4th Kalinga International Buddhist Conclave #AToZChallenge

Odisha was previously called Kalinga. 

The Kalinga War was won by Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. Odisha was the land that transformed the blood thirsty king to a benevolent human, who embraced Buddhism. Emperor Ashoka sent his children, Mahendra and Sanghamitra along with Buddhist missionaries as peace ambassadors to different nations like Sri Lanka etc. to propagate Buddhism.

Odisha played host to the 4th Kalinga International Buddhist Conclave held from April 10-12, 2017. 

The event was organized by Odisha Tourism, Govt. of Odisha. The Day-1 of the Conclave began at Udayagiri on April 10, 2017.

There were speeches and presentations by tourism officials and the dignitaries.

The story of Buddha's life was enacted by school children.

I felt privileged to attend the Conclave as a delegate along with national and international delegates. Apart from scholars and monks from Indian states and union-territories like Bihar, New Delhi, Kerala, Maharashtra etc, there were representatives of many South-East Asian nations viz. Vietnam, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka etc. 

Even after so many centuries, many still refer to Odisha as Kalinga!

In the evening, there was a cultural programme at Utkal Mandap, Bhubaneswar. A dance-drama choreographed by Padmashri Aruna Mohanty presented a story from Buddha's life, enacted gracefully by Odissi dancers. 

There was a musical performance too with sand art in the background screen.

The guests were highly impressed.

Odisha has amazing Buddhist heritage sites. You can find more information about them in my upcoming posts.

I'm participating in my second #atozchallenge. B for Buddha, Buddhist & Buddhism.

My Theme is- "Odisha- The Soul of Incredible India".
Odisha is a state in the eastern part of India. Have you visited Odisha and India? 

I will be sharing some glimpses from Odisha. Do keep reading and discovering!