Picture: Peace Stupa
An hour and a half taxi ride from Puri brings us to the boundary of Bhubaneswar, “India’s Temple City.” Located in the state of Odisha (formerly Orissa) it has apparent prosperity with a vast array of building projects as new industry has grown. I was drawn to come here by the Udayagiri (Sunrise Hill) caves that date back to the time before Christ, built for Jain ascetics.
Before we get to the Udayagiri caves we have been directed by the hotel travel agent to go see Dhauli hills. It was in this area that King Ashoka (304-232 B.C.E.) fought the Kalinga War. The king was devastated at the terrible cost of the battle that “made the Daya river turn red” with the blood of 100,000 killed. King Ashoka went on to be a proponent of Buddhism and social precepts that would serve as a cultural foundation for political unity. King Ashok ruled most of what is today India, into Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Thousands of pillars were created that stretched as far as the Mediterranean Sea that spoke of Ashoka’s thoughts on Buddha’s teachings. It was in his reign that many of the important locations of the Buddha’s life were identified.
H.G. Wells wrote of King Ashoka in his book The Outline of History: “Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and serenities and royal highnesses and the like, the name of Asoka shines, and shines, almost alone, a star.”
On our way up the hill there are stone carvings with edicts from King Ashoka and his concern for the whole world; looking to replace brute force with the power of dharma; for there must be a better way to live than mass killings through war.
As we continue our ascent we come into view of a shining white dome that marks the site of the Peace Stupa (Stupa being a mound that contains remains of Buddhists monks). We view there wonderful stone reliefs that depict various aspects of the Buddha’s life. There are wide vistas from the hilltop, including looking down on the Daya River that had one day run red and had made a lasting impression on the ruler of India; that event had helped change the world.
This Peace Stupa or Pagoda was the inspiration of a Japanese Buddhist, Fuji Guruji who came to India in 1930 to help Mahatma Gandhiji in his non-violent movement. Later Fuji Guruji inspired a Peace Stupa in Bihar State, and that led the governor Sri Nityananda Kanungo to establish a Peace Stupa here in his homeland of Odisha. This Peace Pagoda stands on a prominent hill as a message to the world to refrain from war and violence and to be a beacon of peace for one and all.