5 Stereotypical Things a True Odia Listens to, Amidst Non Odias

Today a big part of skilled Odia population stay outside Odisha, specifically for availing carrier growth opportunities in their lives. But for some of us when the love for our culture and homeland displays a major piece of our personality, we face awful and disrespectful remarks on our identity. I am sure that if you are an Odia who loves his /her roots while staying outside Odisha, must have witnessed some of the below noted down points already.

What is the news of Odisha?

This is the sarcastic question that a lot of non Odias (sometimes including Odias) ask you just to give you a feeling that it does not matter how much you talk about your state, ultimately you will remain unrecognized if you don’t exhibit the fake globalized trends like them. It displays a short headed thought which ignorantly mocks you behind your back as if the way it says silently, ‘whatever’ for ditching your pride in presence of others.

Jagannath temple, hain?

Yes, Puri’s Jagannath temple is a famous shrine in Odisha and Odias are associated to lord Jagannath in one way or the other from the time of their birth. But Odisha is also a place of many other religious shrines and cultural activities. We have a proud history in this nation that was and is deliberately ignored in your school text books. We were the first to colonize south East Asia in India, first to rebel against the British in an organised manner and Ashoka lost his sub continental wide military machine to the bravery of our forefathers that resulted in the downfall of Mauryan dynasty later.  You probably haven’t heard of the ancient Odishan emperors like Kharavela and Satrubhanja who avenged and plundered Pataliputra in response to Ashoka’s misadventure in ancient Odisha. Yes, we are ancient people with the pride of traditions, character and rituals.

You talk in Orissi. Right?

Orissi ? No sir, its Odishi and it’s a classical dance form with a history spanning thousands of years. We talk, can read and write in Odia. For your information it is one of the six classical languages in India, spoken in varied forms across the regions of Odisha and neighboring states.

Bengali and Odia are the same.

Yes, you might self conceptualize that but do not forget to notice that Odia is the masculine version of your perception and Bengali is the feminine when you lend your ears to people talking them. Moreover, the relationship between Odia and Bengali is just as the relation between father and a son despite all the advocacy of the late comer Bengali literature and script.

Are you Racist / Anti National?

India was glorious when its states defined it, was enslaved when they fought amongst themselves and India is stagnant when they are defined by it. We are everted nationalists, the patriots that grow out from their roots and share the fruits with everyone from its branches. This does not make us unworthy of finding a place to grow in a beautiful garden.  So please step up your sense of nationalism and do not try to pull ours down!!

                Like our Page at www.facebook.com/PurnyabhumiOdisha   

The Military Achievements of Emperor Langula Narasingha Deba I

As glorious as they were so is their legacy over the ages. The eastern Ganga Dynasty is fondly narrated by historians as an offshoot of the Cholas from south India; however the Gangas were present in Odisha for more than at least four centuries before their rise to prominence. Concentrated in the Kalinga Mandala of South Odisha and Northern Andhra, they swiftly rose to power when the Somavanshi rulers were declining in the Utkala region of northern Odisha. I will come forth with the narratives of the brilliant initial rulers of the Prachya Gangas like ChodaGanga Deba and Ananga Bhima Deba III in subsequent articles. I have decided to start the insight into this dynasty from the most illustrious builder of the Konark Sun Temple and a brilliant military commander, the Emperor Langula Narasingha Deba I.  

History has been unfair to this brilliant emperor who was highly successful in blowing crushing defeats on the intolerant Muslim expansionists while the rest of India had started falling one by one into their grasp after the defeat of the Hindu king of Delhi, Prithvi Raj Chauhan. Despite being the builder of the most beautiful wonder of India i.e. the Konark Temple, his achievements have been shrouded in darkness mostly by the hegemony of the colonial era Bengali historians who were always close to the British publishers of Indian heritage and wanted to hide the facts of their land being overrun by an Odia king’s mighty army in the past. But we should not also forget that the most of the initial historical accounts of Odisha were also constructed by few classic Bengali scholars like R.D. Banarjee, B.C. Majumdar, R.C. Majumdar, etc.

Narasingha Deba I was born to another brilliant militarily powerful king Ananga Bhima Deba III and Queen Kastura Debi. He was brought up in an environment when his father was constantly facing attacks from the Afghan –Turk Muslim armies of Bengal in alliance with the Delhi Sultanate. Odisha (Kalinga) was successful in repulsing the enemies from all the three sides which is the Kaktiyas of South, Kalachuri Haihayas of Central India and Afghan –Turks of Bengal in the North. His father had brilliantly established a matrimonial alliance with the Kalachuri clan of the Western frontiers that were constantly battling with him for control over the Sambalpur – Bolangir Tracts. The princess of Odisha, Chandrika was married off to Prince Paramadri Deb of the clan and peace was actually established on the western frontiers after the region was completely won by the Prachya Gangas. The Kalchuris were also the last independent Hindu kingdom of Central India that was distantly related to the Rajputs and other clans of Northern Maharashtra. The offer of matrimonial alliance with another mighty Hindu Kingdom would have sounded logical considering the ruthless Muslim expansion all over India. The Prachya Ganga control in the Chatishgarh part of India was authenticated through the finding of many Ganga Fanams (coins) of their era. 

Ananga Bhima Deba III had repulsed the Muslim attack on the northern territories and had defeated them in counter attack battles with the help of his brave Brahmin minister, Vishnu. He had established his new administrative capital at the newly fortified capital city Abhibnav Varansi Kataka (Cuttack) on the banks of Mahanadi that was militarily secure with carefully planned fortifications like the Barabati fort which was also built by him. The enormous fort complex which has now been reduced to ruble was capable of holding 6000 war elephants, 12000 Cavalry, 10000 archers and 70000 infantry of the Odishan army during his time. There is no doubt that Narasingha Deba I was brought up under strict Hindu ethical education and military code when the whole of India was bearing the brunt of the Muslim expansion and the his kingdom was the next in line to face the inevitable.

During this time Muslim Amirs were constantly rebelling against the central authority of the slave dynasty after the death of Shamsuddin Iltutmish. Tughan Tughral Khan was the prominent rebel who happened to be the governor of Bengal at the time when Narasingha Deba ascended the throne. During the disturbances caused for succession of the Delhi throne throughout the rule of Sultan Ruknuddin Firoz Shah, Razziya Sultana, Sultans Muizzuddin Bahram and Alauddin Masaud Shah, Tughan was free to stage a rebel in the North-eastern frontier of the expanding Musalman Empire of India. This created the situation of power struggle against the mighty Prachya Gangas of Odisha. The only victorious candidate would be decided by whoever launched the pre emptive initial attack on the other.

Battle of Katasin (1243 A.D)

His first offensive steps against the constantly warring Muslim state of Bengal came in the 1243 A.D. As a child he must have witnessed the benefits of aggressive policy of his father against enemy states rather than being defensive. His Haihaya Kalchuri brother in law, Paramdri Dev who is also considered to be an exceptionally brave warrior led the huge Ganga army along with the Kalchuri conscripts across the semi independent but small Hindu states of southern Bengal. The then governor of Bengal under the administration of the Delhi Sultanate, Tughral Tughan Khan launched a powerful Muslim counter attack to face the Odishan Hindu army. As a strategic decision, the Odishan army retreated to a more defendable position at the fort of Katasin (Kantei in Medinapur, W.B). The Muslim army motivated by the retreat of the Odia forces followed them into the thick jungles and unreliable cane bushes of Katasin. This event is mentioned in the Muslim document of the same time known as Tabaqat-i-Nasiri Minhaj. Unaware of the guerilla tactics adopted by the Odia forces the Muslim army halted there, assuming that the enemy had completely retreated from the territory. Once they had settled in set up camps for resting, the hiding Odia army pounced back on them from multiple directions of the thick jungles and a massive slaughter ensued. Tughan Khan himself fled the battle field escaping narrowly from the death. The Radha province of Bengal came under the Odishan control after this victory.

An edict of Narashingha Deba I’s descendents found from Kendupatna in Odisha described that the Muslims were slain in such big numbers that the river Ganga turned muddy in color like Yamuna as an effect of black eye liners flowing into them from its banks along with the tears of their women wearing them.

Battle of Lakhnauti (1244 A.D)

In the subsequent year of 1244 A.D the forces of Langula Narasingha Deba I again marched into the other side of the river Ganga into the province of Varendra and led seize on the fort of Lakhnauti or Gaud. Tughan Tughral Khan appealed for help from the governor of Awadh, Qamruddin Tamur Khan who arrived with large reinforcement in the close vicinity of Lakhnauti. By this time the Odia army had taken over the fort and the Muslim commander Fakr-Ul-Mulk-Karimuddin-Laghri was killed. The province of Gaud and Varendra were ransacked and plundered. Muslims were stuck with terror from the Odia army. Seeing the major fort of Bengal surrounded by the Hindu army of Odisha, Qamruddin quarreled with Tughan and dishonorably discharged him from the position of Governor in Bengal assuming the position himself. 

Battles of Umurdan (1247 to 1256 A.D)

In 1247 A.D, the Delhi Sultanate had appointed a new militarily experienced governor of Bengal, lkhtiyar-ud-Din Yuzbak with obviously the first task to get rid of the Odia Hindu forces from Bengal and the secondly of Tughan Khan who was now plotting a rebellion.  Tughan was planning to claim independence from Delhi for Bengal. Yuzbak was reinforced with large amount of supplies and soldiers from the Delhi sultanate to secure the eastern frontiers. A series of four major battles followed in the heartland of Bengal between both Prachya Gangas and Muslim Afghan –Turk forces.  Tabaqat-i-Nasiri Minhaj mentions that two of the battles were initially won by Yuzbak but in the third battle, Parmadri Dev inflicted a crushing defeat on the Muslim forces despite their advantage of support from the Delhi Sultanate. Yuzbak appealed for more reinforcements from Delhi and marched in to Umurdan or Amarda fort in 1256 A.D. Here the brave Haihaya Kalachuri Paramadri Dev was killed in the battle and the Muslims succeeded to an extent. The Muslims never attempted to march further into Odisha as they were exhausted from battle and feared the massive retaliation from the Ganga forces.

Clashes with Kaktiya king Ganapatideva

The Lingaraj and Bhimeswar temple inscriptions give a testimony to the continuing hostilities between Kakatiya king, Ganapati and Narasingha Deba I. Ganapati had also indulged unsuccessfully with the father of Narasingha, Ananga Bhima Deba III who had crossed into the Vengi territory south of Godavari defeating the Kakatiyas. Ganapatideva had attacked the territories of southern Odisha or the Kalinga Mandala when the Gangas were busy dealing with the Muslims and was capable of capturing some portions north of Godavari which is proven by the 1237 A.D Draksharama inscriptions of Kakatiya general Mallala Hemadi Reddi but was eventually kept at the bay by the might of the Ganga forces under the command of Narasingha Deba I whose presence in the region can be felt by the temples built by him like at Sri Kurmam and at Simanchalam. 

Conclusion

Emperor Langula Narasingha Deba I was ruling one of the last standing powerful kingdoms of ancient India while others were crumbling under the ruthless expansion of Muslim forces in India. He was the first Hindu warrior king who had decided to play by the rules of the enemy and not follow the traditional Hindu war code that had ethical rules in it. This included the guerrilla warfare tactics instead of head on battle and ransacking captured enemy territories. Due to his offensive military policy, the Muslims were taken aback by surprise, kept at bay and were neither capable of conquering Assam in the north east nor Odisha with parts of Central India for a long time. The Muslim blind conquest was halted in India by the militarily intelligent tactician and commander of a large Ganga army. The Konark temple about which I will produce certain more facts in subsequent articles was erected as a symbol of his Hindu suzerainty over  the few left out Hindu administered states of India that were dealing with the Muslim expansionists.  

[References : History of Odisha (R.D.Banarjee), Treasures of the Sun God (Arun Gupta) and Copper-plate inscription of Narsimha-deva II of Orissa, dated 1217 by Nagendra-natha Vasu.]

Research Document Submitted by Manjit Keshari Nayak

   Like our Page at www.facebook.com/PurnyabhumiOdisha   

Ancient Odisha was an Overseas Colonizer Besides Being a Seafaring Trading Giant in South Asia.

Words like Bali Jatra, Boita Bandana and Karthika Punei are irreversibly marked as the day to memorize the ancient glorious past of Odisha. Apparently, it is a marker for the glorious ancient maritime trade activities of Odisha, but today I have a question to all the scholars and historians of the state of Odisha, Was the ancient Kalinga only maritime trading nation or it was also a overseas colonizer and a naval military hub ? There is no doubt that ancient Kalinga was a pioneer of overseas trade in the eastern coast of India for thousands of years but the question is without a established naval might how can an ancient kingdom indulge in huge trade with other beyond the high seas and far away kingdoms. There was no international laws safeguarding the cause of traders crossing the seas into foreign lands and no modern era trade agreements signed between governing authorities of the trading kingdoms. Then how was it possible that the ancient Kalingans traded without military support in the pirate infested and hostile environments of the seas? The answer is Kalinga was also a naval superpower in the region with regular military activities in the Mahodadhi (or Bay of Bengal).

I will note down a few proofs one by one on this claim that quite definitely dictates that ancient Kalinga was a naval superpower with the adjoining Kalinga Sagar or Mahodadhi being a hive of military activities from it. Though much research has not been done in this regard to highlight the claim, I have tried to study various documents that provide clear cut indicators to ancient Odisha being a Naval super power in South Asia.

Ancient Odisha’s Knowledge of Ship Building and the forces in the High Seas.

The 4^th Century Chinese traveler Fahien notes Kalinga possessed many ships with some of them having high sails and masts capable of carrying 200 people over the seas. A small trailing boat was attached to the main boat which could be used as a life boat in case there was any accident on the main boat. Also, the 11^th Century documentation of King Bhoja of Dhara called Yukti Kalpataru describes that the Kalingans divided there seas going vessels  in the two kinds; Visesha (Special class) and Samanya (Ordinary). This emphasizes that ancient Odisha possessed a large number of ships. The ship types were noted as Tarikah. Plavah, Bariratha, Tarandhuh, Bhelaka, Nuah, Bahana,etc. Historian R.D. Banarjee states that Kalinga possessed a naval force to protect and escort the trading vessels on the seas that traveled to other provinces with many goods which also included huge animals like Elephants. Zhu fan zhi of China’s Song Dynasty mention of the extensive secure trading networks of the Kia-ling ships or Kalinga ships in early 13^th Century notes called “Records of the Foreign People”. A chapter in the 16^th Century Document called Paika Kheda mentions the various types of vessels used for naval activities on the Odishan Coast. These ships were named as Chaturi, Lanjua, Rajpura, Nandia, etc. 

The Kalingan seamen had a sound knowledge of navigation on the seas with the help special instruments along with astronomical locations of the stars and the Sun in the sky. Ships carried tamed birds called Disa Kaka on-board to indicate the direction on land. The wind over the Mahodadhi (Bay of Bengal) is a phenomenal force that was a deciding factor that facilitated the journey as well as possessed a threat to turbulent waters in the middle of the seas if not studied properly. The seasonally reversing winds are almost consistent during the monsoon period. However, weather disturbances occur during the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon time. During such disturbances, sailors avoided venturing into the sea.

The Chinese traveler and monk Yijing (AD 635 -713) noted down that it was 30 days sail from Tamarlipti (an ancient port of Kalinga now Tamluk in West Bengal) to Andaman Nicobar islands and it took another 20 days only to travel the rest of majority distance to China. He also states that it took three months to sail from Sri Lanka to Java Island including the stoppages for repairs to the ships on the way at Sri Vijaya. This gives an instance about how difficult and back breaking task it was to sail across the Mahodadhi compared to rest of the seas around it. He also mentioned that Odishan Ships passed through the Andaman Nicobar Islands which probably was used as midway supply stoppage for the sailors.

Overseas Contacts, Colonization and Invasions

The 5^th Century poet Kalidasa described the king of Kalinga as Mahodadhipati which means the lord of Mahodadhi (eastern seas) in his epic Raghuvansam. This term defines the totalitarian control of the trade routes and other seafaring activities of Kalinga over the seas.  The 6th century Manjusrimulakalpa mentions the Bay of Bengal as Kalingodra (Kalinga Sea) which defines the complete maritime dominance of the eastern seas by ancient Odisha.    In fact it is assumed that the Kalingan ports were a major reason that prompted the Mauryan Ashoka to invade it. Moreover, the Kalingan Emperor Kharavela had defeated the Draviain Tamil confederacy of Cholas, Pandyas, Satyaputras, Keralaputra, and Tamraparni (Sri Lanka) in his sway of conquests particularly in the period when these states where at the height of their maritime activities. It is hard to believe that this could have been only made possible with inland warfare. This definitely points to the existence of a naval force with ancient Kalinga. In the Tang Dynasty records it is mentioned that the a Bhaumakara prince by the name Subhakara Simha identified as Subhakara Deva carried with him many Buddhist Mahayana Tantric scrolls and texts in 790 A.D to the Tang Dynasty court of China via  the seas as gesture of friendship. It is of no doubt that Royalties sailed from Odisha to far away nations like China and it would be foolish to assume that there were no military escorts in foreign waters for them in such a long voyage.

In Sri Lanka or Sinhala

According to a legend in Sri Lanka, Sinhabahu or Sīhabāhu ("Lion-arms"), was the son of a princess of the Kalinga Kingdom and a lion. He killed his father and became king of Singhapur of Kalinga (near Jajpur of Odisha). His son, Prince Vijaya, would emigrate from Kalinga to Lanka and become the progenitor of the Sinhala people from 543 BC – 505 BC. This suggests that the race of Sinhala people started from the ancient Kalingans. A Kingdom called Tambapanni or Tamraparni was founded by Prince Vijaya and his 700 followers after landing on the island. It is recorded the Vijaya landed on Sri lanka on the day of Buddha's death. Vijaya claimed Tambapanni his capital and soon the whole island came under this name.  In the 3^rd century B.C it is prominently noted by the king Ashoka that he sent his daughter Sangamitra along with eight noble families from Kalinga and a branch of the Bodhi tree to Sri Lanka for preaching Buddhism.

In another instance, the Dathavamsa scriptures of Sri Lanka and other Buddhist scriptures like Mahaparinibbana Sutta of Digha Nikaya state that in the early 4rth Century A.D. the king Guhasiva of Kalinga who was a devout worshipper of this tooth-relic instructed his daughter Hemamali, the princess of Kalinga and his son in law prince Dantha of Ujjain to escort the priceless relic to safety as the the land of Kalinga was facing an invasion at that time from the neighboring king Khiradhara. They landed in the island in Lankapattana during the reign of Sirimeghavanna of Anuradhapura (301-328 A.D) and handed over the tooth relic which the princess was carrying hidden in her hair. This tooth Relic is still worshipped in the city of Kandy. This indicates that the relations between these two kingdoms were a regular affair in those days. 

The later phase of 12^th Century A.D saw the rise of a Kalingan ruling family in Sri Lanka by a prince of Kalinga’s Ishvaku clan based at the capital Sinhapura in ancient Odisha. His name was Nissanka Malla and he was popularly known as Kirti Nissanka and Kalinga Lokeswara in Srilanka. He had ascended the throne by murdering the earlier king in 1187 A.D and claimed descent to the ancient Kalingan prince Viajaya. He invaded the Pandyan and Chola territories and renamed the captured Rameswaram temple as Nissankeswara. He was succeeded by his son, brothers, nephew and wife for the span of another three decades of strong rule on the island.

It was not until a Tamil Pandyan king named Parakrama Pandya took over the Kalingan descendents of Nissanka Malla for three years on the island that a major event in Sri Lankan history was again influenced by a prince from Kalinga called Kalinga Magha in 1215 A.D. Kalinga Magha with the help of his friend Gajabahu assembled an army of 24,000 men and invaded the island from Indian mainland. The prince ruled the island for 21 years until he was actually overthrown and abdicated from the land by a local resistance leader called Vijayabahu. The Sri Lankan texts mention him as Kalinga Magharaja. All these events simply dictate the military and expansionist campaigns launched from the soil of ancient Kalinga on the island of Sri Lanka surpassing the Tamil Cholas and Pandyans. All the rulers of Jaffna kingdom in northern Sri Lanka claimed their descent from Kalingai Chakrabarty who was later identified as the Odia prince Kalinga Magha. The details regarding these events prove that the ancient Odisha was capable of amphibious naval warfare that required carrying troops across the seas and landing them in enemy territory.

One can even compare the scripts on Sinhalese and Odia language to a great extent. Remarkably, the similarities of these scripts are compelling enough to indicate the cultural ties with this island nation of Odisha. In an extensive view point we do not find this much available similarities of the Sinhalese script with the nearest neighbor to them i.e. Tamil script.

In Burma or Suvarnabhumi

Another colonial settlement of ancient Odisha was the land of Burma or Myanmar. Around the 7th Century A.D this land was known as Kalingarat or Kalinga Rashtra and the people where known Kalinga due to the settlers and colonists from Kalinga. Similarly, the north-western part of Burma, the region extending from Rangoon to Tante (Pegu) was known as Ukkala or Utkalapa; a variant of  the term Utkala (Odisha). According to historian R.C.Majumdar the name Utkala originally applied to a region in the delta in lower Burma by the colonists from the Odisha coast. Hindu religion was established by Kalingans in Burma and according to scholar B.C Majumdar, the ancient Odishan Empire was established in Myanmar hundreds of years before the birth of Buddhism.

When it comes to planting the seeds of Buddhism, Buddhist texts mention that the first two disciples of Buddha, Tapasu and Bahalika (two tradesmen from Kalinga) carried 8 hair strands from him and went to Burma known as Suvarnabhumi at the time. The lower part of Burma was also known as Tri Kalinga imitating the Tri Kalinga kingdom of Odisha. The people of Burma’s Mon region are still known as Tailangs which is derived from the same. The Buddhagat sacred scripture of Burma, describes trade with the Buddhist merchants of Kalinga, leading to missionaries coming to propagate the faith, and then to political domination of parts of coastal Burma by Kalinga during the 4th to 7th centuries AD. Coins with Hindu symbols found in Pegu confirm this contact. Greek historian, Ptolemy has referred to a direct route from Paloura (Palur) to Sada which was frequently used by the Kalingans in course of their journey to Burma. Sada was the first port touched at in Ptolemy’s time by ships proceeding from India to the eastern coast of the Kalinga Sagar. The most interesting part is that the ancient name attributed to old city Prome is Srikshetra, so often mentioned in the Mon records as Sikset or Srikset, and by the Chinese pilgrims as Sili-cha-ta-lo. Srikshetra is the holy land of Puri on the ancient Kalinga coast. Another name to a city in north of Srikset is called as Beikthano or Baikuntha.

Shailodbhavas of Odisha re-emerged in Indonesia’s Sumatra Island as Shailendra Dynasty

The Scholar R.C.Majumdar states that  Shailendra dynasty originated from east Indian kingdom of Kalinga were the Shailodbhava dynasty used rule before the rise of Bhaumakara Dynasty in the 6^th and 7^th century. Later they moved to Java Island facing threats from invading forces. They migrated from the port of Palur in the Kalingan coast. The Shailodbhavas were primarily centered in the Kangoda mandal region of Kalinga particularly in the adjoining areas of river Salima which is now known as Sali. The Shailendras later built great Buddhist monuments in the Indonesian archipelago and the later towards the end of 8^th century the rulers of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, parts of Cambodia and Malaya aligned with them. This claim is strengthened by the documents from history of China’s Tang Dynasty concerning the Ho-ling or Kalinga kingdom of Java when it was being ruled by the Sailendra Queen Shimha or noted as His-mo in Chinese.

The great grandson of queen Shima called Sanjaya later founded the Sunda, Galuh and Medang kingdoms in the same island. A legend of Java states that 20,000 Kalingan families were sent from Odisha coast by a Kalingan prince who later prospered, populated the island and established this Kalinga kingdom in central Java after the rise of a ruler called Kano. The Brahmin founder of the Khmer empire reputed for its largest temple complex at Angkor Wat, Jayavarman II was a courtier in this Shailendra dynasty of Java and imported Indian terms like Devaraja and Chakravartin for himself. The basic architectural similarities between the temples of Odisha and of Khmer Empire are astonishingly similar. Other glorious Hindu kingdoms like Kediri, Singhasari, Majapahit and Blambangan flourished in this island on the foundation stone laid by the Shailendras.

Another interesting field of study in ancient Kalinga’s maritime glory is the island of Bali which has successfully preserved its Hindu culture in a now completely converted to Islam, Indonesia. One would be surprised to see the similarities in the cultures shared by both Odisha and Bali. The Brahmin priests in Odisha are known as Panda whereas in Bali they are called as Padanda. Words like Guah (beetle nut), Muah (face), Sanja (evening), Bali (Sand or the name of an ancestral king) and Ruti (bread) are the same as spoken in both the places. Remarkably, the river Mahanadi and Mahendra Tanya including the holy mountain Mahendragiri of South Odisha are mentioned with high esteem in the holy chanting during the Puja Stuti of the Island. The dance forms of Bali like Kecak and Barong are similar to Paika and tribal dance forms of Odisha. Besides the other trends of cultural similarity, there is a tradition called Ngaben cremation ceremony which is similar to Karthik Purnima’s Boita Bandana tradition of Odisha. The people float small boats to wish the soul of the deceased a happy journey to the afterlife in the original homeland of Kalinga. In ancient Odisha people did it to mark the prayers for the safe return of their kin from overseas trade. Today we do it to celebrate and pray as a part of our glorious seafaring past. No wonder the Bali Jatra (Bali Fair) begins in Odisha in the same time which must have been initiated to trade and showcase the items from Bali Island by the Sadhavas of ancient Odisha.

The Case of Kawi or Old Javanese Script

Kawi literally means poet in India. It is the language based on theater and literature of old Javanese language. Indian Sanskrit and old Javanese established a connection via the trader of ancient Odisha or Kalinga. The Kakawin form of this language is a middle standard between old Javanese and Kawi. The Kakawin depicts narratives of Hindu Mythology in context of the social life in Indonesian archipelago. The poets of Kakawin composed and performed in the court of Javanese Kalinga and Kediri in east Java in the 9^th Century. Some Odia words comparable to Kakawin language that was inherited in Bali are like Aswalalita, Basanta, Mredu Komala, Swan Devi, Wikridita, etc.

The story of Bima Kumara (or Bhima Kumara) in the Kakawin Virataparwa Hindu epic mentions that a 6^th century Kalingan king from Odisha called Sridharmavansha Teggu Anantavikrama Tuggadeva that ruled the Kediri kingdom of Java sponsored the Kakawin translation of Hindu epics like Mahasang Katha Ramayana Charita and Mangjawaken Bysamata from Sanskrit to old Javanese. Moreover, if today we compare the scripts of Odia and Kawi the results will astonish us. But to the heights of disgust, Tamil scholars have propagated that Kawi script was derived from the Tamil Pallava script and sadly no one puts a question mark on this from Odisha.

Coastal Defense, Sea Battles and Naval Hub in Odisha

There is a place called Nausena (navy) near the Chilika Lake in Odisha. This provides us the pointer to the existence of naval force stationed in the region in the past. Considering the ship building knowledge and involvement in the regular highly prosperous trade activities of ancient Odisha, the subsequent rulers could not have ensured this high level of economic activities without the existence of a naval force. The kings of the feudal states of ancient Odisha in the river delta regions of the coast were given the annotations and rank like Muhana Kimbhira or Muhana Chaukia. There responsibility was to protect the main heartland of ancient Kalinga from attacks by foreign forces and pirates in the sea. In order to assist the prime ruler of Kalinga in naval conflicts, these feudal rulers used to provide them with Paikas (fighting militia) and boats. It is said that there were fifty such feudal rulers of ancient Kalinga when the Mughals and Marathas took over the Odisha in the 16^th Century. The rulers of Kanika, Kujanga, Ali, Harishpur, Marichpur and Golra had received these titles as Muhana Kimbhira.

Hero stones from 7^th to 9^th Century remembering the brave hearts of the sea battle was located in Kanas near Chilika along with stone anchors of ancient ships. But without much research data and evidence collected so far the unspoken story of these heroes is still a mystery. Wide range of research is actually required to trace the truth of the naval activities in the coast of ancient Odisha.

Conclusion 

I hope my research leads me to further in depth findings of the glorious past of maritime seafaring Odisha. It is of no wonder that Indians are known to the Indonesians and Malaysians as Orang Keling or the people from Kalinga. Kalinga (ancient Odisha) was the ideal land of their dreams from which theirs and our ancestors left out to colonize the South East Asia and dictate totalitarian socio-cultural influence over the lands beyond the high seas. Ancient Odisha was the cradle of the modern South East Asian nations. Far before the Cholas, other Dravidians or the Bengalis, Mahodadhi (Bay of Bengal) was the playground of our intellectual, fearless and prosperous ancestors. It is hard to imagine the existence of the modern South East Asian and South Asian nations in their current forms if the seafaring Odias would not have decided to cross the seas and venture into the unknown with their cultural and traditional background.  

Research Document Submitted by Manjit Keshari Nayak
Like our Page at www.facebook.com/PurnyabhumiOdisha                                                                  

Goswamini Mahadevi or Tribhubana Mahadevi – I; the Bhauma Kara Empress, who ascended the Throne of Odisha like a Katayayani (Warrior Goddess).

Odisha has been a land of emperors and conquerors but a few is celebrated in popular culture about the Bhaumakar dynasty’s powerful empresses. This dynasty that lasted from 736 A.D to 950 A.D saw a line of six female rulers that ruled the kingdom of ancient Kalinga with a firm grip despite the presence of male heirs. This era saw political and military power of the state being vibrantly managed by the female rulers and wives of feudatories. The Kalika Purana written about the same time, mentions Uddiyana or Odra Desa as the seat of Goddess Katayayani and lord Jagannath. Other prominent documents of Shakti cult like Brahmayamala Tantra dedicate a hymn “Aadya Stotra” to goddess Shakti which dictates that Vimala of Puri and Viraja (Girija) were the respective goddesses of Utkala Kingdom. The Tantra Chudamani enlightens the Utkala Kingdom to be one of the major Shakti shrines where the navel of the goddess landed and the exact location is described to be the Vaitarani River’s Oddiyana Shrine which is Viraja or Girija Khsetra. Overall the era of the Bhaumakar Dynasty saw the great uplift of female social status and the religious alignment of this social process was clearly visible in the documents of the time.

                           

Fig - Astabhuja Durga in the Vaital Deula built by Goswamini Mahadevi

Traditionally the Bhaumakara dynasty established by Kshemakara Deva, was a patron of Mahayana Buddhism and tantric Buddhism. The Dynasty’s patronage towards Shaktism, Shavism and Vaisnavism had a phenomenal growth after the ascent of female rulers. Jainism also flourished in the Prachi Valley and Podasingidi of Keonjhar district during this period. The Vajrayana Buddhism or Tantric cult of Buddhism centered in Odisha in the 7^th Century A.D under the protection of Bhaumakara Kings  including the founder Kshemakara Deva who had assumed Buddhist titles like Paramopasaka, Paramatathagata and Parama Saugata, etc. The Bhaumakara kings and queens donated lands for the Siva temples and Saivism flourished with Vaisnavism as its cult. However, the most astonishing fact of this era was the flourishing Hindu Shakti cult that was centered on the capital region of the Bhaumakars i.e. Jajpur. The image of Durga became eight-armed or Astabhuja. Eventually, this image became ten-armed towards the later part of the Bhaumakar dynasty. The ten armed or Dasabhuja Durga was depicted at that time as the war Goddess armed with the weapons of different Gods. This change was a significant reflection of women at the top in the administrative positions including the lordship of the empire towards the later part of the Bhaumakar dynasty when one after the other Queens started taking the control of the Throne.

      Fig - Rare Buddhist Idol of Bahumakar period excavated from Kendrapada

Goswamini Mahadevi was the first eligible empress of the Bhaumakar Dynasty who had been invited by a few feudatory rulers to ascend the throne after the political order in the kingdom had collapsed under repeated invasions from Palas and Rashtrakutas. She was the wife of the former king Shantikara Deva I and was the princess of Mysore’s king Rajamalla I. The feudatory rulers had indulged into civil war after the collapse of political order facing the external invasions. Goswamini Mahadevi has credited her father Rajamalla I to have vanished the invaders from her Odisha and re-establishing her husband as the emperor. She had bypassed the earlier king’s son, let her son rule after her husband and herself ascended the throne in the year 843 A.D after his death and as her grandson; the heir to the throne was still a child. She was in complete control of the kingdom and proved to be an intelligent and worthy ruler with a strong grip of control on the kingdom. Persian visitors and writers of the time have documented that she assumed the title of Katayani Tribhubana Mahadevi and ascended the throne with a strong Charisma.

The word Katayani means goddess of war and Odisha at the time known as Odra Desa was considered to be the deity’s shrine. This indicates the power that she enjoyed assuming the kingdom’s head deity’s name to justify her rule. Persian writers mentioned that she ensured that peace and prosperity lasted and the war ravaged kingdom returned to former glory with stability. She maintained an army of 3,00,000 soldiers and the feudal rulers bowed in front of her touching their foreheads on her feet as a supreme gesture of total submission and abstention from revolt against her supreme authority. It is an extremely rare phenomenon in the history of India were amongst a few mentioned female rulers, a remarkable woman like Goswamini Mahadevi I was commanding such a large army capable of carving out empires.

Fig - Vaital Deula built by Goswamini Mahadevi 

She was a Vaishnavite in faith but showed great interest in nursing other belief systems in her kingdom. She constructed the famous and uniquely built Khakhara style Vaitala deula (Temple) with the fierce tantric cult goddess Chamunda as the central deity. The Sakti worshipers of the Bhaumakar period visualized the concept of worshiping the seven mother Goddesses called Saptamatruka (Varahi, Indrani, Vaishnavi, Kaumari, Sivani, Brahmi and Chamunda). The idea of Human and animal sacrifice was common in this era.

Conclusion

Goswamini Mahadevi or Katayayani Tribhubana Mahadevi I abdicated the throne in 861 A.D after 18 years of successful rule in favor of her grandson Subhakara Deva II, who had grown to the eligible age mark to rule the kingdom. The story of her inspirational life is in shreds due to lack of proper research but it is amazing to think of a great personality like her could rule a powerful empire on her own will with a firm grip. We must not forget that it was not until the early 18^th and 19^th Century that the derogatory male dominant Indian society was suppressing women with self immolation ritual of sati and forcing them to stay behind the Purdah or home walls.  But there was a woman in Odisha nearly a thousand years back prior to all this who was feared, respected and bowed before by the most powerful warlords, feudal chiefs and enemies of her kingdom. She paved the tradition of female rulers in the dynasty and was followed by another line of six female rulers unlike any dynasty in any region of India or Asia. A remarkable feat that Odisha achieved at least a thousand years before even when the most modern nation like the United States was arguing over women rights to vote.

The state of Odisha was formed/created/ established/ founded in 1936?

Almost all people in Odisha are aware that the state of Odisha was officially reorganized in April 1^st 1936 as the first linguistic based state of India along with the province of Sindh. However, there is a collective blunder by the scholars of Odisha in describing this event as if it was the birth of the state. In fact Odisha was always existent in the history vibrantly until its downfall caused by Islamic Invaders from Bengal. Odisha was dismembered, politically tampered with and heinous efforts were made to wash out the Odia identity with the help of planned cultural sabotage. For example the Bengal bureaucratic groups tried to impose the Bengali script as they had done it successfully in Assam and in the former core Odishan territory of Jaleshwar Sarkar that comprises at least 30-40% of total territory of modern West Bengal and some parts of Jharkhand.  Marathi political influence on the Tribal highlands of Western and Southern Odisha (Tri Kalinga region) in sync with the 36 Garh or 36 forts and Chota Nagpur region was not enough while Hindi was being forcibly imposed as an Official language. This ultimately resulted in the first popular Odia language moment in Sambalpur region in 1905 to reinstate Odia as the official language though the people were still to remain divided for another 31 years.

The expressions in various research, educational and government documents over the internet and other available study materials thoughtlessly dictate that the state was formed or founded in the year 1936. The terms like Odra Bishaya, Odra Desa, Oddiyana, etc are mentioned in a clear cut manner in the various ancient documents. The Suryavanshi emperor Kapilendra Deva Routray of the 15^th Century was the first to declare his kingdom prominently as “Odisha Rajya“ or the kingdom of Odisha  which  is evident from his land grants issued during his rule. The existence of the term Odisha or its previous terms like Odra Bishaya, Odra Desa, etc. can be traced back into thousands of years of history with the alongside existence of contemporary names like Kalinga, Kangoda, Utkala, etc. Mythology speaks about the sons of the blind sage Dirghatamas as Kalinga, Pundra, Sumha, Banga, Anga and the later born youngest son as Odra. All these names are the simultaneous names of kingdoms as well as the princes of the undivided mythological Anava Empire in eastern India ruling it in parts after the death of their non biological father Bali.  So Odisha was not formed, created or founded by anyone on 1^st April 1936, it was partially amalgamated, reorganized or reconstituted with majority of its ancient territories still under the rule of non Odia states.

Odisha might have been dismembered, plundered and captured by foreign forces after the 16^th Century till the year 1936 but the consciousness of being an Odia was never eradicated despite all the best efforts by the conspirators. Our glorious past echoed through the centuries of blunder by foreign rulers and we decided to stand back on our feet following the guidelines of the Ganga Vanshis and the Surya Vanshis. The modern state of Odisha is a result of collective efforts based on patriotic consciousness of the ancient people who were famous across the world as Kalinga, Odra, Kangoda, etc. So let’s not downplay our own past glory by using the terms like formed/created/ established/ founded in 1936 for the state's official reorganization under modern standards and constitutional system.

Document Submitted by Manjit Keshari Nayak
Like our Page at www.facebook.com/PurnyabhumiOdisha

Satrubhanja, the Naga Emperor from Northern Odisha

The name ‘Bhanja’ itself has been deeply rooted to the northern and western Odisha region for centuries. So far the history of the early Bhanjas has been a mystery as not much research has been done in this field. The history of Odisha from the 3^rd century to 6^th century A.D. was considered to be in darkness as all most all attention was laid on the prior topics of emperor Kharavela and Kalinga war. Only after enough research was conducted on the Sitabhinj’si Ravanchaya inscriptions and with the discovery of the Satrubhnaja inscription from the vicinity of the Asanpat village in Keonjhar district, historians have begun to draw light on the glorious past of the Odias in this Dark Age. 

Myth logically, the Ravanchaya rock at Sitabhinji is believed to be the place where Sita took exile. The river situated within the range of 100 yards is also named as Sita. Pre-historic implements and tools have been discovered in abundance in this area. However, the most interesting discovery is the 3^rd or 4^th Century rock painting of a royal procession of the king Disabhanja riding an elephant with followers and attendants which throws a light on the dominance of the Bhanja dynasty in the highland areas of Odisha. Historians have continuously credited the mysterious Bhanja dynasty of this era for the cultural uplift of the tribal hinterlands and mountainous areas of Odisha due to evidences collected so far. Though the final domain of the Bhanjas was limited to Mayurbhanj district and other parts of the northern Odisha including the domain of the Mayura dynasty of Sundergarh area, the discovery of the Asanpat inscription has revealed the achievements and conquests of a powerful warlord called Satrubhanja.

     

The recreated Ravanachaya rock painting at Sitabhinji of the king Disabhanja and his Royal procession

Logically the word ‘warlord’ does not fit in with his achievements, it is obligatory because of his dynastical identity. In actual terms Satrubhanja belonged to the Naga clan of the Vindhya mountain range (the middle region of India from the west to the east coast). The Asanpat inscription which is issued under a stone carved image of the dancing Nataraja (Siva) glorifies the family line being devout Shaivites and traditionally patrons of warfare and cultural activities. Nagas were the rulers of different parts of Vindhya Range under different family names. The administration of the Indian subcontinent was dictated by the powerful Kushanas and Murundas from Pataliputra.  Combinedly known as the Devaputras there origin was foreign as the Kushanas where the invaders from the Central Asia region who had eventually established a firm grip on India. The Nagas of Keonjhar (Vindhyatabi) and the Bharashiva Nagas of Central India joined hands to overthrow the Kushana rule from India under the leadership of Satrubhnaja. 

                        

                 

                                   Asanpat Inscription of Satrubhanja

What does the Asanpat Inscription say?

This thirteen line Sanskrit inscription provides a clear cut description about the life of Satrubhanja.

 

Birth, lineage and Success as a Warrior

He is described to be born to the Naga clan as the moon among kings and as the illustrious Ranaslaghin of the family. He is also described as the Devaputra or the divine child born to a family whose fame would last till the end of the Kali yuga. This description verifies the top position of his family amongst the entire ruling Naga clans and the adjoining dynasties along with possibility of him being the crown prince who is expected to win battles in the future with the enemies. He is stated to be the ruling king and the lord of Vindhyatabi (the forest kingdom in the Vindhya Range), the son of Maharaja Manabhanja born to the queen Mahadevi Damayanti. His success as a warrior is defined by the statement that his valour is unchecked and unchallenged even after hundreds of battles (possibly with the traditional enemies, the Kushanas and Murundas of North India). He is described to be the Kalpavriksha (with the sense of being holy and not being deviated yet) and having the quality of good wealth on earth that was like the sun having mass splendor on earth

His Knowledge

The inscription glorifies Satrubhnja’s knowledge in the Puranas and Mahabharata. Subjects studied by him also include Itihasa (history), Vyakarana (grammar), Samiksa, Nyaya (law), Mimamsa (decision making), Chandas (metrical science), Vedas, Buddhist Scriptures and Samkhya (logical derivation). He is described as the storehouse of the knowledge and an expert in all the arts.

    

Relegious Activities

Satrubhanja is stated to have build houses and monasteries that belonged to different religious communities in his empire which glorifies his approach to all religions as a part of his policy of tolerance and secularism. The religious communities included Brahmacarins (Brahmin), Parivrajakas (travelers who make holy trip), Bhikshus (Buddhists alms seekers) and Nirgranthakas. The end of inscription also unveils that he had build a temple for god Siva. 

     

The Extent of his Empire known from his Religious Activities

The fall of Kushana Dynasty in eastern India and Murundas in Kalinga was caused by rigorous struggle of the combined Naga forces (Kausambi, Ahichhatra, Padmavati and Vindhyatavi) under the leadership of Satrubhanja and the rising Gupta power. The continuous classes between the Nagas and the combined Murunda and Kushan forces ultimately ended in the complete weakening of the Kushan authority in India. It is said that the king of the Kushan dynasty plunged into the river Ganga to commit suicide due the burden of insult inflicted upon him by Satrubhanja’s Naga forces. After the victory, Satrubhanja is said to have gifted lakhs of cows at places like Pataliputra, Gaya, Krimila, Dalavardhana, Pundrvardhana, Gokkhati, Khadranga, Tamaralipti and both North and South Toshali in Coastal Odisha as an act of holy duty. He donated lakhs of hiranaya (gold coins) to various Mathas (monasteries) such as the Sankhara Matha at Ahichatra and Manibhadra matha at Yaksheswara.

The vast amount of wealth distributed in foreign domains gives the extent of his territorial expansion after the conflict with the Kushan cum Murunda forces. Certain historians have treated him as a feudal king making pilgrimages to these holy places under the Gupta domain but after the rise of the Gupta dynasty, Samudragupta completely subjugated the Naga forces of Vindhyas and Odisha. This verifies that Nagas and Guptas were contenders for the power in India on the verge of the collapse of the Kushanas and it is not possible for a enemy king like Satrubhanja to be allowed to pilgrimages into so many places of the Gupta domain at the height of their enmity. Moreover, the amount of wealth donated in places mentioned on the Asanpat inscription describes the power and wealth he enjoyed as a lord of an empire instead of a preposterous idea of being a vassal or feudal king as assumed by certain downplaying historians.

Research Document Submitted by Manjit Keshari Nayak
Like our Page at www.facebook.com/PurnyabhumiOdisha