Odia inscriptions found in AP temple

Berhampur: Ina landmark discovery, the first-ever Odia inscriptions of Gajapati Kapilendra Deva (1435–1467 CE) have been unearthed at the sacred Srikurmam Temple in Andhra Pradesh. Engraved on two pillars of Svetapuskarini Mandapa, the inscriptions were identified by epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari of Paralakhemundi, who had earlier decoded over 200 records of Eastern India.

The new inscriptions—one recording the Chandana Lepana Seva of Lord Kurmanatha and another dated 1463 CE (34th regnal year)—reveal the administrative authority of Kalinga officers like Kundalesvara Mahapatra, already known from Telugu records.

Until now, Srikurmam had only three inscriptions of Kapilendra Deva in Telugu and Sanskrit. The Odia script records mark a first-ever survival of Odia epigraphy in the temple, linking its rituals with those of Puri and Simhachalam.

Kapilendra Deva, hailed as one of medieval India’s greatest monarchs, ruled an empire stretching from the Ganga to the Kaveri. This discovery reaffirms his cultural imprint in Andhra Pradesh and highlights the shared heritage of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.