Orissa has the unique distinction of having monuments from the beginning of third century BC to the fall of Hindu rule. Just 6km south-west of Bhubneshwer in Dauli one can see the Brami script from the time of Mauryan ruler Asoka (272-236 BC).When you get there its looks like an unimportant hill with a few couple enjoying the evening breeze. But when you get to it it’s surprisingly well preserved, partly covered in a glass room with a guard who has the key. There is no ticket and the guard happily opened the lock of the door. What an interesting mix of words from different languages , Khemer, Tamil,Malayalam,Burmese, Tibetan, Thai and even Japanese from the Brahmnic family. I touched it and felt like making history in my life journey. In it , Asoka wants his administrators to rule his subject with gentleness and fairness. ‘You are in charge of many thousand living being…..all men are my children and as I desire my children that they obtain welfare and happiness both in this world and next, the same do I desire for all men.’ Asoka on conquering Kalinga present day Orissa killed thousands, there were only widows and orphans, a famine and epidemic followed making life miserable. If you watch the Hindi movie by the same name it beautifully shows how a dying woman refuses water from the hands of the king because he is a murderer. It made Asoka move towards remorse and repentance. Later he converted to Buddhism and worked for the welfare of his people and preached Dharma. Directly above the Brahmi script is a life- like frontal view of an elephant, carved out of a rock hill. It represents the emergence of Buddhist Asoka from the cave into Buddism. This mission of peace is symbolised by the tall white Shanti Stupa on top of a nearby hill. Built in 1970 by Japan Buddha Sangha and Kalinga Nippon Buddha Sangha, its monks followed Gandhiji in his struggle for India’s freedom movement on the path of non violence. The image above is fromm Jaggayyappetah, Amaravati, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. About 2nd Century AD. Image credit