Discovered in the year 1837 by Lt. M. Kittoe, the set of Rock Edicts contain eleven out of the well known fourteen Rock Edicts of Asoka (BC. 273-236). The language of the edicts is Magadhi Prakrita and the script being the early Brahmi. Here the omission of the thirteenth edict is deliberate as it describes Asoka’s conquest of Kalinga involving a great carnage, captivity and misery to the people. The Kalinga War was the turning point in his career and he not only gave up his ambition of Digvijaya but also converted him into Dharmasoka from Chandasoka. In place of the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth rock edicts, two special edicts known as Separate Rock Edicts or Kalinga Edicts have been incorporated here, which are conciliatory in nature and meant for the pacification of the newly conquered people of Kalinga.
On the rock above the inscription, is the sculpted forepart of an elephant carved out of live rock which symbolizes Buddha, ‘the best of elephants’ (Gajottama) as in this form he was believed to have entered his mother’s womb in dream.
