| Peace Pagoda at Dhauli |
| Sunday, December 21, 2008 |
By Mona Lisa Jena
Eight kilometers south of Bhubaneswar stands a rocky outcrop that overlooks an ancient battle site. It was here that Emperor Ashoka, the third century BC ruler of the Eastern India fought a bloody war that turned out to be his last as the carnage he witnesses led him to embrace Buddhism. This event is commemorated by a modern stupa called Dhauli, built on the summit of the hill.
Dhauli hill is surrounded by lush green paddy fields stretching up to the horizon. The Daya River meanders by almost touching the foothills the hill. A narrow tar road runs from the bridge across the river up to the hilltop.
The rock at the hill is hewn and polished in an area of 15 feet by 10 feet where Ashokan inscriptions are deeply cut out of the rock columns. There is also a huge elephant cut out of the rock and carved in indigenous style.
The Mauryan King, Ashoka was known for his irrepressible cravings for power. He set his eyes on the kingdom of Kalinga , which was the land of Paikas , the brave foot-soldiers. The Kalingan army reigned supreme for a period of nearly 2000 years when the empire spread from the Ganga in the north to the Kaveri in the south...
In the war with Kalinga, almost one lakh soldiers were killed and about 1.5 lakh were taken prisoners. And yet the rest refused to bow and confronted Ashoka's army in hordes only to be mercilessly massacred. The result was a devastating sight and it is said that the waters of the River Daya turned crimson with their blood.
By day's end, Ashoka was in a brooding mood. The resistance from his opponents that led to the bloodshed and the wails of the survivors and wondered shook his conscience there was no joy in the conquests. Just then a soft voice chanting some prayers flowed around him. It had a very soothing effect on his soul. Ashoka followed the voice and up to the hill where a Buddhist monk told him about Buddhism. Ashoka accepted the philosophy and decided on the spot to atone for his doings. This has been inscribed in the Ashokan Edicts, along with the scriptures of Buddhism. Ashoka now came to be known as Dharmashoka.
There is a gigantic dome shaped edifice atop the Dhauli hills, called Shanti Stupa or Dharma Vijay Stupa. Erected in the 1970s by Japanese Buddhists, this stupa commands an extensive view of the surrounding contours to symbolise the Buddhist percepts of peace and non-violence. Nichidatru Fuji Guruji's preaching's dedicated here to the memory of Dharmashoka. On the four sides, four large images of Lord Buddha, meditating (east), preaching (south) and attaining Mokshya (west) are sculpted in the Gupta age style.
There are five huge disc -shaped umbrellas on top of the stupa, sheltering a fragment of the tooth of the Buddha. It is said that the wisdom tooth was divided into small pieces, which were distributed all over the world; monumental edifices were built to house the relics.
The dome, which is also called the ‘peace pagoda' is set against a picturesque landscape. From here, beautiful sunsets and sunrise can be seen.
There is an ancient Shiva temple and another for Lord Bahirangaeswara Shiva at the foothills. There are five caves in a row called the Panch Pandavs.
The setting of the stupa is scenic and amid peace prevails giving visitors a sense of calm and quietude. Indeed, the appellate Peace Pagoda is appropriately given.
kalingatimes.com |
| posted by The Times @ 12:30 PM |
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