2 Days / 1 Nightheritage · culture
Bhubaneswar Heritage Tour
Bhubaneswar
- Lingaraj Temple exterior and Old Town walk
- Mukteshwar and Rajarani temples
- Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves
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Dhauli is where the Kalinga War of 261 BCE is believed to have taken place, and where Emperor Ashoka, moved by the bloodshed, turned to Buddhism and had rock edicts inscribed promoting non-violence. The white Shanti Stupa (Peace Pagoda) on the hilltop, built in 1972 by Japanese and Indian Buddhist organisations, marks the site today.
The combination of ancient inscription and modern peace monument makes Dhauli one of the more thought-provoking short stops near Bhubaneswar, distinct from the city's temple-focused sites.
History and context
The Ashokan rock edicts at the base of the hill are inscribed in Brahmi script and are notable for a version of Edict XIII that omits references to war casualties, generally read as an acknowledgment of Kalinga's particular scale of suffering.
The elephant carving above the edict, one of the earliest Buddhist rock sculptures in India, is thought to symbolise the Buddha and mark the significance of the site even before the modern stupa was added.
Why visit
- Ashokan rock edicts, among the earliest deciphered inscriptions in Indian history
- The Shanti Stupa's peaceful hilltop setting and river-plain views
- A meaningful stop for understanding the historical shift from Kalinga's war to Ashoka's Buddhism
Things to see
- Ashokan rock edicts and the carved elephant
- Shanti Stupa with its Buddha relief panels
- Views over the Daya river plain, the traditional war site
How to reach
- About 8 km from Bhubaneswar city centre, a short drive
- Often combined with the airport-to-city route since it lies just off the main road
Travel tips
- Remove footwear before entering the stupa's inner platform
- A guide adds significant value here since the historical context is not always well signed
Plan your journey
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Odisha Golden Triangle Tour
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Bhubaneswar — Cuttack — Puri — Konark — Raghurajpur — Pipili
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- Sunrise at the Konark Sun Temple before tour groups arrive
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Read before you go
Travel guides for this trip
Destinations · 8 min read
Bhubaneswar Travel Guide: The Temple City
Bhubaneswar, Odisha's capital, holds one of India's densest concentrations of surviving temples, headlined by the 11th-century Lingaraj Temple.
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