One of the popular landmarks of Odisha's Buddhist heritage is the Dhauli International Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa), located eight km south on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The Peace Pagoda stands atop the Dhauli Hills, close to the river bank of Daya river. It was built as a collaborative project between Kalinga Nippon Sangha and the Odisha Government in 1972 to commemorate the famous Kalinga War that was fought along the banks of the Daya river around 261 BC. The war was won by emperor Ashoka, but the bloodshed that had happened, change his heart and he converted to Dharma Ashoka (peace lover) from Chanda Ashoka (fierce warrior). Emperor Ashoka subsequently turned a Buddhist and started propagating Buddhism to kingdoms in foreign lands.
The Dhauli Shanti Stupa has four massive idols of Lord Buddha in various postures along with episodes from Gautam Buddha's life carved on stone slabs. Just behind the Stupa stands a Shiva temple, which sees a large crowd during Shivaratri.
Other major attractions of Dhauli Hills are the various rock edicts, which are a living testimony of emperor Ashoka’s change of heart. Historians say Ashoka wrote ‘Welfare of the Whole World’ in Kalinga Edict VI, depicting his concern about mankind. A rock-cut elephant located above the edicts is considered to be one of the oldest Buddhist sculptures in the State.
The Dhauli Hills also provide a bird's eye view of the entire area, lush green agricultural lands and the river Daya. The heritage site is approachable from Bhubaneswar by buses and taxis.
Best Time to Visit: The site is open all round the year, but best time to visit is during Winter
