Considered as an important place for the followers of Buddhist religion, Dhauli Giri is situated on a hill top in Bhubaneswar. This is the place where Kalinga war was fought and the king of Maurya Dynasty, Emperor Asoka, embraced Buddhism after renouncing the war.
A large number of rock edicts are found at this place and one of the edicts expresses the emperor’s consideration towards the welfare of the world. A rock cut elephant that shows only foreparts of the animal is regarded to be the earliest Buddhist sculpture. King Asoka made Dhauli Giri an important Buddhist destination, with various stupas, pillars and chaityas that were built by him.
In 1970, the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha and Japan Buddha Sangha built an exquisite shrine on the hill top. A Shiva temple that is located on the Dhauli Giri hill witnesses a huge rush of devotees during the celebrations of Shivratri.
