The 45th foundation day of the Dhauli Peace Pagoda was celebrated by the Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha on Sunday in the presence of a number of monks from Japan, America, England, Thailand and Nepal, etc. Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patasani was the chief guest.

A book entitled “Dhauli Past and Present” authored by former Utkal University of Culture Vice-Chancellor Dr Bimalendu Mohanty was released.

Among others, KIIT and KISS founder Dr Achyuta Samanta, who is also founder of the International Centre for Buddhist Studies and Research, former, academician Dr Surya Narayan Mishra, Dr Aryakumar Jnanendra, Dr Hari Prasad Patnaik, Achyutananda Patnaik, Dr Bedabati Mohanaty and several foreign Buddhist monks also graced the occasion. 

Patasani pointed out that Dhauligiri is a historical place where Emperor Asoka took the path of nonviolence preached by lord Buddha after the gory Kalinga War. The Dhauli Shanti Stupa has a special significance because a piece of Buddha’s bone was installed in the Stupa on October 18,  1972 by the then Odisha Chief Minister Nandini Satapathy. The formal inauguration of the Stupa was performed by the then acting Governor Gatikrushna Mishra.

The Stupa was installed by the initiative of Japanese monks led by Venerable Nichidatsu Fuji Guruji, who was closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. Rev Shanti Shugei under whose leadership the Shanti Stupa was constructed was present at the foundation day function.

It may be noted that the idea of construction of a Peace Pagoda in India was first conceived by Ven. Nichidatsu Fujii Guruji, founder-president of Nipponzan Myohoji during the course of his fifth visit to India in 1956. He sent his proposal for construction of the Stupa at Ratnagiri hill, Rajgir, to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Rajendra Prasad in 1958. They agreed to the proposal and the construction of the Stupa was completed on October 1969.

The then Bihar Governor Nityananda Kanungo suggested that another Peace Pagoda be constructed at Dhauligiri in Odisha where Emperor Asoka after the Kalinga War renounced the cult of violence and took the path of nonviolence preached by lord Buddha. The message of lord Buddha was first preached and propagated by Emperor Asoka through his edicts and inscriptions. Guruji Fujii decided to undertake construction of a Peace Pagoda at Dhauligiri with the consent of the Odisha Government.