In The Buddha's Footsteps

Odisha May Be Better Known for Its Puri Jagannath Temple. But the Old Towns of This Coastal State Hold the Secrets to a Flourishing Buddhist Past
 

Buddhism in Odisha is as old as the Buddha himself. Buddhist literature such as Mahavagga and Angutara Nikaya narrate that Tapassu and Bhallika, the first two disciples of the Buddha, were from Utkala or ancient Odisha. Later, in 261 BC, Emperor Ashoka fought his great war against the state of Kalinga (then Odisha, plus parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh). The Kalinga War would prove to be a turning point in the life of Asoka and that of Buddhism. The carnage of the war famously prompted the Emperor to convert from Chandashoka (Ashoka the Cruel) to Dharmashoka (Ashoka the Righteous). It also transformed Buddhism from a local religion of the Tarai region into an international belief. In Odisha, Buddhism witnessed roaring prosperity under Ashoka and continued to receive patronage during the rule of the Bhauma Karas, as attested by a series of copper plate grants issued by them and their feudatories.