You will be picked up from your hotel and depart on a full-day tour of Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves followed by Dhauli Buddhist site. Khandagiri and Udaygiri Caves are approx. 7 km west of Bhubaneswar and are the two adjacent hills as the next major Orissan historical monument after the Edits of Ashoka. The rocks of Khandagiri and Udayagiri are carved and tunneled, creating a multi-story ancient residence for Jain ascetics by the first known Orissan ruler, King Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana Dynasty. The king is known for expansion of the Kalinga Empire and his installation of public improvements, such as canal systems. His queen was a patron of the arts and had much to do with the impressive sculptures decorating the caves.
Later on you will visit Dhauli, the site where the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka renounced violence and embraced the teachings of Buddha. This site is marked by a Peace Pagoda known as Shanti Stupa, built in the early 1970s by the Japanese. Afterwards you will also visit nearby two ancient rock edicts dating from 260 BC. These edicts outline Ashoka's detailed instructions for his administrators to rule with gentleness and fairness. Stop by the small-rock cut caves, Hindu temples of early medieval period and a renovated Siva temple on top of a hill. After the sightseeing, you will be transported back to Bhubaneshwar city and dropped at your hotel.