Inscriptions of Gajapati Kapilendra Deva in Odia Found at Srikurmam Temple
Discovery at Srikurmam Temple reveals Kalinga’s cultural reach beyond Odisha
Visakhapatnam: In a historic breakthrough, the first-ever inscriptions of Gajapati Kapilendra Deva in Odia have been discovered at the Srikurmam Temple in Srikakulam district. Built by the Eastern Ganga rulers of Kalinga, the temple has long been associated with royal patronage.
Epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari has found the inscriptions engraved on two pillars of the Swetapuṣkariṇī Maṇḍapa in the temple. As part of his research, Adhikari has decoded more than 200 inscriptions across Eastern India.
“This is the first time that Odia inscriptions from the Kapilendra Deva era have been found in Srikurmam. It opens a new chapter in understanding his cultural and administrative influence in Andhra,” the epigraphist told this correspondent. Three inscriptions of Kapilendra Deva in Telugu and Sanskrit script have been found at this site.
A 1455 CE inscription records the renewal of land grants by Kuṇḍaleśvara Mahāpatra. Another 1461 CE inscription announces that Chamu Rauta of Dahale has installed a bronze lamp at the temple. Earlier, a record of Kalinga temple officials donating perpetual lamps for the King’s success had been found.
The newly found inscriptions are in Odia script, offering a rare evidence of cultural continuity. One inscription records that in the 21st Anka of Gajapati Kapilesvara Deva alias Kapilendra Deva of Odisha, Mahapatra Kuṇḍaleśvara Dāsa Jena – the Kalinga Parikhya and Bhoga Parikhya Sukuru Muduli ordered the Chandana Lepana Seva for Lord Kurmanātha.
Another inscription engraved on a lion pillar is dated to the 34th regnal year of Kapilendra Deva (1463 CE), records the temple administration being under the Kalinga Parikya (officers of Kalinga Dandapata). It bears the sun and crescent moon symbol.
Kapilendra Deva (1435–1467 CE), founder of the Suryavamsi Gajapati dynasty, ruled a vast empire stretching from Bengal’s Ganga to Tamil Nadu’s Kaveri. While inscriptions in multiple languages have been found across the region, this is the first known Odia script inscription outside Kurmanatha temple, showcasing the shared cultural and religious traditions between Odisha and Andhra.
The discovery confirms rituals like the Chandana Lepana Seva, linking officers across inscriptions, and reaffirms Kapilendra’s wide empire. The latest find indicates the deep historical bonds and highlights the enduring legacy of Kalinga’s influence in eastern India.