Hill Stations In India

Orissa Dhauli Hill Station

History

Dhauli a hill town which is situated in the eastern Indian state of Orissa. This  town is not too far from Bhubaneswar, it just measure eight kilometers from the capital city. Various temples and rock cut caves make this place very sacred. In addition to this Dauli has engravings and inscriptions from the Ashokan  time. Dauli hills is an important pilgrimage site in Hindus and Buddhists.Stupas built by the emperor Asoka can be seen here.  An insight into the change in the Asoka’s life can be seen in the pictures of various monasteries. Dauli is one of the important places that come to the mind of the people who seek spiritual and religious solitude.

The Japanese Peace Pagoda can be an added place in a tourist destination as it in the hub of Buddhists stupas and old monasteries, which will only add to the ultimate traveler’s experience.

The Saddharma Vihar Monastery , Shanti Stupa and the Shiva Temple on the top of Dhauli Hills can be also visited.

How To Reach

The Dhauli town  can be  reached by  buses available from the nearby places of Bhubaneswar(capital of Orissa) and Cuttack.

Dhauli By Air

Flights can be boarded from the   to the  Bhubaneswar airport. The reason being that Dhauli has no airport of its own.  The frequent running of taxis makes the airport easily reachable as it is at a distance of35 kilometers only.  Flights options are available to the cities of  Bangalore, New Delhi and  Mumbai, Chennai to even  Kolkata and fare  charges range  from Rs 4500 to 7000.

Dhauli By Train

Travelling by train is also an option which can be availed from Bhubaneswar which is just 38 kilometers far from Dhauli.  All major cities are connected to Bhubaneswar by train. The fare charges are around Rs481 for general class. The air conditioned bogies charge range between Rs777 (for AC tier2) and 1296(for AC tier 3)

Dhauli By Bus

The  bus fare is Rs 30 or less for Dhauli from Bhubaneswar.

Places To Visit

Dhauli Giri

Dhauli Giri is  important  from an historical point of view . Dhauli Giri is beautified with a rock edifice placed by the Majestic Emperor Ashoka belonging to  Maurya Dynasty. These plains are testimony of the macabre Kalinga War and the penance of the great king that took place. After  the battle Ashoka  gave all forms of violence and  adopted Buddhism and become a preacher of non violence . Many of Ashoka  teachings are engraved on it.

The edict erected in Dhauli Giri, was placed many  years back, dating  to 3rd century, is well preserved .A perfect place for historians and lovers of peace which bears the universal symbol of an stone carved elephant with Lord Buddha  riding on it on the stone edict.

Shanti Stupa Of Dhauligiri

Also named the Peace Pagoda, Dhaulagiri lies 7km away from the capital city. The travel from the capital city to Puri one gets to see the Shanti Stupa. ‘Shanti’meaning peace, it was erected by Ashoka to mark the end of the Kalinga War and to prove his commitment to the achievement of peace and calmness when he became a Buddhist follower. The stone edict of Lord Buddha is a favorite   tourist spot.

Weather And Best Time To Visit

The place has a tropical climate with hot summers and wet monsoon with winters being cold, so the ideal time for  a visit is the months of October and March, given the pleasant weather condition.

Summer temperature are high that is close to 45C and minimum temperature being 19C so it is not advisable to go in summer. The summer season is from March to June.

The monsoon brings sufficient rain between July and October, with temperature being low so it is a pleasant time to go to Dhauli.

Winter season is during the month of November to February. The maximum temperature being about 22C . It is a good time for planning a trip to Dhauli but one has to carry woolen clothes to beat the cold.

Language And Culture

The native Languages  are Oriya, Hindi, Bengali and English.

Dhauli displays a varied range of village art form and cultural heritage from classical to local folk  songs and dance such as the  Odissi dance, the  Odissi vocal, the Mardal recital, the  Chhau dance, the  Daskathia, Pala, Yajna, Sankirtan, etc. Everyday nearly 500 artists from various disciplines showcases their talent   on the days of the Dhayuli Mahotsav.

The reigns of different kinds of rulers in the golden past has created a unique culture which is a blend of all these earlier rulers and underwent many turns to come to its present form by way of assimilations, copying and innovations. The   skill of the artists of Orissa  is invincible  for  the rest of the world. The fact that still the traditional art of Orissa is alive despite the advent of the western culture is in itself separates Orissa from others.

Accommodation

Only the  Govt. Tourist Lodge  located at Dhauli is the  well-furnished accommodation here. The lodge is close to the well-known stupa and provides a good view of the  Daya River and large stretches of lush green   paddy fields. The tourist lodge also has a big dining hall along with a nice well-furnished double bedrooms having enclosed bathrooms.

Panthika Otdc, Dhauli

Panthika Dhauli At-Po - Dhauli, Via. Bhubaneswar, India.

Festivals And Activities

Dhauli Mahotsav

Dhauli Mahotsav is usually celebrated in the lower region of the Dhauli ranges each year and  displays a varied range of village art and cultural  form, from classical to folk  things like  the Odissi dance, the  Odissi vocal, the Mardal recital, the Chhau dance, the  Daskathia, the  Pala, Yajna and Sankirtan, etc. The   Orissa Dance Academy organizes this festival with an aim to generate awareness about our culture and  heritage  among the  inhabitants of Orissa. Nearly  500 artists from various art forms perform on the various days of the festival. Artists from many region of  Orissa perform the  Odissi dance, the  Gotipua dance, the Chhau dance, the Shankirtan, the Pala,  the Odissi Vocal and other local and tribal dances & musical culture of Orissa. The festival  is quite famous   among the  music and dance lovers.

Kalinga Mahostav

The happiness knows no bounds when people are celebrating their own culture and heritage.  The Kalinga Mahotsav at Dhauli, is a celebration of Martial Dances, which is done with very much enthusiasm.

Hotels

As it is  just 8 km away  from Bhubaneswar nice accommodation is found  at Bhubaneswar. Many  Luxurious as well as good budget hotels are easily available in the city and around Bhubaneswar city. The hotels that are  available in Bhubaneswar are furnished with all  latest facilities to make the people’s  stay a non-forgettable one. So one must not miss it when on a tour to the Bhubaneswar the capital city with  The sacred Puri city.

Toshali Sands, Puri

A Ethinic Village Resort, providing one with all the basic amenities of a good hotel in a calm beach side location. Resorts also possess several made to order tours that gives you the freedom  to fully enjoy the culture  of Orissa.

Get Around

Government of India. Tourist Office, Tel. No.432203.

Luxury taxies (limousines), taxis, coaches are  easily available for hiring.  Auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws along with bus-services are also available.

Get out

Puri

Puri is a religious city also named as Jagannath Puri after thefamous Jagannath Temple of the city. This city is located on the Bay of Bengal at a distance of 60 kilometres. The holy city of Puri is one of the Char Dham pilgrim center of the Hindus.

Bhubaneswar

Beginning with the earliest Chhedi dynasty (around 2nd century BCE) that has Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar which is present day capital city. The name of the city means the city of the universe and has become an important part of the economic and cultural and religious life of India.

Shopping

Shopping lovers have every reason to be happy since Dhauli has beautifully and elaborately carved handicrafts and work of art which attracts to the shoppers. You can buy beautiful of  Ikat handloom objects. The  tie and die works gives an amazing appeal to designer clothes. The  Ikat works from  those of Sambalpur and  the nearby Sonepur are  also easily available here.

Location Map

 

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