DHAULI

 

DHAULI, ORISSA

Locality/village : Dhauli
State : Orissa
Country : India
Nearest City/Town : Bhubaneswar
Best Season To Visit : All
Languages : Odisa, Hindi& English
Temple Timings : 9.00 AM and 6.30 PM.
Photography : Not Allowed

Dhauligiri, a hillside with another name as Dhauli located on the River Daya banks, is 8 km far from the south of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa. You can find splendid Edicts of Ashoka embossed on a mass of rock in Dhauli, beside the way to the hill summit. It is believed that Dhauli hill was the battlefield of the Kalinga War. The marvelous Shanti Stupa or Peace Pagoda is also located here.

In the result of the bloodbath taken place in the Kalinga War, the water of the River Daya got red, making Ashoka understand the gloomiest side of a battle, turning him into the propagator of peace. Later, with his help, Dhauli became a major Buddhist centre, when he built several chaityas, stupas and pillars here.

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.

Moreover, Dhauli also has another attraction named as the Shanti Stupa whose foundation was laid by the Japan Buddhist Sangha. Therefore, Dhauli is a worth visiting place by the diehard devotees of Lord Buddha.

The great Mauryan king renounced the path of violence to embrace Buddhism and publicized his new maxims in rock edicts, installed in different parts around the empire. One of these is here at the base of Dhauli hills, in which he proclaims, ‘All men are my children’, and expresses his concern to ensure impartially, non-violence, justice and compassion, an inscription in ancient brahmi script. The top of the rock is sculpted into an imposing elephant’s head, which is related to the dream the Buddha’s mother saw of the Buddha descending to her womb in the form of an elephant.

At Dhauli he built several chaityas, stupas and pillars. This is said to be the earliest rock cut structure in India. However, today the more visited site is, Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Peace Pagoda, at the top of Dhauli Hill, built by Indo Japanese collaboration in 1972, standing in the form of a massive dome with lotus petals as its crown. The five chhatris (umbrellas) placed on its flattened top represent five important aspects of Buddhism. This gleaming white double storey structure stands on a platform with two entrances with flights of steps. The stupa, from its origin emerges as the central focus of worship.

By Road: Dhauligiri, a hillside with another name as Dhauli located on the River Daya banks, is 8 km far from the south of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa. Bhubaneshwar is well connected to other major cities of the country via regular buses.

By Rail: It is well connected through nearest Bhubaneswar railway station (10 km)

to major cities railway stations like Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Chennai, Ajmer, Pali, Jaipur, Ahmedabad.

By Air: The nearest Airport is Bhubaneswar Airport (11.1 Km) which is well connected with regular domestic flights to Delhi, Mumbai.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
Edicts: As per the excavations made by ASI, many Rock Edicts like Nos. I-X, XIV and two separate Kalinga Edicts have been found. As Ashoka’s expression of his concerned about the mankind in Kalinga Edict VI, it is inscribed that the “welfare of the whole world”. The oldest Buddhist sculptures in Orissa as the rock-cut elephant above the Edicts can also be spotted here.

Peace Pagoda
The grand Peace Pagoda or Shanti Stupa can be spotted on the hilltop, constructed in 1972 by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha.

Bhaskareshwar Temple
A number of Ashokan edicts and a Stupa are lying in the close proximity with the Bhaskareshwar Temple at Tankapani road.

Shiva Temple
The Shiva Temple, situated in the Dhauligiri hills, is the place for the mass gathering for the celebrations of Shiva Ratri.