The Dhauli Peace Pagoda (Shanti Stupa), situated on Bhubaneswar’s outskirts, is a well-known symbol of Odisha’s Buddhist legacy. On top of the Dhauli Hills, not far from the Daya River’s bank, stands the Peace Pagoda Dhauli Bhubaneswar, One of the best places in Bhubaneswar to visit.
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Introduction
It was constructed in 1972 as a joint venture of the Kalinga Nippon Sangha and the government of Odisha to commemorate the illustrious Kalinga War, which took place near the banks of the Daya River in about 261 BC. Emperor Ashoka won the war, but the carnage that had taken place altered his heart, and he changed his name from Chanda Ashoka to Dharma Ashoka (peace lover) (fierce warrior). Emperor Ashok began promoting Buddhism among foreign realms after his conversion to Buddhism.
The Dhauli Shanti Stupa contains four enormous statues of the Lord Buddha in various poses and scenes from the life of Gautam Buddha engraved into the stone. A Shiva temple may be found directly behind the stupa. The different rock edicts, a tangible example of emperor Ashoka’s change of heart, are additional top draws of Dhauli Hills. According to historians, Ashoka expressed his care for humanity by writing “welfare of the whole world” in Kalinga Edict VI. One of the earliest Buddhist statues in the State is a rock-cut elephant above the edicts. A bird’s eye view of the region, beautiful agricultural plains, and the river Daya is also available from the Dhauli Hills. Taxis and buses are available from Bhubaneswar to the heritage site.
Best Time To Visit:
Dhauli has a tropical climate with hot summers, muggy monsoons with little rainfall, and frigid winters. This makes the winter, from November to March, the most outstanding season to visit Dhauli.
How to Reach:
By Air: The closest airport to Dhauli is the Biju Patnaik International Airport in the capital city of Bhubaneswar. From there you can book a taxi or reach by public transport.
By Train: You can reach Bhubaneswar Railway Station then from there you can book a taxi, or you can get by public transport.
By Road: Dhauli is conveniently located close to Bhubaneswar and is easily accessible by a variety of modes of transportation. If you travel from Bhubaneswar on Puri Road, it is only 18 miles away. To get to Dhauli, buses may be found at the bus stops in Bhubaneswar, both public and private. For the short trip, visitors can easily rent cabs or even auto-rickshaws. Some people drive directly from critical cities like Puri and Cuttack since Dhauli is only 68 km and 27 km from each of them, respectively.
