DHAULIGIRI

Located on the banks of the Daya river in Odisha, Dhauligiri holds a very important place in the spread of Buddhism.  It is said that the plains adjacent to the Dauli hill is where the Kalinga war was fought in 262 BC, after which, Mauryan emperor Ashoka, one of the most prominent followers of Buddhism, renounced violence and took to Lord Buddha's path. Though the battle was won by Ashoka, the horrors of having killed over 150,000 people and the misery it inflicted, turned the king's mind towards peace. Several edicts of Ashoka engraved on a mass of rock have been discovered here, two of which are unique to this site and are public injunctions to the empire's administrators in the area, asking them to rule with gentleness and justice. The iconic rock-cut elephant, strategically overlooking the plains below, is supposedly the earliest Buddhist sculpture in Odisha. It is believed that Ashoka built several chaityas, stupas and pillars there. He got abodes excavated for monks, instructions inscribed for officials, expounded the main principles of dandaniti (enforcement of laws) for the public, provided special status to his new kingdom, including the stupas at Dhauli. Since Ashoka adopted the path of peace and tranquillity and resorted to Buddhism, he laid the foundation of Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa to mark the end of the Kalinga war. On the top of the hill, a dazzling white peace pagoda (Vishwa Shanti Stupa) has been built recently by the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha.

The nearest major city is Bhubaneswar, 8 km away