Ashoka edicts of Dhauli : Around 8 km south of Bhubaneshwar in Orissa is the site of a set of rock edicts left by the Indian emperor Ashoka in about 260 BC. Emperor Ashoka wanted to annex Kalinga, a powerful kingdom. After a lot of bloodshed he could take over the kingdom. But Ashoka was filled with remorse and he turned to Buddhism. This is the historical Dhauli on the banks of the river Daya. These rock edicts mark the spot the bloody Kalinga war was fought. Above the inscription, an elephant emerges from the rock. The peace pagoda is another main tourist attraction.