Lord Buddha is rightly called as The Light of Asia .
From Odisha through the transformation of Ashoka , the light of Buddhism radiated to different Far Eastern countries like China and Japan. It is here that the foundation of a great religion and culture was laid. Orissa held the torch of peace and non-violence to the whole world.Embrace and feel the emotion of Peace in its truest form through the Buddhist Trails of
~ Odisha & Chhattisgarh ~
DHAULI
In a peaceful and serene environment, barely 6 kms from the capital city of Bhubaneswar close to the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway, lies the great Buddhist shrine of Dhauli, famous for the rock edicts of Ashoka. It was here, at the foothills by the side of the river Daya (literary meaning kindness), that the valiant people of Kalinga defended their territory in the bloodiest battle ever fought. But as fate would have it after the Kalinga Victory in 261 B.C. Ashoka, the terrible was transformed into Ashoka, the compassionate, and thereon he championed the cause of Buddhism.The first specimen of art in stone is found here, in the shaped of the elephant sculpture. It depicts the forepart of an elephant coming out of a cave. The elephant has been carved out of the solid rock atop the face of the inscribed stone at the approach of the hill.On a slightly higher place, there is the Shanti Stupa (peace pagoda), a 20th century structure of great aesthetic appeal. Built in the early seventies with an active Indo-Japanese collaboration between Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha and Japan Buddha Sangha under the personal supervision of Mahamanya Fuji, head of the Japanese Buddhist faith, this monument of peace stands in the forms of a massive dome with lotus petals as its crown.
RATNAGIRI
Located nearby the river Birupa, Ratnagiri has a rich concentration of Buddhist antiquities. A large excavation has unearthed Buddhist shrines, large monasteries, a big stupa and a number of vovite stupas. Established way back in 6th century AD., it appears that Buddhism was fostered at this place unhindered up to the 12th century AD. Half a dozen heads of Buddha, two of them in enormous size of four to five feet in circumference are strewn here and there.
LALITAGIRI
Lalitgiri is one of the earliest Buddhist complexes, dating back to the 1st century AD. The huge brick monastery, the remains of a Chaitya Hall, a number of votive stupas and a renovated stone stupa at the top of a rugged standtone hillock dominate the greenery around. The sculpture shed nearby displays excavated images, throwing light on the various schools of Buddhist art.
UDAYGIRI
Nearby Udayagiri is known for its bell-shaped stupa signifying Vajrajana from of Buddhism. Chronologically, this complex came in to being after Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri, flourishing between 7th and 12th century AD. It is located in the basin of a U-shaped hill. The remains suggest the presence of brick monastery, a brick stupa and rock-cut sculptures.
CHANDRAGIRI
Chandragiri with rare scenic beauty, which presents a picturesque landscape, is a paradise for all nature lovers. Surrounded by luxuriant tropical forest, gurgling rivers, exquisite mountain slopes and roaring hilltops this exotic place of Orissa is widely known for the Tibetan refugee colony, where immigrants from Tibet have been rehabilitated. Bestowed with bounties of nature, this place is famous for seasonal fruits, Tibetan woolen garments, carpets and dogs of various breeds. The large scale horticulture plantations as well as cultural activities of the Tibetan refugees make this place more colourful and attractive.On Wednesday January13,2010 Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama inaugurated a 75ft, five-storey Rigon Thupten Mindolling monastery, billed as one of the biggest in south Asia, at Chandragiri Tibetan settlement in Gajapati district, around 300km from here. Named Padma Sambhav Mahavihara, the colossal monastery — built at a cost of Rs 8 crore and spread over an area of 10 acres — was thrown open after the Dalai Lama conducted consecration ceremony .Nearly 2,500 guests from across the world witnessed the inaugural. Sitting pretty against the backdrop of hills and luxuriant tropical forest, the beautiful monastery greets visitors with colourful flags with dragons and inscribed prayers fluttering in the air.It took more than six years to complete the monastery, the proposal for which was mooted during the Dalai Lama’s visit in 2003-04.
SIRPUR
Sirpur was a small and sleepy town through most of its modern history but for the last decade and half, when excavations began and an ancient civilisation was discovered. The Buddha Vihara at Sirpur is believed to be four times larger than the famed Nalanda University in Bihar, which is quite an important discovery. A Budh Vihar is a temple cum residence, akin to the monasteries in the west. The carvings at the Vihar are absolutely unmatched in beauty and splendour. A six foot statue of Buddha touching the ground with his right hand while meditating is an iconic posture signifying the moment he attained enlightenment. In a small sculpture on the doors frame is the Panchatantra tale of the crocodile who wants to eat his monkey friend’s heart-- one can see the gleeful primate resting atop a reptile. The carvings say a lot about the way of life then. There is also a female Vihara just behind the main one. A female Vihara was identified by the fortification around it, also there were bangles made of ivory that were found here. There is also a Bodhi tree here where Buddha is believed to have come and meditated. Some very significant 85 bronze images of Buddha have been excavated from the site. It is a reminder of Sirpur’s importance as a Buddhist centre between the 6th and 10th centuries and once housed 10,000 scholars. Chinese pilgrim-scholar Hiuen Tsang visited it in the 7th century and in March 2013, the Dalai Lama came by.
MAINPAT
Mainpat, locally known as 'Mini Tibet', is a hill station located on a plateau in Sarguja District of Chhattisgarh state. Not many have yet heard of this Tibetan settlement in the hills of central India. Locked away in the dense jungles of Chattisgarh, among a group of 62 plateaus perched at 3500 ft above sea level, Phendeling is a quaint Tibetan settlement which is slowly emerging as a major tourist destination. Mainpat is the name of the nearest Indian village. It has a large population of Tibetan migrants, who took refuge in India after the Chinese annexation of Tibet in 1959. Hence it is often called as “Mini Tibet” of India. The Tibetan settlement is divided into various villages known as 'Camps'. There are quite a few Buddhist temples and monasteries in the Tibetan camps at Mainpat. Thakpo Monestary (Camp 1) built in 1970 is the most beautiful among those. Although not a huge structure, the colourful design and peaceful ambience make it a place worth visiting. It was established by the Gelug sect of Buddhism followers. In the streets you see lot of young and very young Lamas in their traditional red robes. Colorful prayer flags line up the streets. White and golden domes with fluttering prayer flags can be seen from many places around the hill.