Visakhapatnam: An inscription dating back to the Eastern Ganga dynasty has been unearthed from Krushna Chandra Matham area in Tekkali town of Srikakulam district.
The find marks one of the old recorded Odia inscriptions of the Eastern Ganga era discovered from this region, further affirming the cultural and political ties between ancient Odisha and northern Andhra, the geographically contiguous areas, as noted by epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari.
The inscription, he said, was found engraved on the lotus-feet panel of the principal deity inside the sanctum of Krushna Chandra Matham, located near Seri Street in Tekkali. Written in Sanskrit using Odia script, the epigraph reads: Gāṅgavansha-samudruta Kṛṣṇacandra-mahipateḥ rāgyan Nīlamanī-devyāḥ patīmēyādi-nirmāṇe.
After deciphering the inscription, it read thus: “The idol was constructed under the patronage of Queen Nīlamanī Devī, consort of King Krushna Chandra Gajapati, a ruler of the Raghunāthpur estate comprising Nandigam and Buragam in the Tekkali region.”
The Queen identifies herself as Gāṅgavansha-samudruta—a proud descendant of the illustrious Eastern Ganga dynasty that once ruled Kalinga and built the iconic Jagannātha Temple of Puri and the Srikurmam, Srimukhalingam and Varaha Nrusimha temples in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.
This is the second known inscription referring to Queen Nīlamanī Devī.
The previous one was found on a pillar in the Asthāna Maṇḍapa of the Varāha Lakṣmī Narasiṃha temple at Simhachalam in Visakhapatnam, in which she describes it as belonging to the Ātreya gotrabati -the lunar clan, reaffirming her noble lineage.
Historically, until 1936, the Tekkali-Nandigam estate formed part of Ganjam district and its royal family maintained close relations with the Gajapatis of Paralakhemundi ( the branch family ) in southern Odisha.
The Krushna Chandra temple, where the inscription was found, represents the `Pidha’ style of Kalinga architecture, adorned with elegant carvings typical of southern Odisha temples.
The temple has traditionally been managed by the Gantayat family of Tekkali. At present, it is under the hereditary care of Samrat Gantayat, son of Krushna Chandra Gantayat and grandson of Nimai Charan Gantayat.
Locals emphasize that this heritage structure deserves greater recognition and preservation support from the Andhra Pradesh government, as it stands as a living testimony to the shared Odia–Andhra cultural continuum of the post-medieval Ganga period.
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