Dhauligiri Hills Bhubaneswar

After crossing the Daya River Bridge, one can notice and enter the Dhauli Giri Shanti Stupa towards the right side. After the famous Kalinga War was over, Emperor Ashoka gave up all kinds of bloody battles, accepted Buddhism and became a dedicated ambassador of peace and non-violence. Located in the Khurda District of Orissa, the preserved edicts of Ashoka stand testimony of the change of his heart.
The universal symbol of Lord Buddha, a chiseled elephant, stands on top of the rock. Through these Kalinga edicts, Ashoka expressed his concern for the 'well-being of the entire world'. The earliest Buddhist sculpture of Odisha is the rock-cut elephant above the edicts. The emperor had also asked his fellow administrators to rule with the concept of equality and also with compassion which is the main basis of Buddhism.