Vishwa Shanti Stupa

Eight KMs from Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa, on the banks of the river Daya is located a small hill called Dhauligiri. It is also known locally as Dhauli. On the way to the hill summit one can notice splendid edicts of Ashoka embossed on a mass of rock. 

It is believed that Dhauli was the battlefield of the famous Kalinga War, in which the Mauryan emperor Ashoka won the battle in 265 BC. It is said that as a result of Kalinga War Daya river turned red by the blood of the dead bodies of the soldiers thrown all around the river bank. Although he won the battle the horrors of having killed over 150,000 people and the misery it inflicted on the people, filled Ashoka with remorse and brought about a sudden change of heart in him. He gave up his ambition of military conquest in favour of spiritual conquest!

The great Mauryan king renounced the path of violence to embrace Buddhism and publicized his new maxims in rock edicts and installed them in different parts of his 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 impartiality, non-violence, justice and compassion!

Today the more visited site is, Vishwa Shanti Stupa 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. This gleaming white double story structure stands on a platform with two entrances with flights of steps. The stupa, from its origin emerges as the central focus of worship.