Bhubaneswar: After remaining out of bounds for visitors for seven months amid coronavirus outbreak, Dhauli Shanti Stupa (peace pagoda) near Bhubaneswar was declared open October 16 following which as many as 1,500 visitors have visited the place in last three days.
“About 300 visitors visited the spot October 16. The spot witnessed 600 footfalls Saturday. Same number of visitors also visited October 18,” Dhauli Development Committee sources said.
Most of the visitors to the peace pagoda located atop Dhauli hills on outskirts of Bhubaneswar were from Odisha and the neighbouring West Bengal. They were allowed to enter spot after thermal screening at the entrance. This apart, the visitors sanitised hands at a facility for visitors at the entrance which the visitors liked most, the source added.
Notably, the Shanti Stupa was closed down for tourists March 15 to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
The Shanti Stupa is one of the Buddhist heritage sites in the state. It is situated atop the Dhauli hills and at the foothill, the Daya River flows. The riverbanks of the Daya River are witness to the fierce Kalinga war. The war was won by emperor Ashoka but the bloodshed turned him away from violence and towards peace. The emperor subsequently accepted Buddhism.
PNN