East India Company. The first mention of this place is found in his written journal. While clearing the forest from the hillside, Motte suddenly noticed various types of carvings on the stone. He also discovered a massive mahastupa buried at the bottom of the hill. With the help of archaeologists, various items have been found in this area. Notable among them is an inscription which states that the ancient mahastupa was actually built by Buddhist devotee Emperor Ashoka. There are also 34 other stupas alongside it. According to popular belief, Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang also came to visit Pushpagiri University.
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How to get there?
The distance from Bhubaneswar to Pushpagiri is about 75 kilometres. Rather, the distance to this place from Cuttack is relatively less. You can come to Bhubaneswar or Cuttack by train or car from Howrah. You can also reach Bhubaneswar by air.
It takes about one and a half hours to reach Langudi Hill from Bhubaneswar. You can take a train the night before, reach Bhubaneswar in the morning, visit Langudi from there and then catch the train back to Kolkata the same day. However, if you have time, you can tour for two to three days.
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Where to stay?
There are many small and large hotels near Bhubaneswar station. You can stay overnight there if you wish. And if you want to stay in Cuttack or Jajpur, that arrangement is also available. However, it will be convenient if you book in advance.
