Ashoka's Hell
Ashoka's Hell was, according to legend, an elaborate torture chamber disguised as a beautiful and attractive palace full of amenities such as exclusive baths and decorated with flowers, fruit trees and ornaments. It was built by King Ashoka (304–232 BCE) in Patliputra (modern Patna, India), the capital city of the Maurya Empire. The legend of the torture palace is detailed in the Ashokavadana, the text that describes King Ashoka's life through both legendary and historical accounts. According to legend, the palatial torture chamber was artfully designed to make its exterior visually pleasing and was referred to as the "beautiful gaol". Beneath the veneer of beauty, however, deep inside the exclusive mansion, torture chambers were constructed which were full of sadistic and cruel instruments of torture including furnaces producing molten metal for pouring on prisoners. The narrative mentions that the architect of the chamber was inspired by descriptions...

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