Bhubaneswar: More than 2,300 years after war drums echoed across the plains of Dhauli, Odisha is set to write a new chapter of remembrance.
A committee constituted by the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture has unanimously recommended the construction of a majestic “Tarpana Shilastambha (memorial pillar) in honour of the brave Kalinga soldiers who laid down their lives in the epochal Kalingan War.
The committee, headed by Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, met at the foothills of Dhauli, on the river bank of the Daya River, which had proverbially ran red with the blood of the slain during the war. The members proposed the making of just not a solitary pillar but an entire commemorative complex that will include a state-of-the-art museum, a Karubaki Temple, and a modern amphitheatre. The site chosen was the very riverbank where thousands of Kalinga warriors made the ultimate sacrifice, an event so horrific that it turned the ruthless Chandashoka into the compassionate Dharmashoka and changed the course of Indian history.
“These unsung heroes did not just fight for their motherland; they gifted the world a message of peace through their blood,” said committee chairman Babu Singh after the meeting. “It is our duty to ensure their memory is etched in stone
forever.”
The star-studded committee includes the literary luminary Dr. Pratibha Ray, whose book “Dayanadiru Niranjana” is the inspiration of this project. Eminent historian Dr. Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, noted history researcher and Intach’s Bhubaneswar Chapter Convener Anil Dhir, Special Secretary Deba Prasad Dash, representative of the Khordha District Collector, and a senior representative from the Odisha State Archaeology Department along with local elected representatives were part of the site selection team.
The proposal envisions the Tarpana Shilastambha as a towering, artistically designed obelisk that will serve as a solemn tribute, while the museum will showcase rare artefacts, weapons, and immersive exhibits narrating the Kalinga War. The amphitheatre is planned to host cultural programmes, light-and-sound shows, and annual commemorative events so that future generations can feel the pulse of Odisha’s glorious past. The entire complex, at the Dhauli foothill, will have the Peace Pagoda as a backdrop.
This ambitious project is being seen as a long-overdue recognition of Kalinga’s extraordinary contribution to world civilisation. While Ashoka’s rock edicts at Dhauli have drawn millions of visitors, the brave sons of Kalinga who actually forced that transformation have remained largely invisible in public memory.
With today’s proposal, Odisha is ready to change that narrative. Once approved and executed, the Dhauli Memorial Complex will stand not merely as a monument of stone, but as a living testimony to courage, sacrifice, and the transformative power of compassion.
Intach Bhubaneswar Chapter said it is proud to be a part of this project.