Bhubaneswar & beyond · Where Ashoka embraced peace
Dhauli Shanti Stupa
The white Peace Pagoda built by Japanese Buddhists on the hill overlooking the Kalinga war battlefield, beside Ashoka's 3rd-century BCE rock edicts.
History & legend
The hills of Dhauli overlook the plain of the Kalinga War (c. 261 BCE), where Mauryan emperor Ashoka's victory cost an estimated 100,000 lives and moved him to embrace Buddhism and non-violence. His rock edicts here — including the two Kalinga edicts addressing his officers with the words 'all men are my children' — are carved beside one of India's earliest rock sculptures, the forepart of an elephant symbolising the Buddha. The white Peace Pagoda on the summit was built in 1972 by the Japan Buddha Sangha and the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha under the guidance of Fujii Guruji.
Timings
6:00 AM – 6:00 PM · Light & Sound show 7:00 PM
Best time to visit
Sunset
Entry fee
Free · Light show ₹50
Approx. cab from Puri (one way)
₹1,375 · 55 km × ₹25/km
Don't miss
- Ashokan rock edicts & elephant carving
- Daya river views
- Light & Sound show on Kalinga war
Local tip: Stay for the evening show — the Kalinga war story is powerful.
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