The Dhauli hill (8 kms from Bhubaneswar), on the bank of the Daya river, stands in mute testimony, to the epoch - making Kalinga war, fought in the 3rd century BC. The great wave of Buddhism, that overwhelmed the whole world, was born here. Ashoka, horrified at the morbid aftermath of the war, that he saw around him, discarded the world of vanity and materialism, in favour of the realm of spiritual salvation, and knowledge of the self. Thus, was born the greatest patron, Buddhism has ever known. Dhauli is renowned for its Ashokan rock edicts, inscribed on a rock, crowned by a relief depicting an elephant. These contain 11 of the 14 rock edicts to be found, within the perimeter of the Ashokan empire. Apart from these edicts, also present are two rock edicts, that Ashoka had specially got inscribed, for the people of Kalinga. 

The significance of Dhauli for Buddhists all over the world, led to the establishment of a shanti stupa, or peace pagoda, alongwith a monastery called Saddharma Vihar, by the Kalinga Nippon - Buddha Sangha, under the guidance of Guruji Fujii, Founder President of Nipponzan Myohoji of Japan, in the early 1970s. 

Dhauli also houses small rock cut caves, medieval Hindu temples, and a renovated hill - top Shiva temple, known as Dhavalesvara. Such a rich ancient heritage, coupled with an idyllic landscape render Dhauli an unforgettable site, indeed.

The third of the four important Buddhist sites in Orissa, is Ratnagiri (90 kms from Bhubaneswar), in Cuttack district. A small hill near the Ratnagiri village, is a treasure trove of ancient Buddhist monuments and other relics. A recent excavation has unearthed two huge monasteries, a large stupa, many Buddhist shrines, sculptures and a great number of votive stupas. The fact that this Buddhist site dates back to the time of the Gupta king, Narasimha Gupta Baladitya (early 6th century AD) was also revealed during the excavation. Buddhism is believed to have flourished here, at least till the 12th century AD. It started out , as an important centre of the Mahayana form of Buddhism, but in the 8th - 9th century AD, developed into a significant centre of Tantric - Buddhism or Vajrayana school of art and philosophy. The Ratnagiri institute was instrumental in the emergence of the Kalachakratantra, during the 10th century AD, according to a Tibetan source, Pag Sam Jon Zang. 

The Mahavihara at Ratnagiri, was a premier centre of learning in Buddhist philosophy, according to Oriya inscriptions. Though, today all that remains of this impressive establishment are the majestic ruins, it still draws hordes of visitors from all over the world. One can still discern the remains of grand monasteries, stupas, a sanctum with a huge Buddha figure and other Buddhist sculptures in these ruins. 

The largest Buddhist site in Orissa, Udayagiri (100 kms from Bhubaneswar), located about 5 kms away from Ratnagiri, at the foot of a large hill, was known in ancient times, as Madhavapura Mahavihara. This was revealed by a recent excavation, which also uncovered a huge complex of brick monasteries, housing several priceless Buddhist sculptures. But still, the treasures buried deep within Udayagiri, have not yet been totally revealed to the outside world. Udayagiri, alongwith Ratnagiri and Lalitagiri makes up the mini golden triangle of Orissa's amazing Buddhist legacy.

Chronologically, the Udayagiri site is more recent, compared to the other two sites, and the monasteries are believed to have been flourishing, between 7th to 12th centuries AD. A brick stupa, a couple of brick monasteries (one excavated, the other yet to see the light of day), a beautiful stone stepped well, with inscriptions on it, and some fine rock sculptures adorning the top of the hill, that forms the backdrop to this historic site, are some of the archaeological finds of the area. The rock sculptures comprise of some marvellous Boddhisattva and Dhyani Buddha figures. The Vajrayana school of art does not seem to have had much of an impact here. Much still remains to be discovered about this site. 

The excavation at Ratnagiri proved the fact, that Buddhist art in Orissa, developed from around the 5th century AD, and continued upto the 12th century AD. As a matter of fact, Buddhist sculptural art formed the major chunk of the ancient heritage of Orissa.