1) Kharavela was a king of Kalinga in the 1st century BC who expanded his kingdom through military conquests. 2) The main source of information about Kharavela is the Hathigumpha inscription he commissioned, which describes his victories over neighboring kingdoms over 12 years. 3) Kharavela undertook major infrastructure projects and revived cultural traditions in Kalinga during his reign, as recounted in the inscription, making it a time of prosperity.

1. ’Dravida Utkala Jatra -2017’
(8th Site seminar)
Preperatory Talk – 14
–G.Santhanam
Tamil Heritage Trust
http://www.tamilheritage.in

3. Kharavela is known as a great Emperor
of Kalinga in the First Century BC.
Julius Caesar of Rome was assasinated in
44.BC and Kharavela was anointed as
King of Kalinga in c.40 BC.
Asoka annexed Kalinga to Maurya
empire by in 261-262 BC after a bloody
and infamous ‘Kalinga War’.

4. Belongs to Chedi Dynasty.
The Chedis are considered to be Ksatriyas as early as Rg
Vedic period. A Vedic hymn pays adoration to Chedi
King Kasu; he has given generous gifts to a rshi.
Though no other king is known after Kasu, the Chedis were
known in Mahabharata & early puranas.
According to Mahabharata, Paurva king Vasu conquered
kingdom of Chedis. He is called as Uparichara Vasu and
known for asceticism. He married a apsara and had
daughter named Satyavati. Satyavati became Queen of
King Santanu and gave birth to Krshnadvaipayana and
others. The Vayu Purana corroborates this epic tradition.
The Uparichara Vasu said here is referred as Rajarsi and
was an ancestor of Kharavela as per Hathigumpha
inscriptions.

5. 1) Abhichandra : Founder of Chedirastra in the
Vindhyan region in c.200BC.
2) Vasu : Referred to in the Hathigumpha inscription as
Rajrsi Vasu.
3) Mahamedhavahana : Liberated Kalinga from the
hegemony of Magadha in c.72BC and founded
Chedi rule in Kalinga.
4) Chetaraja: The second Chedi king of Kalinga. Had a
premature death in c.49 BC.
5) KHARAVELA : Ruled as Yuvaraja from c.49 BC to 40
BC and was anointed in the third generation of the
Chedi kings of Kalinga in c.40 BC.
Last known date – 27 BC.
1) Kudepasiri : Probably the son and successor of
Kharavela. His inscription found in Udayagiri caves.

6. 7) Kumara Vaduka : Probably the son of
Kudepasiri.
8to20) Then continued by Galaveya, Aira
Maharaja Manasanda, Vasu, Kumara
Varadattasri, then successive nine
kings ruled over Kosala from middle of
2nd century AD to middle of 4th century
AD.
-------------------------------------------------------------
-This comprehensive chronology is
based on analysis and interpretation of
empirical materials and may be taken
to be provisional, leaving the door open
for further research – says N.K.Sahu.

7. The main source materials for ascertaining the life and time of
Kharavela is the Hathigumpha cave inscription. This cave is one of
the many caves in Udayagiri hill near Bhubaneshwar.
Khandagiri-Udayagiri twin hills were known as Kumara parvata and
Kumari parvata in earlier times. These twin hills were known to the
poets, mendicants and religious people through centuries. But the
inscriptions were in complete obscurity till 19th century.
After the British occupied Orissa, A.Stirling was first to notice the
inscription and in 1820 conducted Col Mackenzie to the spot who
prepared a lithograph facsimile of the inscription. The lithograph of
Mackenzie was not complete as it contained only 9 out of 17 lines.
In 1837 James Prinsep requested his Lieutenant to visit the place and
got copies of the entire seventeen lines of the inscription. Prinsep
succeeded for the first time in deciphering it and published his
finding in the Journal of the Asiatic Society, Bengal. He had named
King Aira as the author of the inscription.

8. Towards the end of 1871 H.Locke conducted
a survey and prepared drawings of their
ground plans, sections and elevations.
Alexander Cunningham and R.L.Mitra made
some improvements of reading of the
inscription.
The first scholar to declare that the King
eulogised in the Hathigumpha inscription
was named Kharavela, was Pandit
Bhagwan Lal Indraji.
The research then went on and on further…
Now let us see some pictures & a video of the
Hathigumpha cave and inscription.
PICTURES

18. The Hathigumpha Inscription ("Elephant
Cave" inscription was inscribed by
Kharavela, during 2nd century BCE.
Inscription consists of seventeen lines in a
Central-Western form of Prakrit incised in
a deep-cut Brahmi script on the
overhanging brow of a natural cavern in
the southern side of the Udayagiri hill.
It faces straight towards the Rock Edicts
of Asoka at Dhauli, situated at a
distance of about six miles. It is said that it
is a fitting to reply to the Mauryans.

21. Bhagwan Lal Indraji is credited with the first
authentic reading of Kharavela’s
inscription, which he presented before the
Sixth International Congress of Orientalists,
1885.
The inscription starts with a version of the
auspicious Jain Namokar Mantra: नमो
अरहंतानं [॥] णमो सव सधानं [॥].
The inscription mainly mentions the various
conquests of this king, starting with his fight
against the Satavahana king Satakarni.
Since it is heavily damaged & mutilated has
given rise to many controversies and
interpretations.

28. The name‘Kharavela’ may be taken to
have conveyed the meaning of the
Ocean.
His birth would have been in the middle of
1st century BC.
The young prince was physically handsome
and had a brown complextion. The various
auspicious signs on his body suggesting that
he was destined to be great in his life.
At the age of fifteen he assumed the
responsibility as Yuvaraja. He claimed to
have acquired proficiency in Writing,
Coinage, Arithmatic,Legal procedures,
Administrative procedures etc.

29. No important event is found recorded for
the period from 49BC to 40BC when
Kharavela ruled as Crown Prince. The last
year of this period witnessed a great
cyclonic storm.
In 40BC on completion of 24th year of
age he was made as King in the storm
tossed Kalinganagari.
Sometime before his coronation the
Prince probably married his Chief
Queenas her presence was essentially
required in the anointation ceremony.

30. Then starts the glorious era in Kalinga history
as per the inscriptional evidences. The
Hathigumpha inscription is supposedly one
and only of its kind which describes the
exploits of a monarch in perfect
chronological order.
In the very first year of his coronation
repaired the gate, rampart and structures
of the fort of Kalinga Nagari, which had
been damaged by storm, and caused to
be built flight of steps for the cool tanks and
laid all gardens at the cost of thirty five
hundred thousand (coins) and thus pleased
all his subjects.

31. In the second year, without caring for
Satkarni, Kharavela sent to the west a
large army consisting of horse, elephant,
infantry and chariot, and struck terror to
Asikanagara with that troop that
marched upto the river Kanhavemna.
Thereafter, in the third year, well versed
in the Gāndharva Veda, he made
Kalinganagri play, as it were by
arranging festivals and convivial
gatherings, and organising
performances of acrobatics, dance, as
well as vocal and instrumental music.

32. Then in the fourth year, (His Majesty] .... the
Vidyadhara tract, that had been established
by the former kings of Kalinga and had never
been crossed before.
The Rathika and Bhojaka chiefs with their
crown cast off, their umbrella and royal insignia
thrown aside, and their Jewellery and wealth
confiscated, were, made to pay obeisance at
the feet of Kharavela.
In the fifth year he contributed to repairs of
water supply systems, canals into Kalinga.
These were initially built 300 year ago.
in the sixth year of his coronation his Majesty in
order to display the regal wealth, remitted all
taxes, cesses and benevolences for the urban
and rural population, to the extent of many
hundred thousands (of coins).

33. The seventh year witnessed the birth of
his son to Queen Vajiraghara.
In the eighth year he finally decided to
square of with longtime rival kingdom of
Magadha. He attacked Rajagriha in
Magadha. A Yavana king who was
marching towards attacking Magadha,
retreated to Mathura on hearing about
the attack of Kharavela.
And in the ninth year [His Majesty]
caused to be built [in Kalinga Nagari]
the Great Victory palace the royal
residence at the cost of thirty eight
hundred thousand (coins).

34. In tenth year he sent a huge army to northern India
for an unknown battle, probably to defeat the Indo-
Greeks at Mathura.
The eleventh year saw His Majesty shattering the
territorial confederacy of the Tamil states having
populous villages, that was existing since thirteen
hundred years.
And in the twelfth year, terrorised the king of
Uttarapatha by an army of hundred thousand, made
Bahasatimita, the King of Magadha, obeisance at his
feet. (he is probably Pushyamitra Sunga). He then
brought back the image of Kalinga Jina that had
been taken away by king Nanda and the jewels
plundered by him (King Nanda) from the Kalinga
royal palace, along with the treasures of Anga and
Magadha.
He also attacked many northern kingdoms including
Kosala,Kasi, Anga, Vajji etc.

35. In the thirteenth year he contributed to the
construction of a lot of religious and welfare
activities including constructions in
Khandagiri and Udayagiri.
As desired by the Queen of Simhapatha, he
built an edifice in front of and close to the
dwellings of the Arhats with thirty five
hundred thousand stone slabs, raised from
the best quarries and brought form a
distance of many yojanas for the
convenience of the honoured Sramanas
and for the Rsis and Samghiyanas, who
hailed from all directions and also set up on
the pink coloured floor, pillars bedecked
with emerald at a cost of one hundred and
five thousand (coins) .

38. He revived the Tauryatrika included in
sixty four branches of art that had been
suspended during the time of the
Mauryas.
This means that he gave great
patronage to 64 arts in all its full forms,
which were stopped by the earlier rulers.
The sculptural works of the twin hills bears
ample testimony to this which we will see
here in the form of few pictures.

39. Kirari, a place in MP where a wooden
inscription was found which throws light
into the administrative system and
various names of officers under
Kharavela rule.
Some of these officers are even found in
the carvings of the twin hills.

41. ..

42. Now let us see the pictures depicting
the lifestyle of the then Kalinga citizens.
All these depictions have place in
Khandagiri Udayagiri twin hills.
This shows a prosperous and satisfied
living.

50. Snapshots from Khandagiri & Udayagiri Caves

62. .
.

70. ..

79. ..

81. Later years
Kharavela's empire is believed to have
disintegrated soon after his death.
Only two of his successors - Vakradeva (a.k.a.
Kudepasiri or Vakadepa) and Vadukha - have
left inscriptions. According to Bhagwan Lal,
Vakradeva was probably Kharavela's son and
successor.
Vakradeva's inscription is found in Udayagiri,
and he has same epithets as Kharavela:
Kalingadhipati (Lord of Kalinga) and
Mahameghavahana (having an elephant as
his carrier). Further, Vaduka seems to be a son
of Vakradeva.

82. ‘Visastvaa sarvvaa vamcchantu
matvadrastra madhibrasat ‘
means
ALL SUBJECTS MAY ACCEPT HIM AND THE
KINGDOM MAY REMAIN STEADFAST WITH
HIM.
-says Rg Veda,X,173