874-Year- Old Inscription Of Chodaganga Deva Rediscovered Near Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram

Odia researchers have rediscovered an inscribed stone panel in a much neglected state on the bank of Champavati river near Dwarapureddy Palem village in Denkada Mandalam of Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh.

The stone panel, according to the researchers, belongs to the reign of Eastern Ganga monarch Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva.

The inscription has been rediscovered by Deepak Kumar Nayak and Bikram Kumar Nayak, two members of the Kalinga Epigraphical Research Group.

The team was assisted by local heritage enthusiasts D. Santosh and Bijaya Kumar Korada.

Sharing more details on this finding Deepak Nayak stated that the vast region of ancient Kalinga kingdom was not confined to the present day political border of Odisha.

“From different mythological and historical accounts, it is known that Kalinga's southern region spanned up to Godavari river. We are listing and documenting the archaeological and cultural sites having Kalingan connection outside present day Odisha's southern border. Many of these sites are lost, forgotten or in a state of negligence during the course of time. And that is why their listing and documentation is now very important,” said Deepak.

Some decades ago, Padma Shri Satyanarayana Rajaguru had shared details on this inscription slab in his book 'Inscriptions of Orissa Volume-3'. The inscription inscribed in Telugu script and language was assigned to a date Shaka year 1072 that equals year 1150 CE. This inscription mentions the gifting of land and a perceptual lamp to the Temple of Chodagangeswara at Dharmapura.

“During our documentation, we found that there is a village named 'Dharmapuri' near Vizianagaram town and remnants of an old Shiva Temple are found scattered. Hence, it indicates that there existed a Shiva temple at Dharmapuri that was most probably built by Chodaganga Deva and addressed as Chodagangeswar temple,” Nayak had added.

Bishnu Mohan Adhikari, a member of 'Kalinga Epigraphical Research Group' said that the Eastern Ganga era inscription slab has got significant historical value. It is now in a state of negligence and needs to be protected at the earliest. There is a serious threat to its survival as it is found in a flood zone and lying open to weathering. Many letters from stone slabs are now eroded and getting damaged. It should be shifted to a museum and conserved.

Sanjib Chandra Hota, a senior retired administrator, expressed his concerns over the negligence of such archaeological remains in different parts of ancient Kalinga empire. He said the finding spot Vizianagaram was actually a part of Kalinga Kingdom.