Bhubaneswar, July 1: Dhauli, the international peace pagoda constructed with an Indo-Japanese collaboration in 1972, is going to have modern sculptures, landscaping, pathways and development of the neglected water body to become one of the major destinations related to Buddhist sites in the state.

The peace pagoda was developed near the Daya river valley, where the Kalinga War was fought and emperor Asoka won over the region. But, the bloodshed changed the emperor’s heart and he was converted to a peace lover from a fierce warrior.

The king was started being known as Dharmasoka after his initiative to spread Buddhism to the kingdoms in foreign lands.

The new project undertaken by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation will take another year to complete with an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore for a holistic development of the sites, including adequate parking and crafts bazars.

“Already 20 modern sculptures are installed and five more will be installed soon. A sleeping Buddha statue, which is made of 40-feet long glass reinforced plastic, is under construction by a sculptor in Cuttack and it will be installed very soon here. The statue will be biggest sleeping Buddha sculpture in the state,” said tourism and culture secretary Ashok Kumar Tripathy.

Sources in the tourism department said the Odisha government had approached the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation for introduction of the Mahaparinirvan Express linking major Buddhist sites in central India to those of the state.

Trains carrying Buddhist tourists (from the southeast Asian nations) will start arriving by December, so that Lalitgiri, Udaygiri, Ratnagiri and Langudi will get more international attention.

A 40-km radius stretch of river basin between the Birupa and the Brahmani is unique in a way that no such Buddhist sites are seen with such a cluster of Buddhist monuments anywhere in India.

A local art connoisseur of Gangotri Nagar near Dhauli, Surya Narayan Das, said: “The new initiative by the state government will provide other amenities such as adequate parking space for light and heavy vehicles, sculpture park to enjoy modern installations on the Buddhist theme. Two new pathways and crafts bazars will also help in pulling more crowd.”

Tour operator Debasish Mohapatra said the possible inclusion of Buddhist sites of the state with the Mahaparinirvan Express had given a new dimension to tourism promotion in the region. The development of Dhauli as an eco-development site by the forests and environment department would provide a new potential to the spot with the white pagoda, he said.

The state government has started a process to acquire more land around Dhauli to restrict encroachment and unplanned urbanisation around the monument.

The Buddhist link

What: Development of Dhauli peace pagoda and surrounding sites

Agency: By Odisha Tourism Development Corporation

Elements: A sculpture park with 20 modern and five traditional installations, renovated pathways, landscaping, water body, water sports, a sleeping Buddha in glass reinforced plastic (40-feet-long)

Other attractions: Two craft bazars

Target: Project likely to be over in a year for Rs 4 crore

Security: Adequate lighting, quality roads and parking for the tourist vehicles