Dhauli & Shanti Stupa
With the beautiful Daya River lying in the proximity, you have the ancient land of Dhauli that lets you know about the enormous battles that were fought here, the Kalinga War of 261 B.C. Buddhism for which Dhauli is so well known played a crucial role in transforming King Ashoka to a diehard Buddha devotee who eventually followed the preaching of Buddha for the rest of his life.
Dhauli is famous for the edicts related to Buddhism that were composed from the Brahmi script and used Prakrit language. One can spot a series of rock cut monuments at this hill. Numerous artifacts tell us about the urban settlement at this place in the 3rd century B.C. One finds the image of intricately carved elephant and close to this elephant, you have a stupa.
An enormous temple in Dhauli is the Dhavaleswar Temple, which is much frequented by the visitors. In addition to this, you have the Bahirangeswar Temple Siva Temple as well as the Ganesha Temple that together add to the religious aspect to this place.
History of Dhauli Hills Orissa
In the year 272 B.C. the great Maurya dynasty’s legendary king “Ashoka the Great” looked down from over the vast expanse of the battle field of Kalinga (now the area around Dhauli) littered with bodies after a fierce battle. Even after a well-fought victory, the sight of the aftermath of the war, death and destruction horrified him and resulted in Ashoka’s transformation.
He channeled his energy, which he spent earlier in winning wars and conquering, in spiritual pursuit. He became a Buddhist and started following Buddha’s teachings and austere ways of leading life. All the destruction made him think about the ephemeral nature of all earthly things and the utter uselessness of running after the earthly possessions which cease after death.
He also pondered about the usefulness of wars which brings in its wake nothing but death, destruction and misery to mankind. So, what was its use or merit-none. It was due to this awakening that Ashoka, the Great Warrior, became a follower of Buddhism and spent the rest of life spreading the teachings of Buddha far and wide in Orrisa, India and beyond.
Carvings of the head and forelegs of an elephant emerging from the rock mark the spot where the change of heart and transformation of Ashoka occurred. It is said to be the oldest rock cut sculpture in India (3rd century B.C.). This image is symbolic and it symbolizes the birth of Buddha (the enlightened) and the emergence of Buddhism.
The rock edicts at the bottom hill (and the other at Jau Gada), dating from 260 B.C., suggest that the conquered area may have had two administrative headquarters. On these rock edicts, instructions to his administrators how to rule his subjects are carved on stones which are as follows—“You are in charge of many (thousand living beings). You should gain the affection of men. All men are my children, and as I desire for my children that they obtain welfare and happiness both in this world and the other world, the same do I desire for all men…”
These edicts shed much light on the miraculous transformation of a Great King from a ruthlessly ambitious warrior to a benevolent and highly evolved soul dedicating his later life to Buddhist way of life. These inscriptions on these rocks are remarkably clear even after 2000 years.
Shanti Stupa, Dhauligiri
Shanti Stupa of Dhauligiri is also known as the Peace Pagda. Dhauligiri lies at a distance of 7 Km from Bhubaneswar. As one travels from Bhubaneswar to Puri, one finds Shanti Stupa. The word ‘shanti’ in the name itself suggests peace. Since King Ashoka adopted the path of peace and tranquility and resorted to Buddhism, he laid the foundation of Dhauligiri Shanti Stupa at a place which is known for the end of Kalinga War. Here, one finds the edict of Lord Budddha which is visited by numerous Buddhist devotees.
The construction of Shanti Stupa of Dhauligiri was assisted by Fuji Guruji and therefore, the place became the place of devotion and worship for various people belonging to different generations. One can also spot a number of stupas, chaityas as well as pillars whose foundation was laid by King Ashoka. There also exist a number of edicts that display King Ashoka’s intention to promote joy, peace and contentment all through the world. And over the edicts, you come across a rock cut elephant that is considered to be the earliest Buddhist sculpture in Orissa.
The overall structure of the stupa is in the shape of a dome. One can spot the Buddha footprints as well as the Bodhi tree over the stone panels. Over the panels, one also spots the image of Ashoka who keeps his sword of war in front of Lord Buddha suggesting that he had given up the idea of war completely. In the vicinity of this stupa, there lays a monastery named as the Saddharma Vihar Monastery, which is much visited by the Buddhist devotees. And at a short distance from the Shanti Stupa, you find the temple of Dhavaleshwar that was renovated in the year 1972 and is much frequented by Hindu as well as Buddhist devotees. Therefore, do make it a point to visit Dhauligiri and explore various Buddhist attractions that add to the sacred significance of Dhauligiri in Orissa.
How to Reach Dhauli
Reach Dhauli in Orissa – Located at a distance of 8 km south of Bhubaneswar, Dhauli is well connected with capital of Orissa. You can reach dhauli from bhubaneswar by bus, autorickshaw or a taxi. Bhubaneshwar is also well connected to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore with regular flights from Airport in Bhubaneswar.
